Iwigara: American Indian Ethnobotanical Traditions and Science

by Enrique Salmón

The belief that all life-forms are interconnected and share the same breath—known in the Rarámuri tribe as iwígara—has resulted in a treasury of knowledge about the natural world, passed down for millennia by native cultures. Ethnobotanist Enrique Salmón builds on this concept of connection and highlights 80 plants revered by North America’s indigenous peoples. Salmón teaches us the ways plants are used as food and medicine, the details of their identification and harvest, their important health benefits, plus their role in traditional stories and myths. Discover in these pages how the timeless wisdom of iwígara can enhance your own kinship with the natural world.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Indigenous, Plants, Environment, Gardening, Ecology

248 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 19, 2021

Reviews

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

I had a copy of this from the publisher through NetGalley; it came out September 15.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous and important book that highlights how 80 North American plants were used for food and medicine by native peoples over the years by a native author, along with the lore about each plant for various tribes. It's well illustrated and will be a treasure for those studying edible and medicinal plants along with Native American history. Do note that it often does not tell in detail how to use the plants, only what they were used for and what benefits they hold. All in all, it's an extremely thorough resource. Well recommended.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

[Linden · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author, and ethnobotanist, tells about plants used by Native Americans. Each plant is introduced by family, parts used, season, and region. There are numerous excellent illustrations to aid in identification, and it is surprising how many familiar plants were used not only as food, but also medicinally to promote good health. Thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Maritina Mela · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

If you made it this far, congratulations!
'Til next time, take care! :) :) :)

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

[Migdalia Jimenez · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

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

Full disclosure - I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[meshell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the detail, history, and information in this book. I borrowed it from the library a couple of times, but after enjoying it long term I’ve realized I will have to get myself a permanent copy as a reference.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched and accessible resource on the many practical uses of North American plants by indigenous peoples, as well as their cultural significance to local tribes. Overall a great addition to a growing pantheon of North American ethnobotany.

[The Resistance Bookclub · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iwígara is a fascinating look into North American ethnobotany.
What makes this book outstanding is how accessible it is, you do not need to know much about ethnobotany or plants in general to appreciate this book. You might find some scientific names, but a glossary explains what could be unfamiliar to the layperson. Additionally, a simple but beautiful layout, pictures and easy to understand text make Iwígara easy on the eyes and a joy to read.
Enrique Salmón does a great job introducing laypeople to the Native plant knowledge of North America, without dumbing it down. At the same time I imagine that this book is also a joy to read for more experienced ethnobotanists (I cannot tell, my knowledge of ethnobotany is limited to one or two books besides this one).
I recommend this wholeheartedly for anyone who wants to know about plants and Native knowledge, whether they are from North America or not.

[ʕᵔᴥᵔʔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"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.

[Anna Abney Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Kayla Sheridan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I could make my brain remember everything I learned in this book because it was AWESOME and so fun to listen to on audio. I do think a good amount of it stuck ;) Now I can’t wait to find some of the plants he wrote about and be able to make the connections

[Katie ratherbereadinggg · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Rarámuri (indigenous people of the Americas living in the state of Chihuahua in Mexico) have a concept of iwígara: “Iwígara channels the idea that all life, spiritual and physical, is interconnected in a continual cycle [and] expresses the belief that all life shares the same breath. We are all related to, and play a role in, the complexity of life.” Knowing that I am related to everything around me and share breath with all living things helps me to focus on my responsibility to honor all forms of life. Or, as native writer N. Scott Momaday puts it, everything around us has “being-ness.”

Reading this book was such a simple pleasure, as it evokes a beautiful feeling of oneness and relationship to the plants that travel this world with us, at times interacting, at times inspiring poetry, at times saving us. I am veering into longing to be indigenous to this land, which I am not; if I were indigenous to anywhere, it would be the brambles of a new England river.

To remind people that American Indian traditional knowledge is tied to the landscapes they called home. Over 500 languages were spoken in North America prior to European contact. Each one of those languages represented a distinct culture. Each of those cultures developed a lifestyle and library of ecological knowledge that fit the ecosystems and landscapes that they had sustainably managed and lived with for centuries.

To the west of the Great Plains were the Rocky Mountains. The caretakers of the elevations and valleys of the Rockies and the Intermountain West were the Ute, Arapaho, Crow, Flathead, Shoshone, Jicarilla Apache, and Nez Perce. Their origin stories include morals that suggest they were chosen to occupy their mountainous environments in order to protect them. The people of the mountains were few in number but developed lifestyles that took advantage of what was offered by the seasons as well as by the different elevations. They knew how to use the different kinds of aspen, piñon, cedar, and dogwood for medicine, food, and for building shelter. They often stayed in the lower elevations in order to take advantage of mountain mahogany, chokecherry, currant, nahavita, and all the Rocky Mountain plants that have adapted to cold winters, short summers, and high elevations. They traveled east onto the plains in order to hunt buffalo and traded for foods with their Pueblo neighbors to the southwest.

Of all native peoples in the contiguous United States, the peoples of these arid regions (The Hopi, the Navajo, the Tewa) have remained most admirably resilient, adhering to their lands, their languages, their spirituality, their food ways, and their plant knowledge. Up on the Colorado Plateau the Hopi continue to practice the Hopi Way, a spiritual lifestyle that does not strive for a specific outcome or product but rather is a journey, focused on what is learned along the way about their relationship to place and community.

Transformation is a recurring theme in American Indian narrative, worldview, art, and ceremony. It is particularly evident in stories from the Coast Salish, Kwakiutl, Haida, Tlingit, and many other Pacific Northwest cultures. I feel the power and significance of transformation whenever I experience cedar mask dancers. When growing on the edge of islands and coastal shorelines, its long arching branches can be seen gracefully sweeping the surface of the waters. The tallest and finest western red cedars grow inland, where they can set their roots deep into moist soils, often forming thick groves.

Chili was introduced to our continent when Spanish colonists began moving north from the Tehuacan Valley of Mexico during the 16th century. The plants originated further south, in places like Bolivia, the highlands of Peru, and other tropical areas of Central and South America. The only variety of chili that existed north of the tropics before its mass migration was the chiltepin (aka chili pequin), a tiny red pepper that in maturity grows erect on small bushes.

The land and its plant and animal inhabitants are an important source of American Indian morals and values. It can even be said that the land embodies our sense of right and wrong. These morals and values are culturally reproduced and transferred through our oral literature, our stories, and chokecherries figure in many of these. In an indigenous Pacific Northwest tale, Coyote fixes Magpie’s broken wing with a piece of chokecherry. Afterward, Coyote learns of a large sucking monster that is wiping out one of his favorite foods, salmon. In the process of killing the monster, Coyote saves all his animal friends and creates the landscape of the Pacific Northwest as it looks today.

Corn is the only traditional American Indian food plant that needs humans, planting its seeds, in order to survive. This is because humans created corn: according to paleoethnobotanists, corn was first hybridized about 9,000 years ago, from teosinte (Zea luxurians), a wild grass relative. Some think that it was somehow also crossed with eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides) and possibly other relatives, such as Z. perennis or Z. diploperennis. Archeobotanical evidence suggests this crossing and selection occurred somewhere in southern Mexico.
It is more than a food. It is also a medicine, used in crafts, and in construction. In addition, we feel that we are directly related to it. It is often a significant part of ceremony and even traditional arts. My people, the Rarámuri, believe we emerged into this world from ears of corn after a huge cleansing deluge. The Hopi believe they were asked by the Creator to choose from certain ears of corn after they emerged into this, the Fourth World; they also maintain spiritual figures known as corn maidens. Corn is really a large grass: it’s in the same family as the grass on your neighbor’s lawn, bamboo, and wild rice and other grains. Corn is a true annual: it must be planted by humans every year.

Before the introduction of coffee and black tea to the Southwest, cota was a popular drink. Cota has a distinctive sweet piney flavor. It is best to collect cota during its long flowering period, from late spring to early fall.

Cranberries are best harvested by hand from late summer to early fall, though the evolutionary quirk that makes this berry float has led to today’s commercial method of harvesting by flooding bogs and skimming the berries off the surface of the water.

Colorado, one of my favorite times of year was late summer to early fall, when currant berries ripened in the higher elevations. Armed with any kind of bucket and buoyed by thoughts of the sweet/tart syrup that would soon be poured over pancakes, we would venture up to about 10,000 feet, to our favorite stands of black currant bushes. For American Indians, an annual berry-picking foray is a necessary communal and subsistence event.

American Indians use goldenrod as a gambling medicine, among other things. But American Indian games of chance must be perceived through an American Indian lens. Gambling is not only a source of entertainment and community building, it is a sacred practice that is representative of the unpredictable Trickster consciousness and those unknown and unexplainable gray areas of the cosmos. Gambling is sacred chance, an opportunity to be in contact with the living, breathing, scattered cosmos.

But the Apache, Tohono O’odham, Maricopa, Pima, and other native peoples thrive in the Sonoran Desert, which also happens to be one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. I’ve led my ethnobotany students on many hikes through it over the years; they are always amazed by how much the desert has to offer. One of the plants I make a point of highlighting during these walks is the desert hackberry: the field schools always occur in summer, when desert hackberries are loaded with their sweet little orange berries.

Languages are fascinating windows into how a culture expresses the reality of the universe. In other words, language is culture and worldview. In many American Indian languages, there is no word for poison, nor are there any words for poisonous plants; if words are windows into how a culture thinks about things such as plants, then we can infer from this that to American Indians all plants—even dangerous ones—must have some kind of beneficial purpose.

Horsetail (aka scouring rush) grows throughout North America, including the Kootenai homelands of Montana. However, indigenous stories tell that the plant used to be a plain-looking simple green tube of a plant. It had no beautifully regular rings or purplish tint like it does now. That is until one day, when Coyote, down along a rushing river looking for food, accidentally fell into the water. The swift current was pulling him downstream and underwater. Fearing for his life, he reached out toward the bank, grasping desperately at some horsetail plants. As he attempted to pull himself onto the bank, he noticed that the plant was barely keeping him from slipping back into the churning water and perhaps to his death. He spoke to the plant and made a promise: if it held him while he pulled his way back onto dry land and safety, he would use his powers to make the plant and all its relatives beautiful.

Juniper holds a very special place in the minds of native peoples, Hispanics, and other multigenerational residents of the Southwest community. It is tough and resilient, with many practical and sacred uses. It shows up in several American Indian origin stories and has even been used as an analogy explaining why American Indian peoples will always occupy this arid landscape. “Indians are like the juniper tree. Our roots are deep and strong. When the next big wind comes across the land, we will still be standing.”

The Lakota call lodgepole pine wazí čháŋ (“mother pine”). Its straight slender branches and trunks are the preferred source for the poles inside of tipis and to fashion a drag sled (travois) for carrying people and provisions from camp to camp. To this day Plains Indians travel on gathering pilgrimages to the Rocky Mountains in order to collect the coveted pines.

My people, the Rarámuri, believe that when we leave this life our iwí, our spirit, transforms into a butterfly. We then travel about visiting our favorite places and people before floating up into the night sky to join the many stars of the Milky Way. It is understandable, then, that species of milkweed are special to my people as well as to many North American Indians, who see butterflies as symbols of the cycles of life.

An elder was expounding about the unusually humid fall air. He was enjoying being able to smell things so vibrantly. Normally the humidity in places like New Mexico is very low (15 to 20 percent). The sinuses sort of shrivel up, and scents do not carry very far.

The Havasupai, for example, who have occupied the bottom of the Grand Canyon for centuries, have an origin story where Creator saves First Woman by causing a large hollow piñon tree to fall, permitting her to crawl inside the tree trunk and survive a catastrophic flood. After the waters receded, raging rivers created the Grand Canyon, where First Woman gave birth to a male child. Later she conceived a female child near Havasu Falls; it was from this location that the people emerged.

The Aztecs did not originally hail from what is now Mexico City; according to legend, they originated far to the north, in a land they knew as Aztlán, believed to be our American Southwest. The legend suggests that for centuries the Aztecs were in constant migration, being pushed around and forced away from places they were trying to settle.

Although prickly pears are icons of the Southwest and Mexico, the genus is widespread in North America; for example, Opuntia humifusa is native to New York, and O. cochenillifera can be found in Florida.

Artemisia or sagebrush is always at the forefront. It grows nearly everywhere in the region, which accounts for its status as a marker of the romanticized West. Every time I catch the unmistakable resinous odor of sagebrush, a rolling release of neuropeptides fills my head, activating scores of cultural and personal memories related to ceremony, ritual, the spirit world, visions, ancestral knowledge, and family.

For millennia, squash has been one of the most important foods in the Southwest, and the prevalence of squash blossom iconography, dating back to pre-Columbian art and artifacts, highlights the cultural significance of squash and squash blossoms to the indigenous peoples of the region. Potters from Tesuque, Hopi, and other Pueblos are noted for their use of stylized squash blossoms in the finished glazes.

For as long as we can remember, tobacco has been a sacred plant to native peoples. No other plant holds as much universal importance among the indigenous peoples of North and South America. It is understood that it must be used with respect and plays a central role in maintaining our ways of life, our identities, and our relationships to our landscapes. We believed that, when we use tobacco in ceremony and ritual, the smoke captures and delivers our thoughts and prayers to the natural world around us and on into the spirit realms. This concept is directly related to the title of this book: one of the meanings of iwígara is “breath,” and the general American Indian concept of breath is similar to that of soul, or spirit.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

So. Cool. The book goes through different plants found in North America and how various indigenous tribes cook them, use them as medicine, and ways to care for the plant during harvest.

[Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of native plants to North America and how they are used by indigenous communities.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

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.

[Trish Remley · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all - a beautiful book cover. The second in a row! Can see myself reaching for this book many times to relook up info as I come across native plants. And in turn will be used to research deeper into USES & Health Benefits. Especially wonderful is the history & culture presented of North American indigenous peoples. The first sentence on the back cover says it in longhand: "The belief that all life-forms are interconnected and share the same breath - known in the Raramuri tribe as iwigara - has resulted in a treasury of knowledge about the natural world, passed down for millennia by native cultures." Shorthand on the front cover: "The Kinship of Plants and People. Thank you Enrique Salmon, PhD.






















































































































































































































































































First of all - a beautiful book cover. Two books in a row! I can see myself referring back to this book many times. Which in turn will lead me to find deeper understanding of USES & Health Benefits. Especially wonderful is all the history and culture presented from so many North American indigenous peoples. On the back cover the first sentence - "The belief that all life-forms are interconnected and share the same breath - known in the Raramuri tribe as iwigara - has resulted in a treasury of knowledge about the natural world, passed down for millenia by native cultures." In other words from the front cover - "The Kinship of Plants and People" says it all. Thank you Enrigue Salmon, PHD.

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[aqilahreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

a pretty interesting read about plants and its uses & benefits. wished the contents could be more organized ((maybe split them into plant types)) so that it will be much easier to refer. was intrigued to read about the plants - found myself more interested to read in certain plants than the others. overall, its a beneficial read and readers can learn a lot.

[Ceallaigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

“…the concept of Trickster is reflective of an American Indian consciousness, or mindset, that embraces the gray and uncertain personality of the natural world. These parts of our universe are often not completely knowable and are, therefore, often considered sacred. Trickster occupies that gray, uncertain, sacred space. From disturbance emerges new birth and diversity. We should not fear that which is different or new. Through Trickster, we learn to embrace nonpolarity... Therefore, Trickster expands the indigenous consciousness by freeing all constraints and creating an opening and threshold for flexibility and change. Through this kind of consciousness, culture and society are in a better frame for resilient thinking and adaptation. Blending the "old ways" with the new, then, is a virtue and a strength that is evident in American Indian cultures.”

TITLE—Iwígara
AUTHOR—Enrique Salmón
PUBLISHED—2020
PUBLISHER—Timber Press

GENRE—nonfiction: ethnobotany
SETTING—Turtle Island
MAIN THEMES/SUBJECTS—Indigenous traditions & lifeways, plant names & uses, how & when to harvest plants, landscape ecology, knowledge-keeping & oral-storytelling traditions, Native North American folklore & mythologies

WRITING STYLE—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
PHILOSOPHY—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
PREMISE—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
EXECUTION—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Cherokee novelist Thomas King had it right: our stories are "all we are." For native peoples, stories are the source of our values, morals, and identity. Stories are also the dominant path along which we transfer and reproduce plant knowledge. A person can read about plants, or listen to an herbalist teach them about plants, but unless the knowledge is related or connected to something else, chances are it will be difficult to retrieve. However, if that plant knowledge is transferred through a story, it is connected and related to images and commonly understood ideas—and is easier not only to retrieve but to retain.”

Summary:
Salmón is a Rarámuri (Tarahumara) and ethnobotanist who has published extensively on indigenous ethnobotany, agriculture, nutrition, and traditional ecological knowledge. Through his work he addresses topics such as cultivating resilience, indigenous solutions to climate change, the ethnobotany of Native North America & the Greater Southwest, “poisonous” plants that heal, bioculturally diverse regions as refuges of hope and resilience, and the language and library of indigenous cultural knowledge. [From “About the Author”]

In IWÍGARA, Salmón has created a catalog of 80 different plants revered by North America’s indigenous peoples and the way such plants are used as food and medicine, the details of their identification and harvest, their important health benefits, as well as their role in traditional stories and myths.

“The belief that all life-forms are interconnected and share the same breath—known in the Rarámuri tribe as iwígara—has resulted in a treasury of knowledge about the natural world, passed down for millennia by native cultures.” — from the back cover

My thoughts:
This is actually the exact kind of book that I have been looking for for ages and I just randomly stumbled across it at my local library and I absolutely loved it. I especially loved how Salmón opened each entry with a small anecdote either retelling a story from a particular tribe’s oral-storytelling traditions or mythology or a personal memory or experience the author has had in relation to the particular plant and the additional meaning it has created for him in his own personal and spiritual life.

I’m really excited to check out some of the other books Salmón recommends in the ‘Further Reading’ section and I also feel like I now have a better idea of what to look for in other books along these lines going forward. I’m definitely going to keep my eyes open for a used copy of IWÍGARA somewhere to add to my personal collection and I could really use it as a reference book for when we do our little hikes around here.

I would recommend this book to readers who are interested in Indigenous north american ethnobotany or who live in north america and want to learn more about the information and traditions affiliated with the various indigenous plants in and around their homes, local areas, and hiking trails.

Final note: The coffee table binding of this book is really lovely but I would also love a more travel-friendly edition to bring along on my walks with my trail maps and other field guides. 🙏🏻

“Each tribe across the Americas maintains its own narrative regarding the origin of tobacco, how it came to the people, and how to use and care for the plant; but it is generally believed that, when we use tobacco in ceremony and ritual, the smoke captures and delivers our thoughts and prayers to the natural world around us and on into the spirit realms. This concept is directly related to the title of this book: one of the meanings of iwigara is "breath" and the general American Indian concept of breath is similar to that of soul, or spirit. Breath permeates all things and the universe. And humans share that breath. When we inhale the smoke of tobacco leaves, we are creating a unifying connection with all the cosmos. The smoke flows in and from our bodies, carrying with it our thoughts, further solidifying our connection to all things.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Further Reading—
- BRAIDING SWEETGRASS, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
- THE TRUTH ABOUT STORIES, by Thomas King
- INDIGENOUS FOOD SOVEREIGNTY IN THE UNITED STATES, edited by Devon A. Minesuah & Elizabeth Hoover
- NATIVE AMERICAN ETHNOBOTANY, edited by Daniel E. Moerman—TBR
- NATIVE AMERICAN MEDICINAL PLANTS, edited by Daniel E. Moerman—TBR
- ANCIENT PATHWAYS, ANCESTRAL KNOWLEDGE, by Nancy J. Turner—TBR

[Kim Cabrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book doesn’t list every plant that anyone has ever used but has the 80 most commonly used important plants in the United Stated and Canada. Plants that are medicinal, edible, and sometimes both, and those that are useful in a variety of practical ways such as doe basket making, canoes, shelters, decorations, etc. etc. etc. The harvesting, preparing, cultural and traditions for the plants. The author includes some autobiographical information too. For the plants information is provided about their medicinal properties and/or the nutrients they contain.

For each plant it tells its: Family. Parts Used. Season. Region. Then there is a ton of information that is useful and absorbing.

The plants are listed in alphabetical order. The 80 plants are diverse. Everything including fruits and trees and grasses and flowers. Everything from psychedelics like peyote to commonly eaten foods such as blueberries and blackberries.

Personally, I could have done without the tobacco but of course it’s an important plant. I was interested in all the rest of the plants. For tobacco the author even says: “No other plant holds as much universal importance among the indigenous peoples of North and South America.”

There are photos of each plant and some additional photos too. I appreciated all of the photographs.

It’s a beautiful book.

Useful. Interesting. I learned a lot. This is a book worth owning. It’s a great reference and it’s a fascinating and pleasant read and it’s lovely to view.

I suspect that I’ll occasionally dip into it. I put it on my bookshelves in a place where I can easily see its gorgeous cover.

The one thing lacking that I wish it had has to do with the medicinal uses of the plants. It would have been helpful if there was a symptoms index where for each symptom/ailment all the plants that could be used to treat each one were listed. Having that feature lacking limits this book’s usefulness as a reference book. I guess I should have taken notes. I do remember quite a bit about quite a few of the plants but I don’t have confidence I’ll remember most of what I know now as more time elapses.

The different tribal areas and their origin stories start off the book. The West Coast (British Columbia to Baja California) had more than a third of all Native North Americans living there and was the most diverse region. All areas had abundant resources but I particularly enjoyed reading about the west coast region because it’s the area with which I’m most familiar.

The back of the book has a short Glossary and a very short list of Further Reading. There is an Index.

I loved this book. I took a long time to read it and deliberately finished it at the end of the year so that it would be my last book of the year.

[Courtney]

Iwigara is a fascinating resource about the origins, benefits, and uses of plants across North America. One of the greatest strengths of this collection is how Salmon blends Native American traditions, myths, and cultures with the scientific credibility of his ethnobotany/biology background. It's the perfect blend of scientific research-based fact combined with the evidence-based knowledge and skill passed down through years of tradition and firsthand practice. It's a beautiful pairing that makes the content in this book even more interesting and understandable.

Another great strength of this collection is how approachable Salmon makes it. Everything is explained thoroughly, but with the gentleness and patience of someone who truly cares for their craft and eagerly wants the reader to absorb and understand everything. He never talks down to the reader or veers into jargon that will leave the everyman behind. Instead he provides concise but thorough information using the clearest language possible. For situations where advanced language is required, there are handy guides at the back of the book to help steer the way.

As a resource, this book does an excellent job explaining everything a reader could want to know about plants (but without diving too deep). Each entry describes the origins and current standings of the plant - where it can be found, when it grows, how it grows. The usefulness and benefits behind each plant is examined - everything from health benefits, to medicinal uses, to hygiene, to lifestyle applications. Most also come with a story of sorts woven in, whether about how this plant plays a role in Native tradition and culture or in the form of a small story from the author's own life and personal experiences with it. It's simultaneously charming and informative which is a great combination for a nonfiction resource that could feel daunting otherwise. As a reader I was surprised that the entries don't detail how to use the plants, just what they can be used for. So if you are looking for something purely instructional, this may not be the guide for you.

Great resource providing loads of great facts, cultural insights, and way more heart than most botanical books could rightfully claim. Definitely worth picking up.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Timber Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jean Huber Bookmama789 · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is something that you have wanted to learn more about or practice since the pandemic began this Spring? As someone who grew up in farm country, and was always outside helping my parents grow a wide variety of flowers and vegetables I have always wanted to learn more about successful gardening. In particular this year I wanted to learn more about different uses and benefits of different plants. Thank you to @netgalley @timberpress and to author @iwigara for the beautifully detailed and informative ARC of Iwígara: American Indian Ethnobotanical Traditions and Science.

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Synopsis from the publisher: The belief that all life-forms are interconnected and share the same breath—known in the Rarámuri tribe as iwígara—has resulted in a treasury of knowledge about the natural world, passed down for millennia by native cultures. Ethnobotanist Enrique Salmón builds on this concept of connection and highlights 80 plants revered by North America’s indigenous peoples. Salmón teaches us the ways plants are used as food and medicine, the details of their identification and harvest, their important health benefits, plus their role in traditional stories and myths. Discover in these pages how the timeless wisdom of iwígara can enhance your own kinship with the natural world.

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Not only did I learn about a wide variety of plants used for hundreds and hundreds for years by native cultures, but also the stories and beliefs associated with each that have been passed down from generation to generation. The photographs accompanying each plant help the readers have a strong reference for visual identification, which is vital when locating and using plants that unfamiliar. My only wish is that there was more detail of the preparation and use, almost like cookbook instructions, for each plant highlighted. This book is as beautiful as it is informative, and I fully intend on buying a physical copy for future reference when it is published next month.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this one but I have sort of a zero tolerance policy for wildcrafting books that show pictures of green acorns and never warn people against eating them. It's unbelievable to me that any published book does that, and I'm pretty sure this is the third one I've seen. That's so ridiculous. When I first started eating acorns like 10 years ago it was always tempting to gather the green ones. Since insects leave them alone they're much more likely to be clean inside. It was seeing books like this one that got me thinking "how bad could they be?" I knew they had more tannins but figured if I just spent more time leaching them it'd be the same end result. Nope, no amount of leaching or boiling makes the green ones edible. Yet, not only do the majority of idiots giving advice on this subject not explain that, a lot of them will even encourage you to try them. Maybe there are some low tannin varieties where you can get away with it but I definitely wouldn't recommend trying that. Just one serving felt like alcohol poisoning. Based on my experience, I wouldn't be surprised if you could die from that.

This also has a very strange choice of plants. A quarter of them seemed to be useful primarily to induce vomiting and diarrhea for "cleansing" before ceremonies. The ones that are useful as food and medicine don't include enough detail to be used correctly. A lot of the medical advice is highly questionable as well. I really can't recommend this one.

[Karla Strand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming soon at https://www.spiritboundpress.com/lite...

According to his bio at Cal State East Bay, Enrique Salmón “is a leading expert in ethnobotany, ethnobiology, agroecology, ancestral ecological knowledge and the connections between climate change and Indigenous traditional foodways and land management practice.” Thankfully for us, he pours it all into Iwígara, a timeless and essential guide to plants used and revered by Native communities.

Salmón profiles 80 plants in this thorough resource, including scientific information, properties, and uses. Some of these include black spruce, cattail, cotton, ironweed, manzanita, mountain laurel, red root, sweetgrass, tule, wapato, wild rice, and many more. Each profile lists the family, parts used, season, and region, as well as uses, identification, harvest information, and health benefits complete with photographs and illustrations.

What makes this volume different than other plant compendiums are the stories, memories, and histories woven throughout. It’s this cultural context and Salmón’s graceful attention to detail that makes it unique. Driving it all is the Rarámuri philosophy of iwígara, or the spiritual and physical connection of all life in a continual cycle. This concept can inform how we use and regard plants and more importantly, how we connect with the Earth more broadly with honor, accountability, and respect.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited to get my hands into this book. I love the cover art. I am not one to skip an introduction and I must say that Salmón almost lost me there as he wrote about this paper and that paper and his thesis. Then, he luckily penned:

Ethnobotany is an area of study that interests both academics and laypeople. Unfortunately, most ethnobotanical texts are written by and for academics. The layperson, even one who is keenly interested in ethnobotanical knowledge, may not wish to decipher the esoteric jargon and not-so-engaging writing styles of professional ethnobotanists. (11)

Luckily he quickly explains his aim is to do it differently. He honors his ancestors and teachers but he updates the information with a modern slant. All the vital information (uses, harvesting, etc.) are listed along with the “spirit and character” of the plant.

“All Native Knowledge is Local” opens the book. He reminds us all that “American Indian traditional knowledge is tied to the landscapes they called home”(13). In this section, he briefly talks about the landscape, origin myths and world views of the Southeast, Southwest, Great Plains, Mountain West, and Southwest, Pacific Northwest and West Coast tribes.

Salmón then lists plants. It’s a long list. Know that this is not a home-remedy book. While he lists a description, a few photos, uses, harvesting tips, and health benefits, it is more informational than comprehensive. It’s a good starter book or a nice coffee table type book. I totally understand why Salmón would not publish a how-to book—too much liability.

I did enjoy this book, especially the Native American myths, legends, and beliefs that are woven through the work.

[Mandy Bookstagram · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe it is our duty to protect the environment and to hopefully make the world a better place, when possible. I love books about nature, because I want to gain a better understanding of our amazing home and how it works. We affect nature, we are nature. We are all connected and I want to understand that relationship, and sustain it when I can. And I really loved this book because it encourages us to do exactly that. The cover art is gorgeous, and the pages are filled with valuable information about American Indian plants and traditions. Tribal religions place importance on the relationship with nature, and I think that we could all benefit by incorporating that into our daily lives more. This book helps us to do that by breaking down the meaning and use of familiar fruits, herbs and flowers and teaches us the medicinal benefits of each plant. This book is perfect for nature lovers and health lovers!

[Megengelter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author explores 80 plants found across the US and provides the reader a brief, tempting taste of each describing uses, ID/harvest, health and including beautiful photos to help identify. A preface discusses regions of the US. The main portion of the book lists the plants alphabetically. There is a comprehensive index and further reading sections.

This book is not one to be read straight through, but explored. As I was paging through, I wished for lists by region as I found I wanted to focus on plants from my region or even adjacent regions. I also wished for a comprehensive booklet on each of the plants - so I could collect the booklets of plants on our property.

I really enjoyed this book as my understanding of nature and our relationship "kinship" is enhanced. This book will be welcome on my bookshelves and frequently referenced.

Digital copy provided by NetGalley. Thank you!

[Jeffrey Pedro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iwígara is a term used by indigenous people to not only mean “breath,” but is also used to encompass the soul or spirit. The author of this book is from the Rarámuri tribe and he concisely provides information on approximately 80 different plants native to North America. The knowledge he shares is helpful for those wanting to learn more about each plant’s usage, ways of identifying and harvesting, and medicinal uses while sprinkling in how each plant is vital in Native American cultures.

My only complaint was that I found a few head-scratching contradictory statements in the medicinal uses for some of the plants (e.g., plants that are anti-diarrheal and act as a laxative), which can easily be remedied by investigating a bit further. Overall, I loved how the author highlighted our connection as humans to plants and all living things and the importance of cultivating a relationship with nature.