This book is a must for beginners and serious students of herbs and of Native American ways. This set of herbal teachings, which draws strongly from the Muscogee tradition, presents an understanding of the healing nature of plants for the first time in book form. In a time of expanding awareness of the potential of herbs, this work shines and beckons. Tis Mal examines common wild plants and in a clear and authoritative style explains how to identify, honor, select, and prepare them for use. Illustrated and indexed by plant name and medical topic.

The historical use of plants by indigenous peoples is explored, and how this connects to universal experiences of the sacred in everyday life.

Describing the medicinal uses of over 2,700 plants by 218 Native American tribes, the author organizes his extensive research into eighty-two categories--including contraceptives, gastrointestinal aids, sedatives, toothache remedies, and more--and provides indexes arranged by tribe, usage, and common name, as well as 150 line drawings.

With the rise of urban living and the digital age, many North American healers are recognizing that traditional medicinal knowledge must be recorded before being lost with its elders. A Cree Healer and His Medicine Bundle is a historic document, including nearly 200 color photos and maps, in that it is the first in which a native healer has agreed to open his medicine bundle to share in writing his repertoire of herbal medicines and where they are found. Providing information on and photos of medicinal plants and where to harvest them, anthropologist David E. Young and botanist Robert D. Rogers chronicle the life, beliefs, and healing practices of Medicine Man Russell Willier in his native Alberta, Canada. Despite being criticized for sharing his knowledge, Willier later found support in other healers as they began to realize the danger that much of their traditional practices could die out with them. With Young and Rogers, Willier offers his practices here for future generations. At once a study and a guide, A Cree Healer and His Medicine Bundle touches on how indigenous healing practices can be used to complement mainstream medicine, improve the treatment of chronic diseases, and lower the cost of healthcare. The authors discuss how mining, agriculture, and forestry are threatening the continued existence of valuable wild medicinal plants and the role of alternative healers in a modern health care system. Sure to be of interest to ethnobotanists, medicine hunters, naturopaths, complementary and alternative health practitioners, ethnologists, anthropologists, and academics, this book will also find an audience with those interested in indigenous cultures and traditions.

The author of ‘the bible on herbalism’ returns with a portable guide on North American medicinal herbs—for the professional and amateur herbalist alike Based on the now-classic reference text Indian Herbalogy of North America, this illustrated pocket guide is the perfect companion for those eager to expand their knowledge of herbal healing. Through detailed descriptions and illustrations, Alma R. Hutchens walks readers through: • 125 of the most useful medicinal herbs found in North America, and their uses • How to create herbal remedies for common ailments • The herbal traditions of North America and other lands Entries include staples of folk medicine such as echinacea and slippery elm as well as common kitchen herbs—from parsley to thyme to pepper—whose tonic and healing properties are less widely known.