Plant Teachings from My Auntie

• Galleys available
• Co-op available
• National advertising, media, and excerpts: Google, Facebook, Journal of Ethnobiology, Restoration Ecology, Orion, Sierra Magazine, SAY Magazine, Essential Herbal, Muskrat, Toasted Sister Podcast, Strong Nations, First Nations Drum
• Online/social media campaign
• • Outreach to ethnobotany, plant medicine & permaculture groups
  • Promotions to museums, universities & local cultural Sites
  • Promotion on New Society Publishers social media platforms
  • Local events on Snuneymuxw territory and Vancouver Island

Plant Teachings from My Auntie is a richly illustrated compendium of culturally significant wild foods and herbal medicines found on the traditional lands of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. It features plant descriptions, botanical and Indigenous names, guides for harvesting and preparation, and local gathering sites.

What if learning about plants meant learning how to relate to land, language, and living knowledge?

Plant Teachings from My Auntie offers a rare opportunity to engage with Snuneymuxw (Coast Salish) plant knowledge as it is meant to be shared: through relationship, respect, and lived cultural practice.

Grounded in the teachings of Snuneymuxw Elder and Knowledge Keeper Geraldine Manson (C'tasi:a), this richly illustrated guide brings forward knowledge passed down through generations—including the teachings of her Auntie Ellen (Kwulasulwut)—and rooted in the traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation.

 

What You'll Gain

• A deeper understanding of Snuneymuxw (Coast Salish) plant knowledge and teachings
• Guidance for identifying and working with 65 culturally significant plants
• Insight into Hul'q'umi'num plant names and their connection to meaning, use, and place
• Practical approaches to respectful, sustainable gathering and preparation
• A more grounded, reciprocal relationship with the land

Rather than offering a purely technical field guide, this book shares knowledge within its cultural, linguistic, and ethical context—supporting learning that is both practical and respectful.

 

A Guide Rooted in Language, Land, and Relationship

Each plant profile includes:

• Hul'q'umi'num names alongside botanical identification
• Habitat and seasonal context within Snuneymuxw territory
• Traditional uses for medicine, nourishment, textiles, and ceremony
• Cultural teachings and protocols for respectful gathering and preparation

Particular attention is given to Western Red Cedar—the "tree of life"—and its central role within Snuneymuxw knowledge and practice.

If you're looking for ways to learn about plants while honoring the knowledge systems they come from, this book offers guidance grounded in lived experience.

 

Learning Through Snu'y'ulh—Teachings Passed Down

At the heart of this book is Snu'y'ulh: teachings carried through generations that guide how to live, gather, and relate.

You'll find:

• Recipes and preparation methods rooted in traditional knowledge
• Guidance for ethical harvesting and ecological responsibility
• Insights into how language, culture, and land are interconnected
• A deeper understanding of reciprocity and respect in practice

Rather than separating knowledge from context, this book emphasizes learning that honors continuity, responsibility, and relationship.

 

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