Native American Herbal, Plant Knowledge

and urinary bladder, may cause the bladder to become distended. The resulting increased

volume of urine makes the urinary tract more hospitable to bacteria. It is important to

drink lots of liquid to dilute the urine to keep the urinary system flushed out. Cranberry

juice, best taken without sugar, contains hipuric acid which inhibits the growth of bacteria.

Cranberry leaves can be made into a tea and taken postpartum to help prevent uterine

infection in situations where the woman may seem at greater risk, such as cases of

premature rupture of membranes.

An extract of the bark of Blackberry roots and wild strawberry leaves make a fine

treatment for umbilical cord cure.

"Well, when I grew up, things were different. In my time there was a lot of berries, a lot of

game, fish, everything. But now everything is gone - the roots, the berries. That is what I see:

they don't grow no more. The reason why is when they are ripe, nobody prays when they grab

the berries to put 'em in their mouth; they just go in there and eat off the bushes. It's the same

with the roots. The old timers believed they had to pray for everything before they tasted it. But

now, they don't believe in anything anymore...now you believe in the other way, you don't

believe in our Indian ways." - Agnes Vanderberg, 81 year old Flathead Elder

Indigenous Woman is an official publication of the Indigenous Women's Network, a

continental and pacific network of women who are actively involved in work in their

communities. IWN emerged from a gathering of around 200 Indigenous women at Yelm,

Washington in 1985. Women came from the Americas and the Pacific to tell their

stories, present testimony as to conditions, and to look for strategies and alternatives

to make a better future for our families and communities. We discussed the issues of

political prisoners, land rights, environmental degradation, domestic violence, health

problems and other concerns which are pressing in our community. We learned from

each other and we found courage in the experience. We wanted to continue this work.

Four years later, the Indigenous Women's Network was formally organized by a group

of women who were committed keeping up the links between women working in their

communities, and finding a way to strengthen that work. Our philosophy is to "work

within the framework of the vision of our elders," and through this process, to rebuild

our families, communities, and nations. This publication is one part of that process.

Native Foods -- Katsi Cook on Women's Uses of Berries

http://www.kstrom.net/isk/food/katsi.html (7 of 9) [5/17/2004 11:48:03 AM]