Camosun Open House

Della Singing & Drumming

On Thursday, May 5th Camosun held an Open House event for prospective students at its Interurban Campus. The Aboriginal Education Department had its own room where they held two events: a student panel, which I participated in; and a traditional medicine workshop led by Della Rice Sylvester, a Cowichan Tribes traditional medicine woman.

I attended Della's workshop, which was the third one I've been fortunate enough to attend during the past year. Della welcomed everyone with a song, inviting them into the room to take part, and then she began explaining the medicinal uses of several local plants.

Della's Traditional Medicine Workshop

Some of her favorites are rose hips, sword fern, Guchmein, devil's club, comfrey, plantain, snowberry, peppermint & thistle. She said that if you place bows of sword fern between two sheets beneath someone who is bed-ridden, the fern acts like an ice-pack and will take the pain away from the afflicted person. Della also said that she boiled down a gallon of soaked devil's club into a concentrate and that it enabled someone with diabetes to go without his insulin shot for 6 months!

Della has many fascinating stories about the healing power of the plants and herbs that grow right in our own back yards, and she's a very dynamic speaker who has no problem holding your attention for the length of the workshop!

Della Rice Sylvester

It was a real treat to see Della for the third time and now I want to make it a personal goal of mine to learn more about traditional medicinal plants. I think it's silly to go out and spend money in a drug store when the plants and herbs we've used for healing for thousands of years are growing up all around us. Della sells salves, oils and many other things through her business, Intertribal Trades. She is also available for workshops upon request if you contact her at: intertribaltrades (at) gmail (dot) com.