Artefact 7: Indigenous Peoples’ Medicine

Citation: Obomsawin, R. (2007). Traditional Medicine for Canada's First Peoples.

This is a photo of an Indigenous woman carrying plants. Indigenous peoples have used plants and natural materials as medicine for thousands of years. They know more than 400 different types of plants that can be used for medicine. The traditions around their medicine like the plants used, the illnesses, how plants are gathered and used, and how they are prepared are similar among the Indigenous groups across Canada. These traditions have been passed down through generations, and Indigenous peoples have trained specialists in traditional medicine. When Europeans arrived in Canada, they learned about many Indigenous plant medicines. An example was when a French explorer Jacques Cartier and his crew got scurvy in 1536. A Haudenosaunee helped them and saved his life by giving a coniferous tree and showed them how to use it as medicine. Indigenous peoples also adopted medicines from Europe. Indigenous medicine also helped European settlers adapt to the different environment and treat many illnesses. When diseases like scurvy, smallpox, and tuberculosis were spread, Indigenous medicine helped cured many of them. Today, many Indigenous communities continue to practice medicine, and it is getting recognized in Canada's healthcare.

Bibliography: Turner, N. (2019). Indigenous Peoples' Medicine in Canada. In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/native-medicines