I love getting my students to think in an entirely new way. That is, after all, what teaching is all about. One way that I do this is by introducing the kids to experiences and thought-processes that they might not otherwise encounter. I don’t fool myself that I’m changing the world. But, perhaps, I’m changing the way that a few students see the world and their role in it. Perhaps.
During my year-long high school course on American ethnic history, I teach about Native American traditional medicine. Most of these students have only been exposed to Western medical practices. They aren’t familiar with the spiritual, cosmological, and ecological perspectives that shape Native-American healing. I love introducing them to these topics and helping them to learn about alternative approaches to medicine and to gain an appreciation for the traditional healing practices of Native American culture.
This week we are exploring Native American herbal medicines and learning about their contributions to the medical practices of today. More than 200 Native American botanical medicines have been listed at one time in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia!