Cover Image: Iwigara

Iwigara

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Member Reviews

Iwigara: American Indian Enthnobotanical Traditions and Science by Enrique Salmon

248 Pages
Publisher: Timber Press
Release Date: September 15, 2020

Nonfiction, Outdoors, Nature, Botany, Plants, Ethnic, Cultural

The author begins with an introduction to the subject of ethnobotany. He then describes the different regions of North America and Indigenous people. He discusses the topic of plants and the history with Native people. The book is divided into 80 individual plants. Each entry explores a plant, the parts used, and why. The stories of the different Native peoples are fascinating, and the photography is beautiful. If you like books about plants, healing, or cultural traditions, you would enjoy reading this book.

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As much oral culture as botany, and always seated in narrative, this handsomely illustrated tour of the natural world inspires the reader to step outside, take a deep breath and embrace all that grows.

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There is a wealth of information here! Laid out in an easy to read alphabetical format, the wisdom within these pages is immense. It would be a great book to have on the shelf to return to again and again.

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Plants and people have had a relationship for thousands of years, since time immemorial. On this continent, the Native Americans had many plants that they used for a variety of purposes. With the decimation of native cultures a lot of that plant knowledge has been lost. However in this book the author brings together a collection of plants and indicates the native knowledge of these plants for a new audience.

The relationship that the native people had with plants is much different than the modern relationship which is all about using plants as a product. The native people utilized plants in a respectful way and did not take more than they could use. That philosophy is shown in this book and hopefully we can learn from this a new relationship with plants. By being respectful of all plants, we show our appreciation for what we can learn from them and what we can use them for in a sustainable way.

Enrique Salmon has written a wonderful book that tells a modern audience of the historical uses of many of the plants that we can still find in natural areas today. These plants range from cactus to flowers and more, all of which had many uses that modern people may not be familiar with. We may think of many of these plants as weeds. We can't approach the use of plants the same way that we do with crops on a farm. Native plants exist in far fewer numbers than the monoculture crops that we grow on farms. Native plants have to be respected and treated right because they don't grow in any large quantity (like on a farm) and if people were to go out and just start overharvesting them these species would not survive.

What I liked about this book was that the author showed us how to use respectful harvesting methods. Being respectful means thinking about generations yet to come and leaving enough plants there so that there are plants for them to enjoy and use as well. If you take everything, there is nothing left to re-seed. We don't want to overharvest and take every plant as is done on farms because that's not the purpose of native wild plants. Many of these plants had medicinal uses, or were used for food, or were used to make things such as baskets or tools. It’s fascinating to learn how the original people utilized the life around them. Although we may have changed our perceptions and think of some plants as weeds, that’s just because we really don’t know the plants!

Plants don't exist just to feed humans. They have a purpose in nature. Our challenge is to learn what that is. If we are to continue to have a relationship with plants we need to study them closely. For example, what time of year should they be harvested? How do we safely harvest them so as to leave some for future generations? How do we help spread the seeds of those plants so that more of them can grow?

A book like this goes beyond just a field guide. It gives a human history of our relationship with plants. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Five stars.

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This is a beautifully put together book. The information is fantastic and easy to read and the images are all beautiful and helpful. I will definitely be looking for a physical copy of this.

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"Ethnobotany" was a new term for me. Here's the definition: "the scientific study of the traditional knowledge and customs of a people concerning plants and their medical, religious, and other uses." This book discusses how indigenous people and their connection to plants, how they used them, and their role in the natural system of things (the circle of life, for lack of a better term). I really enjoyed this.

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"Iwígara - The Kinship of Plants and People", is a book about "American Indian Ethnobotanical Traditions and Science.

There's a lot of research and knowledge poured into this book. There is a little background of all the different areas that were American Indian territory with their origin stories which I found fascinating. We then have an alphabetical collection of plants where there is a plant story, information about how the American Indians used them, how to identify and harvest it, and the health benefits associated.

This is a great collection, there are so many plants included, and I loved seeing the different uses and health benefits which I was not aware of. It's interesting how a society developed this amount of plant knowledge. They depended on plants differently than we do today, and they explored all sorts of abilities. I'll be honest, I've been around the Prickly Pear cactus and I wouldn't have guessed it's edible

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An ethnobotanist and member of the Rarámuri people profiles a selection of the plants that are most used by native peoples across North America. The author has a personable style and mixes anecdotes, traditional stories, and his scientific knowledge together to form a full picture of each plant. Each entry contains uses, identification and gathering tips, as well as health benefits and active compounds. I enjoyed reading about familiar plants and the many ways they can be used as medicine, food, or tools. This book has me wanting to try cooked bearberries and looking for a chance to scorch the spikes of cattails to get the seeds! It should be noted that despite the cover, this is not a coffee table book, nor is it lushly illustrated. It is more like a reference book written in a conversational style, illustrated with a moderate number of informative photos and drawings.

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3.75/5

In this book, the author talks about plants that are or have been important to the culture and every day life of the Native Americans. Which way they are used, their benefits and so on.

As a person who is never really impressed by non fiction books, I have to say I wasn't thrilled by most of the stuff about the plants.

What I really enjoyed, were the footnotes, because sometimes they summarised stuff that took several lines to say and the photographs.

You see, what drew me to this book, besides the amazing cover, were the fantastic photographs among the text. I have to admit that this, for me, works better as a photo album rather than a source of knowledge about what plants Native Americans use or have used in their history.

I received a free e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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Iwigara is a layman accessible survey of the ethnobotany of the indigenous peoples of North America and their knowledge and relationships with the plants in their environs. Released 15th Sept 2020 by Workman Publishing on their Timber Press imprint, it's 256 pages and available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a very well written, exhaustively researched and annotated layman accessible treatment of ethnobotany in the Americas. I was reading an article a while ago about the loss of oral traditions and how vast and irreplaceable the loss of culture and knowledge could potentially be. One of the most vital links between a people and their environment comes in the form of the knowledge of food and medicinal plants in the local environs. For thousands of years this knowledge has been handed down in families and social groups from one generation to the next in an unbroken line; knowledge which is now perilously close to being broken and lost.

The work of the author and other anthropologists is vital in preserving this information. The format of this book is easy to navigate and understand. A short introduction gives a capsule glimpse into ethobotany and related anthropological research. It's followed directly by a list of relevant plants used by or sacred to (or both) local indigenous people of North America. Each of the entries is listed with common name, botanical (Latin) classification, a description along with uses and identification highlights and a photo. This is an academic collection and not a guide for uses with recipes or anything similar. The book also includes a cross-referenced index, short glossary, and an abbreviated bibliography.

Well done, respectful, and easily accessible volume. This would make a superlative selection for library acquisition or a fine gift for horticulturally interested readers.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

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I loved the gorgeous mix of science, history and culture that Salmon presented here. The pictures of plants were vibrant and the descriptions were clear and illuminating. I especially liked how the author weaved traditional native stories and added archival photos of indigenous people throughout.
As a Mexican-American woman with native roots, this book made me feel closer to my own background. And as a person who grew up in the Midwest, it was great to be able to learn about the natural world of trees, plants and flowers that have surrounded me my whole life, but I've never knew much about.
I will definitely highlight this book at my library during Native American Heritage Month, but will also promote throughout the year to patrons who are interested in Native culture and history, nature and coffee table books full of beautiful images.

This book remind me of some of my favorite books that also combine Native culture, history, science, and a reverence for the natural world:
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Trace: Memory, History, Race and the American Landscape by Lauret Savoy
Medicine Stories: History, Culture and the Politics of Integrity by Aurora Levins Morales
Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza by Gloria Anzaldua
Decolonize Your Diet: Plant-Based Mexican-American Recipes for Health and Healing by Luz Calvo, Catriona Rueda Esquibel

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I was drawn to the cover illustration and unusual title and I had the opportunity to review a digital copy through Netgalley: Iwigara is described as both a story and a reference book; I was looking forward to experiencing a visual treat with historical photographs, plant images, and botanical illustrations of the 80 food and medicinal native plants that were to be covered. Enrique Salmon begins with giving the reader a peek into the worlds and cultures of the indigenous peoples of North America, he then takes you on a quick tour of the plants: how to identify, harvest and prepare, their health benefits and uses, and many include a story or anecdote.

I ordered the hardcover book and was disappointed in its size and presentation. The text was hard to read, had small margins, and the photographs were not inspiring. Much of the art seemed to be clip art or found online. It ended up not living up to my expectations, so I returned it.

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Beautifully done exploration of native American traditions and relationship with nature. This Is definitely a must have and a must share with readers.

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As a reference for the classroom, the students will impressed. They will be able to use along with other reference books on this subject. The photography is well done.

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Iwigara is a truly lovely book. Dr. Enrique Salmón is from the Rarámuri (Tarahumara) tribe of northwestern Mexico and studies ethnobotony and traditional ecological knowledge. Viewing the plants from a traditional indigenous perspective is what makes this book truly special, and not just another guide to planes.

Salmón includes 80 plants, from ash and blueberry to willow and yarrow, and it's the writing in the descriptions that rally shines. Each description includes native myths and stories related to the plant, personal reminiscences, and how different tribes used each plant.

The guiding principle is Iwigara itself, the idea that all living things - plants, animals, humans - are interconnected and share the same breath. As a Unitarian Universalist, this naturally resonated with me, as one of the seven UU principles is "Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part." Anyone interested in ethnobotany, Native American teachings, or Ancestral Know.edge, (along with UUs!) will find this an interesting read.

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"Iwigara explores 150 plants of key importance to American Indians. Enrique Salmón reveals how the plants were traditionally used, why they were used that way, what their health and medicinal applications and benefits are, and basic scientific data about each plant. An added layer of meaningful context comes via traditional stories and myths the author shares about these plants and images of the plants appearing in different forms of Native American art, craft, and homes."

I love a good reference book on plants! Even more when they include common uses as this one does, it's very practical and has a lot of plants you would find. One plant you will find in here is the Joe Pye weed. Which honestly, I want to rip out of my garden every year, but ultimately am glad I don't as it seems to be a good plant to have. It always seems such a shame that we remove "weeds" that have real benefit to them.

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One of my reading goals this year was to pay more attention to various indigenous voices across all types of writing. (From his University's page:) "Dr. Salmón is a Rarámuri (Tarahumara). He feels indigenous cultural concepts of the natural world are only part of a complex and sophisticated understanding of landscapes and biocultural diversity, and he has dedicated his studies to Ethnobiology, Agroecoclogy, and Ancestral Ecological Knowledge in order to better understand his own and other cultural perceptions of culture, landscapes, and place."

This ethnobotany resource focuses on the continent of North America and includes information Dr. Salmón gathered largely directly from the sources of people still holding this information, along with archival research. The entries are alphabetical, often include color photography, and discuss historical uses for each plant along with slight disclaimers of the harm it can also cause. One plant came with a plea not to harvest any. He is careful to say when he is quoting other sources vs his own knowledge. It isn't intended to serve as a medicinal guide exactly, but I think it would be interesting to look for some of these plants in the wild and learn about their histories and uses by people who lived off the land. Where I grew up, we had wild strawberries in our forest, along with stinging nettle and Oregon grape and my Mom grew echinacea. I really enjoyed learning how the plants familiar to me alongside those I hadn't heard of.

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This will be a really great personal reference book. I loved reading it a few entries at a time, but the real value in this book will be as I return to it over and over again for specific questions or curiosities. Salmon makes entries personal by tying in stories and cultural touchpoints. What a great way to learn more about plants AND the people of this land.

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As a gardener and lover of all things plants, I found this book to be fascinating. Often, when reading about plants used by Native Americans, there is a simplistic mention that usually falls in to the categories of medicinal (frequently - causes diarrhea or good for constipation = which I always find amusing, but not helpful.) Salmon’s research and descriptions made for detailed and enlightening descriptions. Well done!
5 Stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book.

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What a fascinating and informative book! It made me think and I learned a lot about Native Americans traditions.
I loved the gorgeous illustrations and how well the different plant usage and traditions are explained.
It's an excellent read that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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