Tending Traditions

Cactus in Minnesota, Ya sure, You Bet! This is the first of the...

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:08:26 -0400

Cactus in Minnesota, Ya sure, You Bet!

This is the first of the prickly pear cactus blooms, probably another 50 or so to come.

Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus

Latin Name:

Opuntia humifusa
Dakota/Lakota Name:

unkcela (big buffalo burr), unkcela blaska, unkcela tanka

Tassling, already? Eventhough it’s only about 18 inches...

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:04:00 -0400

Tassling, already?

Eventhough it’s only about 18 inches tall, the early white corn is tassling. We cover the corn plants with pollination tents to keep good pollen in, and other pollen out, thus keeping the species clean.

The garden is in bloom!

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:44:00 -0400

It’s mid-June and the Turtle Garden is nearly in full bloom. Seveal of the plants are blooming. Here’s a sampling of some of them:

Common Name: Yarrow

Latin Name: Alchillea millefolium

Dakota/Lakota Name: hante canhlogan (woodchuck tail), taopi pejuta

Ojibwe Name: ajidamoowaanow, waabigwan

Common Name: Valerian

Latin Name: Valeriana officinalis

Common Name: Mandan Striped Squash

Common Name: Garlic (Meadow Garlic)

Latin Name: Allium canadense

Dakota/Lakota Name: psiⁿ

Common Name: Prairie (Tall) Cinquefoil

Latin Name: Potentilla arguta

Ojibwe Name: gichi-ode’iminijiibik

Get the entire Turtle Garden Plant Guide Here:

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:39:20 -0400

http://www.smm.org/static/bigbackyard/plantguide_turtle-effigy.pdf

PLANT PROFILE: Prairie Smoke Common Name: Prairie...

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:35:00 -0400

PLANT PROFILE: Prairie Smoke

Common Name: Prairie Smoke

Latin Name: Geum triflorum

Ojibwe Name: nebaneyanekweag

Where It Grows: Central Plains area of the United States in open, dry areas.

Part of Plant Used: seeds, flowers

Cultural Uses: general tonic, cough medicine, cold remedy, reduces fever, helps stomachache, salve for sores, teas work as a mouthwash for cankers, reduces inflamed ovaries.

Check out this TED talk on the importance of Seed Banks

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:03:13 -0400

http://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_drori_why_we_re_storing_billions_of_seeds.html

Gardens are going strong! The Changing Gardens Through Time...

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:57:00 -0400

Gardens are going strong!

The Changing Gardens Through Time exhibit is filling in nicely. This photo shows the 900 year old beans and Early White Corn. The weather reports say we’re in the worst drought since 1934—dustbowl era—and our watering schedule confirms those statistics!

The plants are here, the plants are here!

Wed, 20 May 2009 17:06:00 -0400

We planted our 2009 Ethnobotany gardens yesterday in 97 degree heat. Luckily, all of our plants are doing fine. What a healthy bunch they are, too. Many thanks to Francis Bettelyoun and Barbara Bettelyoun for their participation and help in this project—especially for the space and care in the greenhouse!

Scott Shoemaker carefully setting Kickapoo golden flour corn and Mandan striped beans into the Three Sisters configuration.

Photo

Wed, 20 May 2009 16:53:58 -0400

Lots of help planting this year in our Changing Gardens through...

Wed, 20 May 2009 16:53:00 -0400

Lots of help planting this year in our Changing Gardens through Time exhibit. Scott Shoemaker and ethnobotany intern Jennifer Weber are aided by curators Ed Fleming and Tilly Laskey. We’re planting Early White corn, 900 year old beans, Teosinte, and Hopi sunflowers.

Still gardening in January?

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:44:00 -0500

Yes! Our ethnobotany program keeps us busy year-round. Here’s Scott preparing the seeds from the Iroquois squash. Notice how yellow the skin is, transformed from the beautiful green in previous posts. We were also surprised that the seeds are GREEN!

Are they squash or are they pumpkins? That’s a good...

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:50:00 -0400

Are they squash or are they pumpkins?

That’s a good question and the answer is: yes. Pumpkins are squash, but not all squash are pumpkins. They resemble in shape what most people would consider a pumpkin, but we’ll call them squash for now.

Its that time for the squash to be harvested. We’ve harvested a few additional squash to the ones seen here. The squash will be ripe to eat when the outside flesh has turned from yellow to orange. The seeds will be scooped out, washed, and dried in our isolation room before being cataloged. The squash flesh will be eaten and any remaining organic matter like the stem will be placed in our compost bin to decompose over the winter and provide nutrients for next year’s crops.

American Indian Family Center Day In late August, we worked...

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:30:00 -0400

American Indian Family Center Day

In late August, we worked with American Indian Family Center Youth Program Manager, Alicia Smith, and Youth Community Specialist, Quanah Walker, to host a day specifically for American Indian youth. The day of hands-on activities focused upon the interrelatedness of the environment, health, and cultural traditions as aspects of Indigenous nation sovereignty. We also worked with the Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center (YSC) at the Science Museum. In the picture, the youth group is learning about the affects of pollution within watersheds from the YSC Big Back Yard Crew and how this applies to tribal lands.

A squash surprise!

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:14:00 -0400

With the added weight of flowers on this clump of Maximillian Sunflowers, their stems have begun leaning toward the ground. To my surprise, growing right in the middle of this clump is an Iroquois Squash. It was even more surprising, since its particular parent plant had a hard time getting established and growing this summer. Even though this is the only squash this particular plant was able to produce, it will provide several seeds for many future plants.

Plant Profile: Sunflowers

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:55:00 -0400

September is the time for Sunflowers to bloom. The sunflower is one of the oldest domesticated plants in North America and has been cultivated by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. In the Changing Gardens Through Time we have two different types of sunflowers. In the foreground we see the domesticated sunflower which is commonly known as the Hopi Purple Dye Sunflower, while the other in the background is commonly known as the Maximillian Sunflower. Here’s a little more information on these beautiful, nutritious, and useful plants!

Common Name: Maximillian Sunflower

Latin Name: Helianthus maximiliani

Dakota/Lakota Name: wahca zi tanka (big yellow flower)

Cultural Uses: The seeds are eaten raw or roasted and added to foods. Parts of the plant are used as sources of food, oil, dye and thread.

Common Name: Hopi Purple Dye Sunflower

Latin Name: Helianthus annus ‘Hopi Purple Dye’

Cultural Uses: The seeds are eaten raw or roasted and added to foods. These seeds are grown especially for use as a dye.

Turtle Effigy Native Plant Guide

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:52:14 -0400

Want to know how American Indians used all of the plants in the Turtle Effigy garden? Check out our Ethnobotanical Plant Guide!

http://www.smm.org/static/bigbackyard/plantguide_turtle-effigy.pdf

Plant Profile: Rattlesnake Master

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:28:33 -0400

Common Name: Rattlesnake Master

Latin Name: Eryngium yuccifolium

Dakota/Lakota Name: rhiyantan

Where It Grows: Ranges throughout the eastern United States, in wet soils, along waters edges in fresh to brackish marshes, low woods, meadows, bogs, swamps and ditches.

Part of Plant Used: root

Cultural Uses: teas treat stomach disorders, infusions of roots aid nausea, expectorant to clear the lungs, and a diuretic. Roots act as antidote to treat snakebites and other poisons.

Plant profile: Bergamot

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:24:00 -0400

Common Name: Bergamot

Latin Name: Monarda fistulosa

Dakota/Lakota Name: hehaka tapejuta, wahkpe wastemma

Ojibwe Name: bibigwanakak, wabinowak

Where It Grows: Ranges throughout the United States, found in upland woods, thickets, and prairies

Part of Plant Used: Leaves, flowers.

Cultural Uses: Cure for headaches, cold medicine, reduces fever, aids weak or upset stomach, helps abdominal pain, helps heart trouble.

SMM has 3 exhibition and research gardens. Today's feature: the Turtle Effigy Garden

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:07:00 -0400

SMM’s ethnobotany research doubles as a venue for exhibitions and teaching visitors about American Indian uses of plants. This is the Turtle Effigy garden. It’s in the shape of a turtle with four quadrants featuring plants used for women, men, children, and general health issues. The head and tail are planted with sage, and the four legs are sweetgrass.

See the next few posts for featured plants!

What is it?

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:53:00 -0400

This beautiful red stemmed plant is Hopi Red Amaranth. It will produce tiny seeds that people eat as a grain. Many cultures use the flowers as a dye as well—we’re going to try that in the coming weeks.