Center for Traditional Medicine

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Calm and Restore

Calm and Restore

July 30, 2026

Nervine herbs are plants used to calm the nervous system, ease anxiety, support sleep, and restore emotional balance. This blog explores nervines such as kava, valerian, passionflower, skullcap, and St. John’s wort through traditional use, community knowledge, pharmacology, and contemporary research.

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Saffron: Medicine, Tradition, and the Women Who Sustain Its Ancient Knowledge

Saffron: Medicine, Tradition, and the Women Who Sustain Its Ancient Knowledge

May 4, 2026

A look at the medicinal power of saffron, its deep history across Persia, Ayurveda, and Unani traditions, and the vital role of women whose ancestral knowledge sustains its cultivation.

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Mapping Epistemological Scales

Mapping Epistemological Scales

April 24, 2026

This post examines the distinctions between traditional, tribal, and Indigenous epistemologies, highlighting how each system is shaped by context, governance, and responsibility. Clarifying these differences supports more ethical, precise, and respectful engagement with Indigenous knowledge systems.

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Naming Knowledge with Care

Naming Knowledge with Care

April 21, 2026

This post clarifies how terms like Indigenous, Indigenous Knowledges, Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), and Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) are used across research and practice. By distinguishing between them, it highlights how language shapes recognition, responsibility, and the ethical engagement of knowledge systems.

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Indigenous Knowledge and the Politics of Naming

Indigenous Knowledge and the Politics of Naming

April 17, 2026

Indigenous knowledge systems are increasingly recognized across research and policy, yet the language used to describe them remains fragmented and imprecise. This post explores how conceptual ambiguity shapes the way Indigenous knowledge is understood, engaged, and often misrepresented, and why clarity is essential for ethical, accountable research.

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Feathers of Wisdom

Feathers of Wisdom

April 14, 2026

This post introduces the review of the book “Feathers of Wisdom: Words and Art Illuminating the Legends and Myths of Indigenous Women Throughout the Ages”. The review explores a collaborative work by Leigh Podgorski and Kait Matthews that brings together storytelling, historical context, and original artwork to present legends of Indigenous women from across the Americas and Oceania.

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Emita. Healing Hands, Cleansing Hands: An Unexpected Farewell

Emita. Healing Hands, Cleansing Hands: An Unexpected Farewell

April 8, 2026

This post introduces the article “Emita. Healing Hands, Cleansing Hands: An Unexpected Farewell,” a tribute to Ema, a forest healer whose life and work were rooted in plant medicine and spiritual ritual. Through narrative, drawings, and poetry by Randy Chung Gonzales and Lucas Nakandacare, the piece reflects on the relationship between mentor and apprentice and the quiet transmission of healing knowledge through lived experience.

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