My bookshelves are too European! Name your fav POC authors below!

It has come to my attention now that I have gotten the basic growing and herbal properties down that my herbalist gurus and favorite authors are mostly white with a sprinkle of Native American. I would really like a more diverse view of herbalism and a deeper knowledge of plant spirit connection. Don’t get me wrong I love so many herbalists but I would also love to break out of my norm. Please give me your favorite recommendations for herbalists of color (HOC) aka people of color (POC).

Comments

  • merlin44
    merlin44 Posts: 426 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November 2019

    Coyote Medicine-Lewis Mehl-Madrona, Native Plants, Native Healing: Traditional Muskogee Way-Tis Mal, Cherokee Herbal-J T Garret, it Will Live Forever-Julia Parker, Sacred Plant Medicine-Stephen Harrod Buhner, Native American Medicinal Plants-An Ethnobotional Dictionary-Daniel Moerman and anything by Matthew Wood.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    Dr. Nancy Turner is not a POC but she is one of the foremost authorities in Ethnobotany in North America. She has written many books on the traditional plants used by indigenous cultures for food, medicine and technology, primarily in the Pacific Northwest.

    Earth Medicine - Earth Food by Michael A. Weiner (non-POC) list remedies from a wide range of First Nations across North America.

    A Handbook of Native American Herbs by Alma Hutchens has been a standard for many years and is still available.

    If you check with one of your local First Nations, they might be able to give you a list of authors who may have written books about their specific area. I have several from my region and they have wonderful gems of knowledge.

    Lone Pine is a Canadian publisher of field guides but they have some guides for American States and some that are cross border such as "Plants of the Rocky Mountains". They mention some of the uses of plants as well as their identification and habitats. One of their books is "Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada" which also can be used for cross-border reference.

    Robert Dale Rogers (also non-POC) has written many books on plant medicine from North America but perhaps his best known is the Fungal Pharmacy. Awesome reference book on mushrooms!

  • herbantherapy
    herbantherapy Posts: 453 ✭✭✭✭

    @merlin44 and @torey yes, thank you all great references. I have quite a few of these and living on the land of NA ancestors has been a huge part of my herbal learning and interest.

    I’m still hoping there is some recommendations for an even more diverse perspective. I know I could just google it or go to amazon but I would like to see if people in this community have read and recommend anyone they love to learn from. Keep this conversation going!😊

  • DeeperEating
    DeeperEating Posts: 63 ✭✭✭

    I follow Sade Musa and her project, Roots of Resistance, on Facebook and Instagram, might be a good place to start. I also follow and support many other local (to me) herbalist of color but none that have as strong an internet presence. I'll ask around though and see if there are any other people and references that I should be connecting with and sharing!

  • herbantherapy
    herbantherapy Posts: 453 ✭✭✭✭

    @bejer19 thank you! I just discovered Roots of Resistance this morning!! If you get any additional resource info I would love to know. I’m in Oregon in a small town. I will be reaching out to Portland herb stores soon, but all the ones I have walked into over the years were ran by white women.