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Arizona Ethnobotanical Research Association (AERA) |
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Little Colorado Field School in the field at Grand Falls, AZ March 2005 Students and instructors from Left to Right: |
By S.J.Wilson
The Observer
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
FLAGSTAFF – A group of young Native people are augmenting an interest in sustainable environments with a desire to bring traditional plant knowledge back to their own communities.
The newly established Lower Little Colorado River Field Institute formalizes work begun by ethnobotanist Phyllis Hogan. She has focused on rare and endangered plant documentation and study on traditional garden areas lying outside current boundaries of the Navajo and Hopi reservations.
Hogan serves as the director of the Arizona Ethnobotanical Research Association, a 501(c) (3), based in Flagstaff. AERA was the first independent not for profit ethnobotanical organization of its kind. Hogan describes the organization as a bioregional educational and conservation grassroots organization that combines the wisdom of traditional native science with contemporary scientific methods.
Jill Dedera, botanist, Assistant director and charter member of the organization, is a specialist in rare and endangered plants of the Southwest.
Hogan handpicked students Jonah Hill, Raven Brianne Commanda, Dawn Quamahongnewa, Duane Mapatis, Roberto Nutlouis, and Lilian Hill. Elders who also serve as teachers, include Theodora Homewytewa, Mary Archie Boone, Catherine Marquez and Joe Lee.
“These teachers and mentors talk about the plants, the sacred space, and how traditional people look at the land differently than those who have come after. They consider the land a living entity that provides for the people in a very sacred, traditional manner,” Hogan said.
The institute features students leaning in the field, documenting sacred sites and rare and endangered plants significant to the different tribes within the region. Although their work takes the group to traditional gardens and cultural sites off the reservation, Hogan as led her students to certain areas where endangered plants might be at increased risk. Earlier work in the Leupp area documented several plants that Hogan worries might be put at greater risk in the C-aquifer test drilling areas near Canyon Diablo.
Hogan, Homewytewa and several students has to obtain security clearance in order to enter the area, hoping to find signs of plants such as Errazurizia rotundata known as Prairie Dog Smoke to the Navajo.
“There is a suspicion that Errazurizia grows there. However, we were not allowed free access to the area because of the archaeological sites,” Hogan said. “There were a lot of culturally significant plants that are not rare or endangered, but are used as utilitarian means in basket making, natural dyes and medicinal uses.”
On March 11, students J. Hill (Hopi), Nutlouis (Navajo) and Commanda (Ojibwa) accompanied Hogan, Homewytewa and Dedera to an area approximately 12 miles northeast of Flagstaff known as Turkey Tanks. Due to recent rain and snowfall, the wash that runs through this culturally significant area was flowing freely-a phenomenon not seen for a number of years.
Historic cultural sites dot the landscape, including pit house ruins, petroglyphs and marking from more recent cultures.
Hogan chose this site because of earlier work with a Challenge Cost Share project with the Forest Service. AERA provided documentation of 46 culturally significant plants for the venture and in turn, received supplies for the work and herbarium of the organization. (A herbarium is a collection of mounted and labeled plant specimens.)
This area has been popular throughout history-and remains so even now. Turkey Tanks is a frequently used recreational area showing signs of misuse through target shooting and ATV travel. It has also been used as a trash dump. These activities have significantly damaged the area, causing the Forest Service to close the roads to direct motor access in an attempt to mitigate damages, according to Hogan.
Commanda said that she couldn’t help but notice the litter and tracks of motorized vehicle travel throughout the area.
“It is hard for me to see these things, because it is disrespectful to the Earth and to sacred areas,” Commanda said. “They are sacred for a reason—there are special things about these places that some people don’t respect. It is hurtful when people destroy things because they don’t understand or simply don’t care to understand.”
This young Ojibwa woman said it was shocking to see people ruining sacred areas in a very short time period when indigenous people have obviously taken care for them for centuries.
“In my point of view, to act in such a disrespectful way-the drinking, littering and shooting at rocks and petroglyphs-is very hurtful,” Commanda said.
Despite the desecration, it is impossible to ignore the raw beauty of the area. Perched near a pit house ruin, Homewytewa spoke of her own childhood, and of the historical importance of this area.
Homewytewa’s grandparents, who operated a trading post at Hopi, raised her. As the only child and a member of the Bear Clan, herbal and medicinal knowledge that normally would be imparted to a son went to her at a relatively young age.
A clever, slender child, Homewytewa described how she had hidden in a cubbyhole beneath a large dining room table, reading comic books, to avoid washing dishes and other chores. Back then, her family noticed a gift of sight and people began coming to her when they needed to find missing or lost items. Homewytewa said she initially believed this gift to be a curse but as a young woman finally accepted it.
Homewytewa described the Turkey Tanks area as a “cultural crossroads,” a place where people throughout a long history came to get water. There are signs on the stone walls of the canyon identifying Hopi and Navajo clans, and a variety of European, Spanish, Mexican and other cultures.
“This was part of the route the Hopi took in their migration to the Colorado River,” she said. “This was part of the Salt Trail.”
People came because of an unfailing source of water, and were able to find stored in pit houses like the one Homewytewa used as an illustration.
“People would leave food here, too, for others to come after,” she said. “Some of the markings here are from the Old Mexican people who came through. There are some we don’t recognize. We have identified a petroglyph of a beheading-so there were Aztec here.”
With the Pony Express came more visitors.
“Some might have been the Mormons, on their journey to find a home.” Homewytewa said.
“This is one of the only areas in northern Arizona where wild American licorice root grows,” Hogan said, pointing out a dried plant to her students. “American licorice root is stronger and better than that imported from China.”
The plant is used for upper respiratory distress.
The class moved on to visit Grand Falls, where each took the time to look at the plant life, document any significant finds, and to just sit back and enjoy the beauty of the Little Colorado in flow.
Participation in the field institute has been an inspiration to Jonah Hill.
“I was very honored to be selected for the class,” he said. “This is a chance to learn more about the physical aspect of my surroundings. This is knowledge that everyone can use, but I believe it will benefit me when I go out into the world. I want to learn as much as I can with the people I’m with so that it can strengthen me. I can have at least one thing that will be useful to me and to others-the knowledge of plants as medicine.”
Now, Hill said when he is out walking, he pays attention to plants everywhere.
“What is cool is that I have this happy feeling when I’m walking now, because I’m learning and living every day,” He said.
Commanda said that she appreciates having elders with her, and being out in the field, having a hands-on relationship with the plants.
“I remember them better, and I understand,” Commanda said. “I have a lot of respect for Phyllis-she takes the time to listen to and shows great respect to Native people and their cultures. I like that, I was really glad to be invited to be a part of the institute, and I’m honored that Phyllis would ask me.”
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 Theodora showing Brianne plants at Turkey Tanks |
 Student Jonah Hill observing plants. |
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 Roberto Nutlouis observing plants. |
