Plant Teachings from My Auntie

In Plant Teachings from My Auntie, Geraldine has portrayed Auntie Ellen’s teachings with heartfelt love and honour. She illustrates Auntie Ellen’s knowledge and Auntie’s voice resonates throughout. Geraldine has done an excellent job incorporating her knowledge of culture and traditional medicine into this remarkable book. Truly inspiring!

-- Elder Sandy Good * Snuneymuxw First Nation *

Plant Teachings from My Auntie, coauthored by Snuneymuxw Elder Geraldine Manson and Dr. Nancy Turner, reflects the importance of Indigenous leadership in sharing plant knowledge. It offers a vital resource for future generations to carry the relationships with land and plants forward in a good way. This work is part of a lineage grounded in learning from Indigenous Elders whose teachings are foundational to Indigenous Knowledge and the field of ethnobotany.

-- Styawat / Dr. Leigh Joseph * Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Ethnobotanist and author, Held by the Land *

As someone who spends a lot of time out on Vancouver Island’s trails—studying native plants, growing them in my garden, and photographing them—I really appreciated this book. It shares Indigenous plant knowledge on Vancouver Island and provides an essential guide for anyone who wants a greater understanding of the cultural, medicinal and culinary uses of native plants.

-- Lynda Stevens * Nanaimo Nature Photographer and author, Common Insect Pollinators *

Reading this book I couldn't help but see reflections of what many of us were taught. The teaching that knowledge of plants comes through relationship, through listening, and through time on the land with our Sul-hween (Elders). Plant Teachings from My Auntie holds these teachings with care, reminding us to only take what we need and to carry respect for every plant and place we enter. It is a meaningful guide for reconnecting to our responsibilities to land, food, and medicine.

-- Jared Qwustenuxun Williams * Storyteller and Quw'utsun Food Sovereignty Champion *

This beautifully illustrated ethnobotanical guide, authored by Snuneymuxw Elder C’tasi:a (Geraldine Mason) and world-renowned ethnobotanist Nancy J. Turner, is a carefully crafted compendium of culturally significant plants from Snuneymuxw homelands.

-- Chelsey Geralda Armstrong * Associate Professor, Historical-Ecological Research Lab, Indigenous Studies, Simon Fraser University *

This is a valuable addition to our knowledge and understanding of plants around the Salish Sea, particularly their role in the lives of coastal Indigenous Peoples. My grandmother and mother taught me to know and love plants; I welcome the wisdom and guidance of these two matriarchal authors. Good photographs and other helpful illustrations enhance their teachings.

-- Jim Pojar, Ph.D. * coauthor, Plants of the Pacific Coast *

This book is a gift to both present and future generations. Geraldine Manson reminds us that "the preparation of the mind in gathering traditional plants begins with you." A gem of a book that you will want to consult throughout the year!

-- Mikaela Cannon * author, Foraging as a Way of Life *

Human relationships with plants are sacred, as they connect us with food, medicine, tools, spirituality, and beauty. The act of interacting with plants is something sacred that also builds community. These are some of the key messages that Snuneymuxw Elder Geraldine Manson (C’tasi:a) and ethnobotanist Nancy Turner convey through their lyrical and practical book.

-- Alejandro Frid * ecologist, and author, Changing Tides *

C’tasi:a Geraldine Manson and Nancy Turner’s richly researched and beautifully presented book about Snuneymuxw relationships with native plants will be of interest to community members, naturalists, plant enthusiasts and scholars alike. Plant Teachings from My Auntie is a wonderful addition to the growing body of literature on Indigenous plant use in the Pacific Northwest region and I will recommend it to my students.

-- Pamela Spalding, PhD * Assistant Professor, Indigenous Studies, University of Victoria *

Plant Teachings from My Auntie ultimately reminds us that ethnobotany is not only about plants. It is about relationships—with Elders, with the land and with the responsibilities that come with knowledge.

Like the stories shared by Auntie Ellen, the book leaves readers with something to carry forward: an understanding that learning from plants begins with respect, patience and the willingness to listen.

-- Odette Auger * BC Bookworld Revi