Held by the Land

Author Leigh Joseph, an ethnobotanist and a member of the Squamish Nation, provides a beautifully illustrated essential introduction to Indigenous plant knowledge.

*Honorable Mention, 2023 Foreword INDIE Book Award*

Plants can be a great source of healing as well as nourishment, and the practice of growing and harvesting from trees, flowering herbs, and other plants is a powerful way to become more connected to the land. The Indigenous Peoples of North America have long traditions of using native plants as medicine and for food. Held by the Land honors and shares some of these traditions, offering a guide to:

Harvesting herbs and other plants and using them topicallyNorth American plants that can treat common ailments, add nutrition to your diet, become part of your beauty regime, and moreStories and traditions about native plants from the author’s Squamish cultureUsing plant knowledge to strengthen your connection to the land you live on

Early chapters introduce you to responsible ways to identify and harvest plants in your area and teach you how to grow a deeper connection with the land you live on through plants. In the plant profiles section, common plants are introduced with:

Elegant, line-drawn botanical art for each plantInformation on their characteristics and rangeHow to grow and/or harvest themHow to use them topically and as foodSpecial features with recipes for food and beauty products along with stories and traditions around the plants

This beautiful, full-color guide to Indigenous plants will give you new insights into the power of everyday plants.