Medicine
Includes many branches such as...
Naturopathic medicine
An example of this is:
Aboriginal medicine
Potential careers are...
Healers, teachers and facilitators
Many Aboriginal health centres work closely with respected elders and traditional healers. Some hospitals have programs for aboriginal patients and their families.
There are approved healers, teachers and facilitators who dedicate themselves to bring out awareness of their true spiritual heritage. Many located in Ontario.
Ethnobotany
Ethnobotany is the study of native plants in the plant sciences field. Researchers inn that field have found much research about how native plants could be used for healing in the pharmaceutical industry.
Ethnobotany was used for the study of the boreal forest.
Ethnobotanists say that their research reveals the rich traditional medicinal knowledges of aboriginal people.
Medicines are made from these plants
Sage
Benefits: Sage is good for digestive issues, stomach pains and overall stomach issues, bloating, heartburn, loss of appetite, memory loss, Alzheimer's disease. It helps with depression and is antibacterial, antiviral, anti-fungal, and has antioxidant effects.
Reproduction
Sage is reproduced by pollen. It is a flowering plant/ perennial herb. It only grows during summer and spring and dies off when it gets too cold.
Nutrients
Very high in vitamin K, contains minerals such as magnesium, zinc, and copper. Sage contains antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E in small amounts.
Plant tissue
The plant is herbaceous with a fibrous root. White sage also has vascular tissue in a ring that helps it move resources around the plant. Xylem is the tissue that carries water and nutrients from the roots up into the rest of the plant.”
Tobacco
Benefits: It is used as a sedative, pain killer, antiseptic, sedative and emetic (causes vomiting). Also fights illnesses like cold and fever.
Societal issues
If tobacco is supposed to help people heal, how could it be harmful?
While tobacco is sacred, the recreational use of tobacco, with its high content of nicotine, is addictive and harmful. Misusing tobacco has effected the life expectancy and many other aspects of lives negatively, especially in aboriginal communities.
Possible solutions
If humans stopped polluting the earth, the forest fires would reduce. As for stopping addiction, is a slightly more difficult subject. They could reduce doses or use it less, along with rehab. Banning it wouldn't solve the issue.
Plant tissue
Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants produce xylem tissue within their stems.
They are both dicots
Sweet grass
Benefits: It is used for cleansing, it attracts positive energy and it's used for smudging.
Reproduction
Sweet grass reproduces by seeds and is very competitive against other plants.
Sweet grass is very good at adapting to different environments. Sweet grass is perennial grass. It grows very tall.
Cherry bark
Benefits: It prevents prevent coughs, the common cold, bronhitis, blood poisoning, lung issues, infections and other heart issues.
Bacterial pathogen
Pseudomonas syringae bacterial infection leads to cankers forming in the trunk of the tree which ooze an amber-colored substance during warm weather. Discolouration of leaves and fruit is another symptom, and whole branches can be affected and die.
Nutrients
Wild cherry bark contains cyanogenic glycosides, that are hydrolyzed in the body to glucose, benzaldehyde and hydrocyanic acid. Which is turned into prussic acid which then prevents coughing and coughing reflexes.
Cedar
Benefits: Fights against cold, fevers and other illnesses. Great for clearing up congestion and great for purifying.
Environmental issues
Forest fires are causing cedar trees to burn down and the aboriginal people of B.C want to tighten protection.
How are so many wild fires being caused? What relation do Cedar trees have with this?
“On average 40% of wildfires in B. C are person-caused by activities such as open burning, the use of engines or vehicles, dropping burning substances such as cigarettes, or any number of other human-related activities that can create a spark or a heat source sufficient to ignite a wildfire. The most important factor of person-caused fires is that they are preventable.” Many Red cedar trees are being burnt and indigenous people want to raise awareness and protect the trees.
Nutrients
How do plants and substances found in nature have the ability to cure illnesses? What properties does it have in order to do so?