15 minute read
The power of Indian medicine
Photos by Denise Titian Stan Lucas, a Hesquiaht harvester and maker of traditional medicine, holds pieces of devil’s club in September, a time he usually begins to collect healing material. Belief in Indian medicine gives it power: harvester
Stan Lucas shares old medicinal plant knowledge he collected from elders across Nuu-chah-nulth territory
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By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter
Port Alberni, BC – With summer over, Stan Lucas of Hesquiaht is focusing his attention on harvesting seasonal medicinal plants. The husband, father and grandfather will ride his bike several kilometers over Sutton Pass along Highway 4 to fi nd plants like devil’s club, wild crab apple trees and balsam trees. On Sept. 22 he was working on devil’s club medicine, which he says is nearing the end of its season. Lucas sits outside of his home with a stick of devil’s club that he just harvested. “Some people hang the stick over their door for three days,” he notes, as a form of protection. His hands, calloused, scuff ed and stained, show how hard he works to produce traditional medicine, which he shares freely with elders and children. Lucas says it is important not to waste – to use every piece of the plant. The woody stalk has an outer and inner bark which is peeled and boiled for several hours, if not for days. “A weak brew can be used for colds, while stronger brew can be used to treat more serious illnesses like cancer,” he explains. Lucas says most medicines are boiled for four days and sit for four days before using. The soft, spongy, inner core of devil’s club is used to make pain cream to treat arthritis and muscle pain. “This is the real medicine,” says Lucas after scooping out the soft, white pulp and squeezing it between his fi ngers. Lucas says the cream made from devil’s club pulp opens your pores, allowing your skin to breathe. The leaves, he says, can be used to treat arthritis or general body aches. “You lay a giant devil’s club leaf on whatever hurts as you soak in a hot tub,” said Lucas. Skunk cabbage leaves can be used the same way to treat muscle or arthritis pain. They can also be used to treat migraine headaches. “You take the leaf and roll it between your hands,” Lucas says. This crushes the leaf, breaking its surface to release plant juices. “You cup the crushed skunk cabbage leaves to your nose and inhale it,” he says. “Devil’s club is one of our strongest medicines passed down for generations,” stresses Lucas, adding that people must be very vigilant when working with medicinal plants. Devil’s club has closely cropped spines covering almost every exposed surface of the plant, including the stems and the underside of the giant leaves. Most people wear gloves when handling it, but Lucas doesn’t. “The needles sting but I like that,” he says, adding that the needles get into your skin and deliver medicine into your body. “I can move better – my arthritis.” Having learned what he knows from elders from several diff erent Nuu-chahnulth nations, Lucas also learned of remedies that are no longer in use. “Our people used to trap bees and let them sting us to treat pain. This is good if you’re not allergic,” he explains. On the subject of allergies, Lucas plucked a couple of dandelion fl owers from his lawn. “We have medicine for allergies,” he shares. “Not many people know that dandelions are medicine. You take the root, dry it and grind it into a powder.” He is aware that some believe that teachings of harvesting and producing Indian medicine should be kept secret, but he thinks it is important to share so that knowledge doesn’t get lost and, more importantly, because people need the medicine. “I learned how to harvest plants when I was a young boy,” says Lucas, adding they only harvested what they needed, when they needed it. Every season there is some form of medicinal plant that can be harvested. “I’ve always liked working with traditional medicines. I know what season to get plants, how to get them and where to get them,” he adds. Lucas brought out two bags of devil’s club medicine. One bag had the bark shavings, which will be boiled to make liquid medicine that he says is best for cancer. “I used to chew the white inner bark when I was a little boy to avoid strep throat,” Lucas recalls. His late father kept a big pot of devil’s club ‘tea’ brewing on the wood stove for days. “He’d drink two or three cups in the morning and couple more throughout the day,” says Lucas. His father lived to be an elder, losing his life in a fi shing accident. “The longer it boils, the more bitter it gets,” says Lucas, adding that it’s the bitterness that a medicine maker is after… the more bitter, the better the medicine. The second bag had what he called “beads”. A stick of devil’s club was stripped of its bark, cut into small rounds and hollowed out. People wear the beads for protection, he said. Lucas credits elders for teaching him what he knows. He returns the favor by supplying them with whatever medicines they need. For Lucas, it is important to share generously the gifts he was given. “Lots of people don’t want to use Western medicine,” says Lucas. “Chemicals are the worst.” “I am trying to teach my kids about this too,” he shares. Lucas plans to head out again, hoping to get more devil’s club before its season is done.
Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation holds march in Tofi no, with gathering, stories
By Melissa Renwick Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Tofi no, BC - Gathered around the totem pole outside the Best Western Tin Wis Plus Resort in Tofi no, dozens of community members from Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation and the surrounding area stood in silence for 2 minutes and 15 seconds. As the 215 children who never made it home from the Kamloops Indian Residential School were commemorated, only the sounds of nearby waves crashing onshore permeated the silence. This year, Sept. 30 marked the fi rst National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The annual day of observance was a response to one of the 94 calls to action outlined in the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission. To honour the day and bring awareness to the experiences of residential school survivors, Tla-o-qui-aht Community Health Liaison Nora Martin organized a march through the streets of Tofi no. Led by Martin and other residential school survivors, the march began at the totem pole and ended in Tofi no’s Village Green. It was followed by a skit performed by the survivors, who re-enacted their experience attending residential schools. Martin’s sister, Grace Frank, said the performance brought her right back to her time attending the Alberni Indian Residential School in 1968 and 1969, and Christie Residential School from 1970 to 1972. While onstage performing the role of a nun, Frank repeatedly told her fellow survivors to ‘shut up,’ and called them ‘dumb’ and ‘stupid Indians.’ “It’s exactly how I remember I was treated,” she said through tears. “I grew up being quiet … When I fi rst went to residential school, I spoke my language and every time that I spoke my language I got strapped and whipped. I have scars inside my hands and on my elbows. It was a living hell.” When the Tk’emlups te Secwépemc First Nation announced they unveiled the remains of 215 children at the former site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School in May, it sent shockwaves across the country. “All the unmarked graves really woke the world up,” said Frank. For many survivors, the discovery reopened old wounds, while others felt a weight lifted off their shoulders, said Martin. “This is what we’ve been saying,” she said. “For many years, we knew that those deaths occurred. That’s why it’s important to bring awareness to our experience.” Residential school survivor and Tla-oqui-aht First Nation elected chief Moses Martin said the new national day is one of frustration and hope. The story of Indigenous genocide has been told for generations, he said. And yet, community leaders must “beg” for resources to help those who are suffering, he added. “I’m hopeful that Canadians will open their minds and open their hearts and try to understand where we’re coming from,” said Moses. Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council VicePresident Mariah Charleson also participated in the march. While remaining frustrated that it took over fi ve years to implement the call to action, she described the national day as “historical.” “It’s a day specifi c to honouring and really committing ourselves to truth and reconciliation,” she said. “As more and more truths begin to come forward, it’s highlighting the reality that so many of our people have known. So, the educational piece is huge.” The day creates space for “truth sharing,” said Charleson. “As Indigenous people, we’re all impacted in some type of way,” she said. “What I ask non-Indigenous people to do is to be silent. To listen – to begin opening their hearts and their minds to the true stories of those directly impacted.” Then, Charleson said, it’s important to share “that true history” with others. “We need to change how we treat each other,” she said. “Together, we can conquer this.” Despite being the fi rst province in Canada to commit to implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, British Columbia did not recognize the day as a statutory holiday. As a result, those who work in the public sector may not have the time off to observe the day, or to engage in their culture, said Charleson. “This is critical,” she said. “We invite the province of B.C. to take action.” In a joint statement, Premier John Horgan and Murray Rankin, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, said they will be consulting with Indigenous leaders, organizations and communities over the coming months on how to best commemorate Sept. 30 in B.C. “We will also bring the business community, employers and labour groups into the conversation, so that they can participate in the planning in meaningful ways,” the joint statement read. “While we continue this engagement with the aim of formally recognizing this important day in B.C. in the future, this year, public service workplaces will be observing the statutory day of remembrance and refl ection.” Despite that, some local businesses closed their storefronts in solidarity. The Factory’s co-owner, Lisa Fletcher, said they closed shop to help spread awareness about the national day. “It’s important that it gets recognized,” she said. The District of Tofi no worked closely with Martin to help organize the event by coordinating diff erent services to ensure the walk went unimpeded, said Tofi no Mayor Dan Law. “I’m glad that the country as a whole is fi nally listening to survivors and survivors’ families,” he said. “I hope and expect that community members will participate if they’re able – [to] take the day to very carefully listen to the stories of survivors, survivors’ families and the community as a whole. To begin Tom Curley is comforted by Larry Baird after speaking to a crowd of people gathered in Tofi no’s Village Green to honour the sur tem on the fi rst National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, on Sept. 30.
to understand the past and the ongoing eff ects of the residential school system … and to carefully consider how best to move forward to help right these historical wrongs.” After fi nishing performing the skit, survivors took turns recounting their experiences and the resulting trauma that they continue to battle with today. Larry Baird was among them, and spoke to the crowd of people who were gathered in the pouring rain. “Today, I hear our ancestors,” he said. “They are crying.” As Martin refl ected on the new day of commemoration, she said she was relieved. “It helps to confi rm that these things happened to us. Residential school happened to us. We’ve been fi ghting to survive for many years. To this day we’re still dealing with the fallout from residential schools.”
Photo by Melissa Renwick Tom Curley is comforted by Larry Baird after speaking to a crowd of people gathered in Tofi no’s Village Green to honour the survivors and victims of the residential school sys-
“It helps to confi rm that these things happened to us. Residential school happened to us. We’ve been fi ghting to survive for many years. To this day we’re still dealing with the fallout from residential schools.” - Nora Martin, former Indian residential school student
Hundreds walk in Port Alberni to honour survivors and victims
By Karly Blats Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor
Port Alberni, BC - A sea of orange shirts could be seen walking from Harbour Quay to Maht Mahs parking lot on Tseshaht territory today to honour both Orange Shirt Day and the fi rst National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Orange Shirt Day, held on Sept. 30, is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day that honours the children who survived residential schools and remembers those who did not. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation honours the lost children and survivors of residential schools, their families and communities. The rain didn’t stop the hundreds of Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants who began at the Harbour Quay and fi nished by walking down the middle of the Orange Bridge to Maht Mahs gym. A large crowd gathered in the parking lot at Maht Mahs, around a fi re, for a reconciliation ceremony. “The turnout is great, especially for a rainy day. It’s an important day to people,” said Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council President Judith Sayers. “We’ve been celebrating Orange Shirt Day since 2013, so to me it’s still Orange Shirt Day even though we have a new name to add to it. I think especially in this year we need to come out and support one another, celebrate the (residential school) survivors and deal with the emotions of getting the children home from the unmarked graves and making an eff ort to put the message out there.” Tseshaht First Nation’s Trevor Little spoke about the importance of Sept. 30, saying by standing together, people get stronger and the more the knowledge about what happened in residential schools comes out, the more teachers and leaders will be able to speak honestly about the past. “We can accept honesty now. It was a hard thing to do in my life, to accept honesty on my upbringing,” Little said. “[Survivors] were hushed for so many years, so we stand together with this knowledge and we get stronger together…because we gather, because we sing. The knowledge has been there for years but now we embrace it.” Martin Watts from Tsesashat said Sept. 30 is just a start in acknowledging and reconciling with the past. “Generations and generations of pain for our people that is still happening today, substance abuses that are still happening,” Watts said. “We need to stop it, we need to help. The easiest way to stop it is to teach the young children that there’s a better way in life.” Watts added that it’s important for people and especially youth to be proud of who they are. He said he’s grateful that there’s an understanding today by the local school districts about acknowledging the past and teaching Indigenous history to young people. Gord Johns, MP for Courtenay-Alberni, told the crowd that Sept. 30 is an important day to honour residential school survivors, those who didn’t make it home, and their families. “Today is the beginning of healing, it’s the beginning of making sure that reconciliation isn’t just a check box, that it’s everyday and it belongs in each and every one of us,” Johns said. “Today we acknowledge the horrifi c path. I want to say I’m sorry too for what’s happened… and we take responsibility for that by taking action.” Johns urged everyone to read the Truth and Reconciliation calls to action and apply them in their daily lives. “I will be going to Ottawa and asking them to create a timeline with respect of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and implementing and using that as the framework as we walk forward together,” Johns said. Ken Watts, elected chief councillor of the Tseshaht First Nation, said it’s not only important to have reconciliation with the Crown and provincial government, but to show reconciliation from nation to nation. “As communities and nations we’re standing together like we haven’t done in a long time,” he said. “We talked about reconciling amongst ourselves, and also every Canadian playing a role. Each and every one of you play a role here today, whether it’s witnessing, whether it’s going home and educating your children about what happened, telling your neighbour or standing up when you hear something racist about our people.” Watts added that Tseshaht never asked for the Alberni Indian Residential School to be built on their territory, but the nation now has to face the repercussions of it. “We have to live with it now…but that’s why we’re coming here—to help people heal, to ask them to stand with us,” he said. “There’s some amazing survivors that I walked with today. The least we can do is walk a few kilometres in the rain when those people have been walking for all of us for years and carrying the weight of the school on their shoulders. It’s our responsibility to carry it on our shoulders now.” Watts said the Tseshaht have begun fundraising to build a memorial that would have the names of all the survivors, and those who didn’t make it home, from the Alberni Indian Residential School. They’ve already raised $37,000 with help from several local businesses. “McGill Engineering made a donation of $2,500, Paper Excellence donated $10,000 to our fund, Twin City Brewing donated over $1,400 and matching that was the realtor Dave Ralla,” Watts said, “Also matching that was Jays Lace it Up, they donated $1,500 and Cloud City donated $3,000 towards our fund.” A cruise planned by the Alberni Drag Race Association also saw $7,000 in donations go towards the Tseshaht fund. “Our plan is to create a memorial up here and have it covered under a gazebo so survivors and families can come up here any time of year and see their loved one’s names,” Watts said.
