by Marjorie Veilleux

The Ndakinna, or ancestral territory of the W8ban Aki First Nation (also spelled Abenaki) encompasses New England up to the St. Lawrence River in southern Canada. A few communities remain in the Northeast of the United States as well as two communities in the province of Quebec, Odanak, and W8linak. Historically, this nation is one of the first in Canada to trade and ally with European newcomers. The preservation of their culture has been significantly impacted by the presence of the settlers. In recent years though, Abenakis of all ages have been seeking to explore their roots. A few leaders have been working towards “bringing back home” the rich medicinal and nutritional forest plant wisdom that characterizes Abenaki culture.

In 2019 I was part of a project to document medicinal plants vulnerability in regards to climate change and exotic invasive plants. The goal of the project was first to record the location and composition of medicinal plants on both Odanak and W8linak territories. We also documented the spread of invasive species to determine if these plants constituted a threat to the habitat of native medicinal plants.

One of the main problems encountered by Abenaki members in southern Quebec is that 95% of the land is private. The W8ban Aki reserves of Odanak and Wolinak span respectively on 2.2 and 0.3 square miles (5.78 and 0.8 km2), which leaves very few natural areas to find plants. Thus the importance of localizing and protecting habitats for medicinal plants in these communities.

The process was simple and was undertaken in May, July, and September, 2019. With the help of our expert, Michel Durand Nolett, we would walk predetermined transects in woody areas of the territory. Michel would identify all of the species of interest that we would encounter and teach us how to recognize them, and my colleagues and I would count and geolocalize them as well as take notes and photographs.

We did not record abazi (trees) for the project, because we would have to take too many records on the field, and the team decided to focus on herbaceous plants and shrubs. Most trees are considered to be nbizon (medicine, implicitly plants before the advent of modern medicine). For example, young bark from maskwamozi (white birch – Betula papyrifera) is used in a decoction as a skin wash to treat eczema and acne. This tree is also the basis of wigwaol (canoe) building. Another example would be the mahlakws (pronounced “mah-lakos” – black ash – Fraxinus nigra), which is of cultural importance as is it used to craft abaznodal (baskets). It is also declining quickly because of the emerald ash borer invasion.

Because we spent a lot of time in kpiwi (forest), most species were native understory plants. We could localize important remnant patches of endangered and vulnerable to harvest species, such as winos (wild leek – Allium tricoccum), used for spring detoxification and cooking; pagakanilh8k (bloodroot – Sanguinaria canadensis), its red sap being used as an insect repellent; as well as nutritional ferns such as mazo’zi (ostrich fern – Matteuccia struthiopteris). A few species at risk could not be found on the territory, probably because they had been subject to overharvesting or their preferred habitat was not present, such as skokadebakw (wild ginger – Asarum canadense), wild ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), and senikaladabgw (rock polypody – Polypodium virginianum). In a few marshes, we confirmed the disappearance of moskwaswaskw (sweet flag – Acorus calamus), which used to be numerous in these areas but has declined probably because of overharvesting.

In open and disturbed areas, such as roadsides and vacant lots, I was impressed by the number of medicinal plants that are non-native species but naturalized ones that the Abenaki have welcomed in their pharmacopeia. A few examples are mullein (Verbascum thapsus) and 8wdiibagol (common plantain – Plantago major).

We noted the presence of invasive exotic species such as common reed (Phragmites australis) and Asian knotweed (Fallopia japonica). These plants formed localized patches that competed with native species such as pakwaaskw (cattail – Typha latifolia). These patches were mostly located in highly disturbed areas. Luckily, we noted very few examples of proximity to native understory plants, for the moment at least.

Knowledge Transfer

One important aspect of the project was the passing down of this knowledge to community members. Michel Durand Nolett animated workshops and recorded educational videos. He had already been active in safeguarding it, as he interviewed many elders and community members for his book, Plantes du Soleil levant Waban Aki (Plants of the Rising Sun, the Abenaki being the people of the Rising Sun).

Donna O’Bomsawin and her apprentice, Évelyne Benedict, prepared an informative booklet named Kinaw8la (pronounced “kinawonla” – “She takes care of you”) as well as workshops on wildcrafting nbizon. Among their favorite recipes were plantain salve (to heal wounds and burns) and moon salve (a belly care for women “on their moon” or menstrual period).

They’ve also grown a nbizonkik8n (medicinal plant garden) at the health center in Odanak. Many plants were provided by Michel who was growing them at his place. The garden is shaped as a medicine wheel, which is a holistic framework that teaches us that all things are interconnected. Our health balance is maintained through four realms: mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional. Each quadrant of the wheel is represented by four communities (red, yellow, black, and white), four elements (earth, wind, water, and fire) and four cardinal points (north, east, south, and west). In North American Indigenous cultures the four sacred plants are traditionally: tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), cedar (Cedrus spp.), sage (Salvia spp.), and sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata). The Odanak wheel of medicine comprises tobacco as the most sacred plant at its center. The other species covered in the four quadrants are local species: nahamaïbagw (yarrow – Achillea millefolium), sagadaboak (common burdock – Arctium minus), sgweskimen (raspberry – Rubus idaeus), wiz8watawa (goldenrod – Solidago canadensis) as well as naturalized and introduced medicinal plants like plantain, mullein, dandelion, chamomile, comfrey, and mallow.

Evelyne wishes that the garden becomes a special gathering place where people come to learn and replenish. She has been very close to nature from a very young age, when she used to wander the woods close to home. Years later, feelings of wonder and freedom fill her with bliss each time she walks the same woods that her ancestors used to walk. Learning the names of the trees and the plants that are part of the traditional pharmacopeia was like a precious piece of understanding who she was and where she came from. She says that plants are potent medicine for us, and it’s our responsibility to heal and take care of them. The way you pick and gather a plant is very important. “If you respect the plant, it will respect you and heal you in return.” You should take only what you need. If you gather, for example, every single stem of an ostrich fern, it might regrow the next year, but will get smaller, and smaller year after year, until it’s gone. Gathering no more than half of the young stems is better practice to ensure future plant generations and to secure access to wild food and medicine for gatherers.

I feel extremely privileged that I had the opportunity of being initiated to this rich knowledge and to witness the revival of an important part of the Abenaki culture. Coming from a scientific background, ethnobotany and alternative medicine were always met with skepticism. But I always felt in my heart that thousands of years of oral transmission, as well as empirical experimentation, could not be reduced to folklore. I can only show respect and gratitude for the people that have generously shown me how much power plants can hold.

Marjorie Veilleux has been working for two years as a biologist for the W8linak band council. She is passionate about forests, from studying its inhabitants to outdoor adventures and wild food foraging.