Many answers to contemporary world problems, especially climate change, are already known, especially when considering indigenous knowledge systems. The key is to learn how to find this knowledge and foster its growth. Colonization takes a tremendous toll on indigenous peoples worldwide, separating us from our ancestral lands and cultural traditions so much so that it sometimes appears that our traditional ways have been lost. But, the truth is, they remain as nourishing currents that sustain us. Knowledge of our plant and medicine traditions and how to live in harmony with the Earth has always been preserved; we have carefully guarded them in the hands of knowledge keepers who have kept the wisdom of the past intact for future generations.
Harnessing that knowledge, giving it a space to grow, and supporting people who can pick it up and make it their own is the central task of Elise Krohn, Herbalist and Wild Foods & Medicines Program Director at Garden-Raised Bounty (GRUB), a non-profit organization in Olympia, Washington.
This week we bring you two extra feature clips of Elise from our film series Pathfinder: The Untold Story of the “Indian Business,” which is currently in production.
In the first video, Elise discusses the importance of learning about her heritage and the notion that you must know who you are and where you come from to understand people from diverse cultures
In the second video, Elise describes the pedagogy of teaching indigenous plant and medicine traditions and how rather than superimposing ideas upon students, it is about creating space and allowing the knowledge held with indigenous communities to emerge and grow. like plants whose roots are nourished.
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The library is dedicated to the memory of Secwepemc Chief George Manuel (1921-1989), to the nations of the Fourth World and to the elders and generations to come.
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