Download (PDF 548 KB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/44856.pdf
Abstract
Josephine “Jo” Grant Peters was an Native American herbalist of mixed tribal ancestry (Karuk/Shasta/ Abenaki) who was raised and lived in Northwestern California along the Salmon, Klamath, and Trinity rivers. She was a woman with an exceptional knowledge of native and non-native plants, and of the many cultural traditions for management, harvesting, preparation, and uses associated with them. In addition to her plant knowledge, Jo was an artist, educator, and compassionate matriarch to her family and tribal community. Her life (1923 – 2011) experiences and work with plants spanned a time of modernization and change for tribal communities along the Klamath and Trinity rivers. Because of these changes, her knowledge, use, and preparations of plants reflected both historical and modern practices and applications. Beverly R. Ortiz, an ethnographic consultant, came to know about and work with Josephine on After the First Full Moon at the request of family, tribal, and community members and in partnership with the California Indian Basketweavers Association and U.S. Forest Service, Six Rivers National Forest. The book’s content reflects the partnership and work of Bev Ortiz as the ethnographer, Jo as the consultant, and the contributions of many tribal and other community members. The thoroughly recorded, documented, photographed, and integrated work carried out by Bev Ortiz captures the essence of Josephine’s and other contributors’ use of and relationship with plants. This book embodies more than just the ethnobotanical and medicinal uses of plants—it also covers the life story and relationships of the people who worked with or were treated and healed by Josephine.
Citation
Lake, Frank K. 2013. After the first full moon in April: A sourcebook of herbal medicine from a California indian elder [Book Review]. Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology. 33(2): 223-224.
