Women’s health
As part of a herbal medicine workshop organized by Lotus + Sage Holistics, Elaine instructs a class on how to prepare tinctures and tea with the medicinals plants that they harvested. (Courtesy: Lauren McComber)
Story told by Elaine Delaronde
I like to mix my flowers, my vegetables, and my medicines together in the garden. I grow motherwort, which is a bitter herb. It’s really good for your heart, veins, arteries, circulation, and nourishes the women’s reproductive system. They’re pretty when they flower too. I harvest and make tinctures and teas with it, and mix it with different herbs like red raspberry leaf and red clover.
Raspberry leaf nourishes and strengthens the reproductive system. It has a lot of vitamins and nutrients for your body. Red clover nourishes your blood, it contains phytoestrogens, it supports your liver and blood, and it helps to balance the hormones.
Motherwort is an annual plant that drops its seeds to reproduce. Usually by the beginning of July, you can start to harvest when you see their purple flowers. You can cut around 10 inches of flowering branches.
Raspberry is a perennial plant. You can harvest the leaves when they’re young because they’re more vibrant and fresh. Before the berries grow, the energy and nutrients are in the young leaves. The berries are also good. They supply a lot of Vitamin C and other nutrients to maintain a healthy body.
Red clover usually starts to bloom in early July right through fall. I like it for its ability to nourish the liver and blood. I usually use it in a mix for detoxing and nourishing the liver and rebuilding the body’s health.
Konnón:kwe aonata’karitéhtshera’
Red clover was one of many plants harvested on the medicine walk during the workshop led by Elaine. (Courtesy: Lauren McComber)
Elaine Delaronde iakoká:raton
Wakon’wéskweni ia’tatiehstánion’ naktsi’tsa’shòn:’a, ase’shòn:’a, tánon’ akenonhkwa’shòn:’a, nó:nen entiéntho’ kahéhtakon. Motherwort tiénthos né:ne iohontatská:ra. É:so tsi iakoia’takéhnhas ne awé:ri, otsinonhiáhton, tsi ní:ioht tsi akonekwénhsa’ wahténtie’s. Tánon’ iakoia’tahnirátstha’ ne konnón:kwe tsi nonkwá:ti ne aiotiwiraién:ta’ne’. Katsi’tsí:io’s ni’ nen’ nè:’e nó:nen enkatsi’tsontónnion’. Né: tienthókwas tánon’ tintinctures enkónnia’te’, tí: ò:ni’ né: enkathnekónnia’te’. Téntiehste’ ne thia’tekahón:take tsi ní:ioht ne skanekwenhtará:nen aónerahte’ tánon’ ne tionerahtó:ken.
Skanekwenhtará:nen aónerahte’ iakoia’tahnirátstha’ ne konnón:kwe tsi nonkwá:ti ne aiotiwiraién:ta’ne’. É:so ió:ien ne vitamins tánon’ nutrients ne tsa’tà:ke aó:wen. Tionerahtó:ken saia’tahnirátstha’ ne sanekwénhsa, ió:ien ne phytoestrogens. Ioia’takéhnhas ne sathwénhsa, tánon’ kaia’takehnhahtsherénhas takatokenhtónhake’ ne hormones.
Motherwort entewà:senhte’ aonénha oh naiá:wen’ ó:ia’ taontakà:nio’ ne thia’teiohserá:ke. Tsi niioren’nhà:’on tsi nentewatenhni’tatáhsawen’ ne Ohiahrihkó:wa, enwá:ton entehsatáhsawen’ nahsienthó:ko’ nó:nen enhsatkáhtho’ oharennáhta’ niiotitsi’tsò:ten’s. Enwá:ton’ ténhsia’ke’ ka’k nón: ákta ne 10 nikaweionhkará:ke ne katsi’tsotónnion ostawina’shòn:’a.
Tetewéhtha’ ne Skanekwenhtará:nen kaienthóhsera’. Enwá:ton enhsienthó:ko’ nonerahte’shòn:’a nó:nen ken’ nitiotiién:ha ase’kén sénha iotá:kon tánon’ á:se’. Ohén:ton tsi niió:re’ enkontehià:ron’ ne káhi, ka’shatstenhseráten tánon’ nutrients ítewa ne ken’ nitiotiién:ha onerahtakónhshon.
Wahiákon ni’ nen’ nè:’e. É:so ne tkontkà:wa’s ne vitamin c tánon’ ó:ia’nutrients aiakota’karí:teke’ tánon’ aiakoia’tahnirónhake’.
Tsi niioren’nhà:’on tsi nentewatenhni’tatáhsawen’ ne Ohiahrihkó:wa tenkatsi’tsané:kare’ ne Tionerahtó:ken tsi niió:re Kanenna’kè:ne nikahá:wi. Ktsi’tsanòn:we’s ne tsi ió:ien aiakoia’tahní:ratste’ ne othwénhsa’ tánon’ ne onekwénhsa’. Iotkà:te’ ne iéntiehste’ nó:nen enkenonhkwa’tsherón:ni’ ne akanóhare’ ne ieià:takon tánon’ aiakoia’tahní:ratste’ ne othwénhsa’ nok ne aonsaionta’karí:tate’.
Translation by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette