Getting to Know Plants and People: Interview
This interview was conducted and transcribed by HSP employee Alyssa Ondarza
HSP sits down with Shalitha Peaches “Shy” of White Mountain Apache to discuss ethnobotany and the impacts and importance of the continuation of cultural knowledge.
Q: How do you define ethnobotany, and what are some of the key concepts and methods used in this field?
A: Ethnobotany - when you look it up it is the study of plants within a certain region. I feel that is the best way to simplify it because I want to study the plant of my own people and share it with them in not only my language but the common language. To me to be a botanist is to be a medical person and that is a lot of responsibility and a lot of knowledge that you have to carry. It's a lot but life isn’t easy and sometimes what you want isn't easy but at the end of it it is well worth the trip. It will definitely be something that I hope will continue with the survival of plants that my people need to know about. It’s knowledge that I hope will continue to be shared.
Q: What inspired you to pursue ethnobotany and how did you get started?
A: I’ve been in the field for 7 years at a local farm where I gained a vast knowledge of local cultures. I sometimes talked to people from New Mexico and Tuscon and even from Washington. Now I work doing field work and it’s been amazing. Growing up for me I’ve always had an interest in working outside. I knew I never wanted to work inside. Worked under the WIA program to help support youth to figure out what career path they would like to follow. Underwater resources program. I got stuck on the watershed that had to do with water and the vegetation surrounding water. I moved from being a young youth leader to working with the farm after my boss suggested it. At the time botany wasn't the field for me but the more I worked with it people suggested it.
Q: What does your work mean to you?
A: It is the study of plants in a certain region and I want to study the plants of my people and how to utilize them rather than relying on outside resources and practicing sovereignty. People in my family were actually medicine women and they moved these herbs. I felt like it’s always been embedded in me. I hope to continue to get a degree in it. I have four brothers and two sisters and I want to be able to share that with them. I remember doing this with my uncles when I was younger. I am planning to teach this to my family and my children. I am so fortunate that HSP is helping me with this because they're not only helping me but they're helping my people and my family. I want to help them in learning about where their food comes from and how to grow it without hormones and harsh chemicals.
Q: How do you want to share this work with others?
A: There are certain things that men can learn that women can’t learn so there are things that I can’t learn. I have to be able to walk in more than one world. What I mean by that is to learn the names of plants in my own language and then translate them into the common language which can slow my process down. I have to be able to think in Apache first when I’m learning and then English but my first language is English.
Q: Can you tell us about your cultural background and how it informs your work as an ethnobotanist?
A: So, my grandma went to boarding school when she was younger and we are told about how those who went to boarding school were told not to speak their language. That is why a lot of our youth don’t speak our language. Gardening holds a passion for me because it’s a dying practice here. The average age of a farmer here is about 65 years old. I feel like I am one of the very few that is picking up this art and sharing it with people as I can. It’s been interesting because it has allowed me to work with the elderly and the youth. It’s always been something that I hold dear. When we have to travel we have one grocery store which is a 15-minute drive from where I’m at but if we’re going to a Walmart it’s more of a 40-minute drive. It’s pretty hard to get quality food for people out here.
Q: Can you share a little about your most recent projects?
A: With HSP Ben had asked me to be the host for Michigan Tech (a recent service group). For me, it's always been amazing to meet new people because I am able to see a new view of life. The week preparing for them to come I didn't feel as stressed as I thought I would and was just really getting into the grove feeling prepared but also not really knowing what to expect. Meeting the students I really just wanted to get to know them and know why they were choosing to be here. Apache culture is usually not taught in school so knowing that people wanted to know about my people and be here with them was really amazing and heartwarming. It reminded me why I am doing what I am doing. The last day when they came to my corn field that we haven't farmed in a few years was really interesting. Having my brothers and cousin and my mom teaching them and working with them really started to bring my family back together since my grandmother passed. It was very heartwarming to have them work because my grandmother has always wanted to work on a fence there at the field. I don't know how much more I can thank them for the work they did. We are hoping that a community co-op will develop out of this so that we are not only helping ourselves but also helping other farmers that want to do the same thing. Right now, one community farm cannot feed everyone.
Q: Can you share any examples of how ethnobotanical knowledge has been used to improve human health or well-being?
A: It can improve overall health and well-being dramatically. The typical food pyramid I feel is not built for natives. A lot of our people are lactose intolerant and that's because we got our nutrients from different sources. If we were to go back to our original food sources we would return to that balanced diet. A lot of nutrients are lost when harvested in big factories because they're not fully matured. But when you grow your own food you are getting fully matured food with more nutrients. There is this study that happened in one of our sister tribes. Zuni tried to decolonize their diets and only ate foods that they could go out and harvest and grow themselves. They did this by starting out with health tests and then returning to the hospitals one month after their decolonized diets and totally flipped their diagnosis. The pre-diabetic was deemed to not have diabetes. We have what we call a trail mix which has five different types of nuts and grains but just a handful will give you all of the nutrients you would need. It would be hard because you'll have to harvest all the time but the impact would be worth it.
Q: How can HSP supporters get more involved in your work?
A: It all depends on them and what they want to provide. Some of the tech guys (a recent service group) were saying they wanted to come back in the summer to help and volunteer which is so heartwarming and feels like I did something right. If you want to come and volunteer and help that would be greatly appreciated!
If you would like to plan a trip to work with Shy reach out to hello@highlandpartners.org or click here!