Principles of a Medicinal Harvest Practice

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Acknowledgement - Territorial acknowledgements are intended to situate a gathering, give an understanding of all of the directions that participants have traveled from and to breathe life into acknowledging our responsibilities as stewards to the land. As harvesters, we work directly in relationship to the Land & Waters, and therefore by learning about whose land we harvest on, we locate our practice in a way that respects local traditions, knowledge and place-based teachings.

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Responsibility, Respect & Reciprocity - Knowledge incites responsibility, a responsibility to protect the wellbeing of the land. Our commitment to Land-protocols in wellness practices provides an opportunity to breathe life into efforts to reconcile past wrongs and establish new relationships, based on respect, reciprocity and renewal. If we take from the Land, what do we give in return? How do we care for the wellbeing and continuity of the Lands’ wellbeing in our practice? Respectful reciprocity is a guiding value in the relationships we build with the Land and others.

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Permissions & Respectful Cultural Practice - If and when possible, seek permission from land owners and local Nations prior to harvesting medicines on their property or territories, research whos land it is that you will be going on to and ask for their permission ahead of time. In doing so, one may describing who they are, where they come from and why they are there. A practice which sets the stage for positive relationship-building. As medicinal care-takers, we are also required to ask for permission from the plants and medicines themselves. If we are to understand our practice within a framework of kincentric relationship, than we revere plants and Medicines as sovereign entities themselves. In this way, we are accountable to their ability to regenerate new life and continue their existence in a good way. We may ask permission to receive their medicines and allow for this intention to cultivate our harvest practice, and continued work with medicines.

 

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The wellness of us all is dependent upon the wellness of the Lands and Waters,

extending first and foremost from meaningful and consensual relationship to

the Lands and Waters that raise us and our families.

We are reclaiming kinship to one another through reclaiming kinship to the Land and Waters.

 

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Creating your own introduction to land owners for medicinal harvesting

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Cultivate a personal introduction that you can use for your own medicinal harvesting practice when approaching property owners and local Nations for land permissions and or local knowledge-sharing opportunities. This is a great opportunity to identify the main values of your practice and who you are accountable to in your work.

Example

My name is _____, and I grew up on the traditional territories of ______ and now live on the traditional territories of the ____________ (include the languages spoken if you can find this!). I acknowledge my ___________ ancestry/genealogy and consider myself a ___________ (learner, helper, support, friend, caretaker) on these territories.  I would like to ask your permission to enter onto your property so that I can harvest ____________, I would not take more than a third of the plant so that is able to sustain itself and provide for wildlife.

Credit from the Pacific Rim College, Indigenous Land Protocols for Medicinal Harvesting by Erynne Gilpin, PhD