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Alex Gathers Medicine / Manashkikiwe, Algonquin Traditional Territory in, Mattawa, ON (2025)

Q: What is the address?

Algonquin Traditional Territory In

08/28/2021

Have you ever eaten Black Huckleberries? Black Huckleberries (Gaylussacia baccata) are one of my favourites and are one of our Anishinaabe traditional foods. Most people do not know about Black Huckleberries in Ontario, as they have gone under the radar over the years due to colonialism. That said, they can be found in similar quantities as Blueberries and used in similar recipes.

Black Huckleberries grow within the Great Lakes Region, Eastern Woodlands, as well as the East Coast. They closely resemble Blueberry plants (Vaccinium species) and are sometimes found in similar habitats.

The plant can grow up to 150 cm (5 feet) tall, and therefore is much taller than Blueberry bushes. They are very dark blue, almost completely black in colour. The berries are sweet and delicious. They can be eaten raw, turned into jam, pies, baked into bannock, muffins, and puddings. Traditionally they were often eaten raw, smashed into fruit cakes, dried for later use, or baked into corn breads (in Anishinaabeg communities that cultivated corn or traded for corn with the Haudenosaunee). Sometimes the dried berries would also be soaked in water and turned into a sauce or pudding, or mixed into wild rice.

Black Huckleberry plants are also traditionally used for medicine. An infusion with the leaves can be used to treat diarrhea and bark tea used to help with more serious infections of the intestines. It is also been said that the berries are good for the liver.

Disclaimer: this serves only for cultural and educational purposes, I do not advise harvesting wild food.

08/17/2021

The Wild Currant Family (Ribes). There are so many delicious edible currants found within our forests and wetlands. As Anishinaabeg people, we have a long history of eating currants as they are one of our traditional foods. Fruit is typically eaten raw or cooked. I have chosen to share three different species, Red Currant (Ribes rubrum), American Black Current (Ribes americanum), and Canadian Gooseberry (Ribes oxyacanthoides).

Traditionally, they were also dried into fruit cakes and mixed with other berries to be stored for winter food. Likewise, I have heard some currant species were eaten with moose grease and dried whitefish eggs as a food combo. Some of the more southern Anishinaabeg communities who traded fish for corn with the Haudenosaunee, made currant sauces to go with sweet corn. Other times they could be stored for later use to be eaten with wild rice. After European contact and the availability of white sugar, it became more common to create jams and jelly preserves with the currants.

The bark is traditionally used as medicine, specifically making tea for pain relief. Different species have been used for different aliments, some for sore throats, some for headaches, some for toothaches, some for kidney problem, and some for expelling intestinal worms.

Disclaimer: this serves only for cultural and educational purposes, I do not advise harvesting wild food.

07/24/2021

Living in reciprocity and relationship with the land. Indigenous food systems embody cultural knowledge and practices tying together ecology and food economics which are reflective of this intricate web of relationships. Just as all beings have a duty to me, I have a duty to them. We have to renew the spiritual connection our people had with food. Food is a gift from the Creator and Earth mother, it is the people’s responsibility to look after the land and the animals. Traditional food systems and diets vary by geography, seasonality, and culture. Miinan (blueberries) and miskominag (raspberries) are gifts from the land here to nourish us.

07/06/2021

Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) is a powerful plant medicine known as Zhaashaagomin in Anishinaabemowin. Its flowers give off a strange fungal/mushroom odour which attract fungus gnats for pollination.

Much caution should be taken when using this plant, as it is very potent medicine and if used wrongly can be poisonous. As with all medicines, specific dosage and proper preparation is require for positive and therapeutic effects.

The Jack-in-the-Pulpit root and rhizome are traditionally used for medicine. The Anishinaabeg made root decoctions for an eye wash for sore eyes and ingested for pain relief. The roots could also be boiled and gargled to help heal sore throats. Roots and rhizome can be pounded, boiled, and made into a paste to be used in a poultice and applied to skin boils, ringworm, face sores, and bruises. It's been said that historically, consumption of this medicine helped fight off tuberculosis brought by Europeans. Likewise, there has been some stories where this plant has also helped reduce swelling from rattlesnake bites.

Its raw leaves, stem, berries and roots contain calcium oxalate crystals, which cause a strong burning sensation if exposed to the mouth or eyes, and are toxic to the body if ingested. Dry heat must be used to break down the calcium oxalate before this plant can be used internally.

The root is also considered edible if prepared properly, such as thinly cutting it and cooking it for 3 days in a pit oven to destroy its poisonous/medicinal compounds. It’s rumoured to taste like dark chocolate. Some Indigenous groups also consider its seeds sacred, containing visionary properties.

Disclaimer: this serves only for cultural and educational purposes, I do not advise harvesting wild food.

06/01/2021

Made a small batch of Spruce tip/Violet jelly! Always wanted to experiment with the colour, and it did not disappoint! Such a delightful spring treat that can be enjoyed on almost anything. I like mine on bannock. White Spruce (Picea glauca) tips are rich in Vitamin C and have a great aroma when young. Violets (Viola sororia) are used for food and medicine. The flowers are edible, and the leaves are often used to treat colds, headaches, and used as a poultice for wounds. Disclaimer: this serves only for cultural and educational purposes.

05/31/2021

Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica). Most people don’t realize but this plant is a traditional food and has been used for medicine for thousands of years.

It is a spring ephemeral, meaning they are perennial woodland wildflowers, which develop early each spring and then quickly bloom and produce seed, to then retreat, leaving only underground structures for the remainder of the year.

Spring ephemeral have played an important dietary role for Indigenous people living in northern climates, as they are the first greens to remerge after a long winter, providing well needed nutrients.

Traditionally the Anishinaabeg and Métis would harvest the corms (swollen stem base, which is a mass of storage tissue) similar to bulbs, and would cook and eat them like potatoes. The corm/root is rich in Vitamins A and C. They taste slightly nutty with the texture of a chestnut when cooked. The leaves and flowering steams can also be eaten, either raw or cooked, usually added to salads as garnish. They taste sort of like a bean sprout.

Note: there should be some caution when eating large quantities of this plant raw as it is also used as medicine.

The raw roots were sometimes used for anti-convulsive medicine. Eating large quantities of these raw plants have also be used as a contraceptive to prevent pregnancy. Medicinal compounds are always dose dependent, and thus should always be consumed with care.

Disclaimer: this serves only for cultural and educational purposes, I do not advise harvesting wild food.

10/25/2020

Day Lillies (Hemerocallis fulva) are a food source that I have become recently acquainted with this summer. The flower pictures were taken during July, however, now that it is late autumn, it is time to harvest the tubers. At this time all the nutrients and sugars from the plant have been converted into starch within the roots/tubers of the plant. They are not true lilies, as they do not contain bulbs, but tubers instead. They are almost like miniature potatoes. Nutritionally, they contain vitamins and minerals, such as Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Niacin, and Iron, as well as a large amount of carbohydrates. This plant was introduced to America a little after European contact and over time gained popularity among Indigenous Nations across North America as a food source. When focusing on my region, these tubers can become an essential source of carbohydrates over the winter months. Once you clean the tubers and remove all the roots from them, you can boil the tubers to cook them. They are super delicious and taste like a cross between potatoes and rutabagas. They have a mild and slightly sweet starch and taste perfect with a pinch of salt. One should be aware that we must be careful when harvesting, as taking too many lily tubers can damage their populations. Disclaimer: this serves only for cultural and educational purposes, I do not advise harvesting wild food.

10/04/2020

Here is a Tooth-Comb Coral Mushroom (Hericium coralloides) my mother and I found earlier this September. This is another mushroom that is widely eaten by Indigenous people of North America, especially the Anishinaabeg and Métis living in the Northeastern Woodlands. You can usually find it growing on dead hardwood trees during the late summer or fall. This fungus is white in colour, usually 10-30 cm in diameter, and turns a yellowish beige colour as it ages. This mushroom is fragile, therefore one must be careful while harvesting. They are typically preferred when young, as they become denser and sometimes unpleasant as they age. I personally find it has a deep but very pleasant mushroom flavour. If you are one who loves mushrooms, this exquisite mushroom will be your new favourite. It has a very meaty texture and would be a perfect addition to any stew or stir fry. Mushrooms found growing in nature typically have so many vitamins and minerals, and surpass any conventional mushroom you could purchase at a store. They are essentially Earth's multi-vitamin. Disclaimer: this serves only for cultural and educational purposes, I do not advise harvesting wild food.

09/08/2020

Today’s post is a little different. Instead of focusing on just one plant or mushroom, we decided to share an Indigenous meal. This meal is traditionally eaten by First Nations and Métis people. On today’s menu is fresh Walleye, some Bannock Fry-Bread, and our homemade Highbush Cranberry Jelly. This is one of our family favourites. In Anishinaabemowin, Walleye is called Ogaa and Highbush Cranberry is called Aniibimin. Walleye is a great source of protein and omega 3 fat. Highbush Cranberries (Viburnum trilobum) are rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants, which make for a perfect jelly or syrup. Highbush Cranberries are not true cranberries, but members of the Honeysuckle family. They are tart like cranberries, hence the name, but have a slightly different flavour profile. The fruits ripen from August to September. They can be eaten raw, however, taste better after a frost. I personally enjoy cooking and preparing them into a jelly or syrup as their flavour is very pleasant with sugar. Medicinally, the bark can also be used to make tea which was used to help relieve stomach cramps. Let us know if you’d like to see more of these types of posts. Disclaimer: this serves only for cultural and educational purposes.

08/18/2020

Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) is such a beautiful flower. It is typically found growing in high abundance here in Canada. It can be harvested for tea, for fireweed jelly, or for eating the young shoots during the spring. For that reason, it is often called “wild asparagus” because the young shoots were traditionally eaten by Indigenous peoples of the north and prepared like asparagus. Medicinally, fireweed tea has mild laxative effects and was used by First Nations to dispel intestinal worms and for upset digestion. Fireweed has potent anti-inflammatory qualities and has been found to have tannin compounds that help reduce the growth of tumours. It was also used topically to make creams, salves, or poultices for burns, dry skin, rashes, eczema, and psoriasis. As mentioned, Fireweed is considered a traditional food source, it contains high levels of Vitamins C and A, and was often eaten as a steamed vegetable, or its leaves and flowers were added to salads or steeped in tea. Disclaimer: this serves only for cultural and educational purposes, I do not advise harvesting wild food unless you know what you are doing or with an expert.

07/27/2020

Wild Cucumber Root (Medeola virginiana), also known as Indian Cucumber Root, has an excellent reputation and is a personal favourite. This plant is part of the Lily family and was named for its edible white root, which tastes like cucumbers. They can be eaten raw or cooked, and prepared just like any other root vegetable. Indigenous people have historically eaten this plant and many tribes consider them sacred and used the leaves and stem for anticonvulsive medicine. I personally eat it raw, however, cooking it is dependent on what time of the year you harvest the root from. Closer to autumn the sweet carbohydrates will be converted into starch for the winter months and would be better cooked then. The root is not difficult to find, as it is found growing close to the surface near the stem. It should be noted that this is more of a survival food because of how small the roots are, as well as eating the root of this plant essentially kills the plant. Sustainable harvesting is key. Many hikers often pick them as trail snacks, which has reduced populations significantly over the years. Before harvesting this plant, I made sure there was a secure colony growing along the forest. I was able to locate 10 of these plants growing, and chose to only harvest one plant in order to let the other plants continue to reproduce. Disclaimer: this serves only for cultural and educational purposes, I do not advise harvesting wild food unless you know what you are doing or with an expert.

Alex Gathers Medicine / Manashkikiwe

08/28/2021

08/17/2021

07/24/2021

07/06/2021

06/01/2021

05/31/2021

10/25/2020

10/04/2020

09/08/2020

08/18/2020

07/27/2020

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