Strength of the earth : the classic guide to Ojibwe uses of native plants

Book

Strength of the earth : the classic guide to Ojibwe uses of native plants / Frances Densmore ; introduction by Brenda J. Child.

Densmore, Frances, 1867-1957 (Author). Minnesota Historical Society. (Added Author).

Summary:

From techniques for tapping maple trees and harvesting wild rice to extracting dyes from bloodroot to making dishes from birch bark and dolls with cattails, Strength of the earth details the many uses of over 200 forest and prairie plants. Early twentieth-century ethnologist Frances Densmore recorded traditions and techniques relayed by dozens of Ojibwe women to create this invaluable handbook perfect for readers interested in Native American art and culture, organic gardening, natural remedies, and living off the land. Brenda J. Child offers a fresh introduction focusing on the power of female healers in Native communities.

Record details

ISBN: 0873515625 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN: 9780873515627 (pbk. : alk. paper)
Physical Description: xiii, 277-397 p., [36] p. of plates : ill. ; 23 cm.
Publisher: St. Paul, MN : Minnesota Historical Society Press, c2005.

Content descriptions

General Note:: "Originally published as 'Uses of plants by the Chippewa Indians, ' extract from forty-fourth Annual report of the Bureau of American Ethnology (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1928)"--T.p. verso.
Bibliography, etc. Note:: Includes bibliographical references (p. xii-xiii).
Formatted Contents Note:: Foreword -- Informants -- Phonetics -- Introduction -- List of plants arranged according to botanical name -- List of plants arranged according to common name -- List of plants arranged according to native name -- Medicinal properties of plants used by the Chippewa -- Principal active medicinal constituents of plants used by the Chippewa -- Plants as food -- List of plants used as food -- Gathering wild rice -- Beverages -- Seasonings -- Cereals -- Vegetables -- Fruits and berries -- Plants as medicine -- Treatment by means of plants -- Substances other than vegetable used as remedies -- Medical appliances -- Surgical treatment and appliances -- Dental surgery -- Classification of diseases and injuries -- List of medical plants and their uses -- Works containing lists of plants used medicinally -- Plants used in dyes -- Process of dyeing -- List of plants used in dyes -- Mineral substances used in dyes -- Formulae for dyes -- Plants used as charms -- List of plants used in charms -- Plants used in useful and decorative arts -- List of plants -- Manner of use -- Legend of Winabojo and the birch tree -- Legend of Winabojo and the cedar tree -- Gathering birch bark and cedar bark -- Articles made of birch bark -- Index.
Language Note:: Includes some text in Ojibwa.