Blog

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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Revitalizing Kichwa Midwifery

April 1, 2026

This post introduces the article “Revitalizing Kichwa Midwifery: Medicinal Plant Knowledge for Pregnant Women in San Martín, Peru” by Conzuelo Tapullima de Tuanama Tuanama and Laura Corradi. Centering the teachings of Kichwa midwife Mamá Conzuelo, the article explores ancestral plant knowledge, pregnancy care, and the enduring role of Indigenous midwives in sustaining community health and cultural continuity.

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Oral Testimonies of Traditional Medicine: A Kamëntša Woman’s Legacy

March 27, 2026

This post introduces the article “Oral Testimonies of Traditional Medicine: A Kamëntša Woman’s Legacy”, which centers on the oral testimony of Kamëntša elder and healer Mamita Maria Dolores. The piece reflects on women’s healing knowledge, plant medicine, and cultural continuity in Colombia’s Sibundoy Valley. It offers a glimpse into the living traditions that sustain Kamëntša community life and memory.

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The Healing Power of Māori Women’s Ancestral Mark

March 16, 2026

This post introduces “The Healing Power of Māori Women’s Ancestral Mark,” by Shonelle Wana. Drawing on Mana Wahine theory and lived cultural experience, the article explores moko kauae—the traditional chin marking worn by Māori women—as an embodied expression of identity, leadership, knowledge transmission, and healing within te ao Māori.

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Wombs, Washes, and Wisdom

March 11, 2026

This post introduces “Wombs, Washes, and Wisdom: Translational Ethnobotany and the Plant Healing Practices of Haitian Women in the Diaspora.” The article highlights Haitian women as stewards of plant-based reproductive health knowledge and presents translational ethnobotany as a model for community-centered research and healing. It also reflects on how collaborative research can generate practical resources that benefit the communities involved.

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The Golden Root and Her Spicy Sister

March 2, 2026

Turmeric and ginger are herbs with significant anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties. Used for centuries in traditional medicine, they now have growing clinical research supporting their role in digestive health, metabolic balance and immune function, and mood regulation.

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Yakama Women at the Longhouse

February 18, 2026

This post is a preview of “Yakama Women at the Longhouse, Part 1,” by Hailey Allen (Yakama). Centering Yakama women as carriers of medicine and ceremonial knowledge, the article explores how First Foods, land-based practices, and the metaphor of Huli (wind) sustain intergenerational continuity and cultural resilience within the Longhouse tradition.

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Bridging Worldviews

February 18, 2026

This preview introduces “Bridging Worldviews,” an article examining the integration of Indigenous medicine into contemporary clinical practice. Drawing on Sámi tradition and global health policy, it advances a multifocal framework grounded in cultural safety and ethical collaboration.

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