Plants Are Our Relatives: Exploring Ancestral Wisdom and the 5 Rs of Herbalism

I thought I had a pretty deep connection with plants. I mean, this podcast is literally about talking to them (and about them). But after 300+ episodes, this is the only conversation that impacted my daily interaction with plants. My guest, LoriAnn Bird, an Indigenous Métis herbalist and author of Revered Roots, introduced a concept of “plants as our relatives.” Elders. Teachers. Sovereign beings. And once you start viewing them that way, you can’t unsee it. You will realize that we all need to take care of what takes care of us. Listen in and join the conversation! In this episode, we learn: [04:56] What does “ indigenous plants” mean for LoriAnn? [06:18] How LoriAnn developed her close relationship with nature [08:51] What it means to be a Métis woman [10:39] Being raised in a privileged Eurocentric view [12:10] How herbalism came into LoriAnn’s life [14:53] Gift a soothing and personalized Wind River Chime for any special occasion, and get a free engraving! [17:06] Why the book was structured to start with relationships [17:41] The 5 Rs of plant relationship [24:17] Understanding our relatives: rooted, stone, and flying nations [28:44] What's the connection between humans and birds? [30:29] The story of “Sky Woman” [32:03] Birth, life, death, rebirth - continuous cycles [33:39] Honorable harvest and reciprocal foraging [35:58] Asking permission from landowners when foraging [38:19] How to get started with herbalism [39:47] Your garden may already be full of medicine [41:11] Where to get the book ‘Revered Roots’ [43:00] Meet your local herbalist! [43:19] "Ancestral" vs "indigenous" in the book title Mentioned in our conversation: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer Don Ollsin Doug Tallamy - Co-Founder of Homegrown National Park Mary Reynolds | We Are The Ark Merlin Bird ID WebMD If you're looking to connect deeper with your plants and with the world, check out LoriAnn's guide in the full show notes and blog . Thank you to our episode sponsor: Wind River Chimes Visit windriverchimes.com and use code GROWINGJOY to receive free engraving on your chosen wind chimes. Follow Maria and Growing Joy: Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here ! Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle) Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon ! Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.