traditional native healing plants - lessons of our land

Traditional Native Healing PlantsPublished on Lessons of Our Land (http://www.lessonsofourland.org)

Grades: 6th - 8th Grade Lesson: 1Unit: 3: Contemporary American Indian land issuesSubject: ScienceAdditional Subject(s): Arts; English Language Arts; History/Social StudiesAchievement Goal: Students will be able to: Name two plant derived medicines discovered byNative Americans; List four plants used by Native people for spiritual healing; Draw one plant used byNative healers and explain its medicinal use; and Explain how Eastman's grandmother gatheredmedicinal plants.Time: Multiple class periods

Lesson Description:Students demonstrate that they can name two plant-derived medicines discovered by NativeAmericans, list four plants used by Native people for spiritual healing, and explain how Eastman’sgrandmother gathered medicinal plants through verbal feedback. They demonstrate they can describethe curative properties of one Native plant by conducting internet research and submitting a drawingand short report.

Teacher Background:During Colonial times, European doctors did not make much use of plant medicines. They used leeches,bloodletting and a variety of other techniques in their attempt to heal the sick. Native Americans, on theother hand, used the healing qualities of plants extensively. Over 200 plant medicines discovered byNative Americans are listed in the official U.S. book of Pharmacopeias. Some scholars have evensuggested that the beginnings of modern pharmacy can be found in Native America. Some of thesehealing plants are still used today in a variety of forms. They include among others: the inner bark ofthe poplar and willow tree which yields aspirin, quinine bark to cure malaria, coca leaves to makeNovocain, spruce and balsam needles to cure scurvy, and most recently, yew plant leaves to make apowerful cancer drug called taxol.

One reason Native people made greater use of plants may have to do with the respect the people heldfor plants and animals. They realized that plants are equipped with innate survival mechanisms thatcould be used by their human relatives. In addition, Native people looked to the animals whose survivalinstincts draw them to certain plants. They found, for example, that the pregnant moose eats the innerbark of a certain tree and that pregnant women can steam this bark into a tea to ease labor pains.

Some common plant remedies were available to all families, and in late summer, the women gatheredthese plants for use throughout the year. In this case, parents and grandparents shared their plantknowledge with their children and grandchildren.

For spiritual healing and purification, one or more of four sacred plants are used. These are cedarleaves, prairie sage, sweet grass, and tobacco. Only tobacco is smoked in a pipe. The smoke isconsidered a prayer between humans and the spiritual world. Cedar, sage and sweet grass are generallyburned in a shell bowl. Generally, an elder conducting a ceremony will ask an assistant to smudge (offerthe smoke) to participants. This gesture is a form of purification.

Standards:This lesson aligns with Common Core standards RI1, RI2, RI4, RI7.

6th Grade

RI1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawnfrom the text.

RI2 Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide asummary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.Copyright © Indian Land Tenure Foundation, 2014

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RI4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative,connotative, and technical meanings.

RI7 Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as wellas in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.

7th Grade

RI1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well asinferences drawn from the text.

RI2 Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of thetext; provide an objective summary of the text.

RI4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative,connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning andtone.

RI7 Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing eachmedium's portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the words).

8th Grade

RI1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly aswell as inferences drawn from the text.

RI2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text,including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.

RI4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative,connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone,including analogies or allusions to other texts.

RI7 Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text,video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.

Teacher Preparation Resources:

Arrange internet access for student research projects.Prepare copies of the student reading “Excerpt from Indian Boyhood” by Charles AlexanderEastman found in the Lesson Resources section of this lesson.

Student Activity:

1. Introduce students to the idea of healing plants in Native tradition by sharing the information inthe Teacher Background section.

2. Guide students to conduct internet or plant-book research on the healing qualities of one of thefollowing plants:

MilkweedLabrador or New Jersey TeaWild MintWild RoseCatnipTrillium

Copyright © Indian Land Tenure Foundation, 2014 of 4


WillowWitch HazelFox GlovePurple Cone FlowerBurdock RootPacific YewSpruce or Balsam NeedlesSweet FlagWind FlowerDogbaneSnakerootPasque FlowerBearberryPrairie CloverMugwortGoldenrodChokecherryLadyslipperCow ParsnipWild GingerPrairie Smoke

3. Have students submit a drawing and a short written report on their findings.4. Assign the reading “Excerpt from Indian Boyhood” by Charles Alexander Eastman5. Ask students to explain how Eastman’s grandmother gathered medicinal plants.

Evaluation:After all students have presented their finding, evaluate whether students are able to:

1. Name two plant derived medicines discovered by Native Americans.2. List four plants used by Native people for spiritual healing.3. Draw one plant used by Native healers and explain its medicinal use.4. Explain how Eastman's grandmother gathered medicinal plants.

Lesson Resources:

Excerpt from Indian Boyhood by Charles Alexander EastmanEastman, Charles Alexander. 1904. Indian boyhood. New York: McClure, Phillips.

Source URL: http://www.lessonsofourland.org/lessons/traditional-native-healing-plants

Links:[1] http://www.lessonsofourland.org/sites/default/files/01%20Healing%20Plants%20in%20Native%20Tradition_Resource%20Attachments.pdf[2] http://www.lessonsofourland.org/grade-level/6th-8th-grade[3] http://www.lessonsofourland.org/flag/flag/lessons/470?destination=printpdf/470&token=XLScu3aYc6eIXDdEjxcsI3MfO49VijHXQepkpm6yDhM[4] http://www.lessonsofourland.org/flag/unflag/recently_viewed/470?destination=printpdf/470&token=XLScu3aYc6eIXDdEjxcsI3MfO49VijHXQepkpm6yDhM[5] http://www.lessonsofourland.org/subjects/science[6] http://www.lessonsofourland.org/subjects/arts[7] http://www.lessonsofourland.org/subjects/english-language-arts[8] http://www.lessonsofourland.org/subjects/historysocial-studies[9] http://www.lessonsofourland.org/states/dakota[10] http://www.lessonsofourland.org/units/3-contemporary-american-indian-land-issuesCopyright © Indian Land Tenure Foundation, 2014

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traditional native healing plants - lessons of our land

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