Golden Light Center

My friend and Village Herbalist colleague, Kathy Donaldson passed away on Saturday evening. Her friend Betty Queen and her brother were with her. She was one of my first committed herbal students, and formed the core of the Herbal Study Group that ran for more than 20 years at the Golden Light Center. All of us in that group knew we could count on Kathy to bring delicious potluck salads, excellent herbal handouts, and her love and encouragement. Sending her lots of love a she travels on and imagine her embraced on the other side by her deceased husband, Alan.

During my visit with retired Curandera Maria Cristina Moroles earlier this week at Arco Iris Earth Care Project, we shared some of our favorite herbal remedies with each other. She taught me about the uses of Wild Comfrey (Andersonglossum virginianum) which I've seen in the wild but didn't know how to use. I also got some of her wonderful Elderberry Immune Plus elixir, and Nerve Toner to take home with me.
I shared some my favorite remedies with her too, like St. John's Wort oil, Pine Oxymel, and Kapha Cleanser. So it is that we spread the living art of Ozark Herbalism.

One of the greatest pleasures in life is connecting with plant-loving colleagues. Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to visit Maria Cristina Moroles. During my visit, we talked healing and herbs, visited her Clinica, and shared herbal remedies. She has recently published a book called *Águila: The Vision, Life, Death, and Rebirth of a Two-Spirit Shaman in the Ozark Mountains* which I highly recommend.
She is a retired Curandera Total and lives at Santuario Arco Iris, a land community she founded for women of color and q***r people in the Buffalo River Valley of Northern Arkansas.
I met Maria Cristina, her assistant Elise Ashworth and apprentice Artemis Diaz at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival last year, and am grateful for the connection that has continued.

Happy Earth Day! I started the weekend hearing the buzz of pollinators in the newly blooming Tulip Poplar tree at home. Then I went up to Jadwin, Missouri to participate in the Current River Wellness Retreat. There I met herbalists and Nature-based wellness experts, and got to share and learn some great stuff. For instance, did you know that Tulip Poplar honey is one of the earliest honeys that the bees produce, with a special light and floral taste. Hope you had a good Earth Day, too.

I love to apply the insights of the Ayurvedic healing tradition to my own practice here in the Ozarks., and that's what I'll be sharing about at the Current River Healing Retreat this coming Saturday. Curious how I got interested in Ayurveda? This lovely blog post explains some of the reasons why.
https://festival.si.edu/blog/sasha-daucus

Such a pleasure to visit with herbalists in Douglas County as part of the Apprenticeship weekend, this past Sunday. Ozark herbal legend, Bob Liebert of Teeter Creek Herbs welcomed us to his home, showed us his workshop, and strolled with us on an herbwalk along the famous Teeter Creek.
Jamie Jackson, of Missouri Herbs, also welcomed us onto her homestead, shared interesting tips and insights about making ointments, and sent us home with goodies.
I'm so grateful to be connected to these other wonderful Ozark herbalists. Missouri Folk Arts Program

Another enjoyable Apprentice Weekend. The first day was for identifying and gathering herbs, and then making some remedies: herbal vinegars, infused oils, a green salve with healing spring greens, and a flower essence from the abundant violets. On the plant hike at the Narrows, we gathered watercress, nettles, and cooked up a delicious mess of greens for dinner. Missouri Folk Arts Program

The Ozarks are filled with many wild medicinal plants, in addition to the ones that thrive in our gardens when cultivated. Being able to use the bounty of our wild plants includes the ability to identify them, know their healing properties, and how to prepare them for use. It also includes how to harvest them in a way that leaves them and the landscape healthy, and maybe even better than before.
One strong ally to women is Black Haw. The best time to identify this small tree is in the early spring, when it's glossy leaves are among the first tree leaves to emerge. They are easy to see as they catch the sunshine. Then the cluster of white flowers emerge, followed later by small edible fruits.
The tree that grows locally in the Ozarks is the Southern Black Haw (Viburnum rifidulum) which can be identified by the rusty-orange colored hairs on the back of the leaves.
Black Haw is what is called a 'forest understory tree' which means that it grows in the shade under taller trees. You will often find it in small clusters of other Black Haw trees, as they trees spred slowly by root runner. The inner bark of those roots which run shallow under the soil, is the part that is used medicinally. Care must be taken to harvest the roots in a way that does minimal damage to the tree.

From Root to Herbal Remedy: Black Haw is a remedy that I have used for many years. I primarily used it when I worked as a midwife. It is traditionally used, in combination with other herbs, to ease early contractions that could lead to miscarriage. The inner root bark is the part used, and in these photos you can see Marisa harvesting a surface level root from the tree on my land. She then peeled off the bark, like you might peel a potato. Marisa then made a fluid extract of the root bark, using 100proof grain alcohol poured over the root bark. She labeled it for storage to use later, if and when needed.
You can read more about using Black Haw in one of my favorite herbal books, *Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year*, by Susun W**d.
Tomorrow I'll post more photos to help you identify the native Black Haw tree.

Harvesting Black Haw Root at Golden Light Center and gathering Watercress on the Eleven Point River were highlights of the second weekend spent working with apprentice Marisa Frazier. Although wild herbs are sparse in February, it's a good time to harvest roots. Also, a wander outdoors is rejuvenating and reveals a few edible and medicinal plants. Winter is also a good time to study indoors—and we explored Sense-based herbalism (identifying the healing properties of herbs from how they taste and feel). Thank you to the Missouri Folk Arts Program for the opportunity to offer one-on-one sessions in Ozark herbalism as part of the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program.

Thank you to the Missouri Folk Arts Program for the opportunity to offer one-on-one sessions in Ozark herbalism to apprentice Marisa Frazier as part of the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program. The lessons will continue through the spring. Some of the highlights of the first session were discussions on Ozark herbs for the Nerves and Immune System, as well as an overview of the Natural History of the Ozarks and how it influences Ozark herbalism. We also visited several natural areas in the southeastern Ozarks which are home to unique plant communities and healing plants. https://mofolkarts.missouri.edu/2024/01/09/announcing-missouris-2024-traditional-arts-apprenticeship-program-teams/

Thank you, OACC, for giving Ozark Herbalists this spotlight!

Here's some of the story of how I came to be an herbalist, some of what has influenced me in this path and how I think about healing overall

Holistic Healing in the Ozarks: The Loves and Life’s Work of Sasha Daucus Sasha Daucus focuses on Ayurveda, a form of traditional Indian medicine that classifies plants into five elements.

I had a wonderful time at the Current River Heritage Days. The Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds were a hit and I even have some left over to give to the Ripley County 4 H group. I met interesting people, including another herbalist, Donna Featherstone. My booth was set up next to the old time tools booth, with Steve Eikerman and Jim Price and I enjoyed their demonstrations and conversations. A day well spent!

Xue Lee Vang and Shoua Vue have been representing the gardening skills of the Hmong community in northwest Arkansas at the Festival. Shoua has a large greenhouse of plants that are important in Hmong medicine and cooking. A very small sample of these were highlighted in the planter box by their booth. Her daughter, Xue Lee also shared more about Hmong culture. One of the highlights of the pre-Festival preparations was getting to interview Shoua Vue and Xue Lee about the special plants used in their community, and I hope to have more opportunities to learn and share about these.

Smithsonian Folklife

For more than a year before the Festival, I started working on the creation of the Teaching Garden for the Festival, with my colleagues Tina Marie Wilcox, Susan Belsinger, and Tyler Nelson, the Smithsonian Technical Director. It turned out beautifully and offered an oasis of Ozarks plants during the Festival. Yesterday, we had the opportunity to share about that process in a presentation that I moderated on the Creation of the Teaching Garden. Thanks to Lisa Higgins, who took the photos.
Smithsonian Folklife

July 4th on the National Mall was a blast, talking to the people who came to the Festival, and sharing the experience with old friends and new ones who are also sharing their Ozark skills with the crowds. After walking back from the fireworks display, we got to see the Teaching Garden lit up at night.

Answering questions at the Herbalism booth is really satisfying... and today I also took the time to visit a session on Plant Based Spiritual Practices. The presentation highlighted the work of curandera Maria Christina Moroles, and Hmong shaman-in-training Xue Lee Vang. They spoke about the deep connection to plants that some people feel, and how to cultivate that connection in a way that shows respect for the Earth. Both live in the northwest Arkansas Ozarks. Smithsonian Folklife

Lots of people in the Teaching Garden at the Festival and the opportunity for some herbal first aid with the Aloe Vera plant in the Herbalism booth!

Feels like we are settling into the groove of the Festival, as more people are stopping by and our Ozark Herbalists and Foragers were busy teaching and answering questions. Smithsonian Folklife

I had the honor today of moderating a panel of "Women Leaders in Plant Knowledge." Maile Auterson of Springfield Community Gardens, Mia Jones of Soul Fresh Farms , Marla Saeger of the Tahlequah Farmers Market, and Hannah Hemmelgarn of The Center for Agroforestry came together to speak about their different ways of meeting local food needs in the Ozarks. You can watch it here https://www.youtube.com/live/nz6irh2PCBQ?feature=share Smithsonian Folklife

Today was the first day of the Smithsonian Festival... and it had a rough start but a smooth finish. Because of smoke from Canadian wildfires, the public opening was delayed a few hours, and many of us choose to wear masks. Many of the booths weren't quite set up yet... including the Herbalism booth that I'm sharing with Tina Marie Wilcox and Susan Belsinger. By mid-day the booth was set up, and the crowd was starting to arrive. Other Ozark Plant Knowledge Specialists were close by, where we could easily interact with each other, share information, and point people to exactly the right person to answer their questions. It was really good to start to settle into sharing about the Ozarks. Smithsonian Folklife

Getting ready for the first day of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival tomorrow! Lots of activity in setting up the booth areas, and the Teaching Garden got it's final touches ... including filling in the little dips in the plants beds with "zoo poo"... composted Elephant poo! Smithsonian Folklife

The Teaching Garden is a big focus of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Today I joined Tina Marie Wilcox and Susan Belsinger in setting it up, along with help from dedicated volunteers and interns. With plants and rocks shipped in from the Ozarks, and more plants grown in Smithsonian greenhouses, we installed the Garden into a special structure that was built especially to showcase the plants for Festival visitors. The Teaching Garden will be used by the Plant Knowledge Specialists who are presenting at the Festival. Smithsonian Folklife

Hannah Hemmelgarn, M.S. is another Woman Leader in Plant knowledge who I'm excited to be connecting with for the live stream session on June 30. I know how much knowledge she has to share about Agroforestry from hearing her speak at OACC gatherings. She is Assistant Program Director at the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry,, and is especially passionate about perennial tree crops, forest botanicals, and fungi for their contributions to food sovereignty and biocultural conservation. She works closely with diverse partners, including USDA agencies, non-profit groups, and a growing connection with Osage Nation for collaborative land-based research and education. The link to join the live stream hosted as part of the Festival is here: https://festival.si.edu/schedule?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D167481805

Another Women Leader In Plant Knowledge that I've met recently is Mia Jones of Soul Fresh Farms . She's an urban gardener, growing and selling micro-greens in the Springfield, Missouri. She is also the creator of United Community Change that includes work to increase healthier food access especially for marginalized communities. She is going to be one of the panel speakers in the live stream session on June 30th at 11am Central Time. Please join us to learn from her and other Women Leaders In Plant Knowledge. The link to join here https://festival.si.edu/schedule?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D167481805

I've been meeting some amazing leaders in Ozark Plant knowledge, for instance Marla Saeger . Marla is the president of the award winning Tahlequah Farmers Market in the Oklahoma Ozarks, and a member of the Chickasaw nation. She pioneered an innovative Farm to School program, which introduces school children to shopping and cooking with fresh locally grown food from Farmers Markets. I think she may just know everything there is to know about creating service-oriented Ozark Farmers Market. She is going to be one of the panel speakers in the live stream session on June 30th at 11am Central Time. Please join us to learn from her and other Women Leaders In Plant Knowledge. The link to join here https://festival.si.edu/schedule?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D167481805

Over the years, one herbal teacher has made an especially big impact on bringing together herbalists in the Ozarks-- Tina Marie Wilcox. I've had the pleasure to share the teaching stage with her and another top-notch herbal teacher, Susan Belsinger, at the Ozark Folk Center State Park, so it's a particular pleasure that we're sharing it again at the Festival. Come visit us at the Herbalism Booth, or check out the schedule and see what events will be livestreamed for everyone. https://festival.si.edu/schedule

I'm thrilled to be moderating this panel of Women Leaders in Plant Knowledge celebrating women in agriculture, on Friday June 30, at 11am CT. It will be streamed live, and also held in person at the Festival. I hope you can join us and learn from these amazing women. More details here https://festival.si.edu/schedule?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D167393652 Smithsonian Folklife

As an herbalist, where are you at with gardening? I am more of a forager than a gardener. I've lived with and among gardeners my whole life, starting with my father who still was gardening daily up to the week before he passed away, at 92 years old. Recently, I've gotten to know some amazing gardeners working in the Ozarks, and I am inspired! I've learned about nurturing a top-notch Farmer's Market from Tahlequah Farmers Market and I've been impressed by the profound community impact that Springfield Community Gardens has. I've heard about urban farming from Soul Fresh Farms. This year, I've been doing a little more gardening, and I'm as proud as can be of my plot of tomatoes, okra, radishes, cucumbers, and a few more. I'd love to hear about your gardening explorations. Smithsonian Folklife

We're in it together on this ! 🌎

This year's Folklife Festival will have no shortage of opportunities to discover sustainable practices and test out your green thumb. From conversations about eco-theology in our "Creative Encounters: Living Religions in the U.S." program to exploring foraging in "The Ozarks: Faces and Facets of a Region," visitors can learn from participants from all around the U.S. about how to be better stewards of the environment.

Explore the schedule and start planning your Festival: festival.si.edu/schedule

Photo by Stanley Turk, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives