Abenaki Medicinal Use of Local Pollinator Plants

Plants make chemicals to protect themselves from bacteria, fungi, and UV damage. Because of this, many common plants can be used to treat animal and human diseases. Weeds like plantain are commonly used to relieve the sting from a bee sting and yarrow is used to stop bleeding, herbs like peppermint can ease digestive problems and bloodroot has chemicals which treat cancer. This talk will focus on how some of our native plant pollinator species were used as medicine by the Abenaki.

Following a recent move to Deering, Dr. Motz reached out to Pollinator Pathways while exploring which local plants to add to her yard. We were excited to make a connection with her. 

Dr. Motz has been teaching human physiology and human anatomy for 40 years and has taught courses in pathophysiology and medicinal herbalism. Her interest in herbal medicine stems back to attending an herb day at the Shaker Village in Enfield over 30 years ago. Her professional research focus is on ethnopharmacology (the medicinal use of plants by Indigenous populations). Dr, Motz publishes papers on plant constituents and their ability to perform the actions ascribed to them – basically, how did native populations use them, do they really work, and if so how. She received her BS and MS at Rutgers University and her PhD at Boston University. She is active on the national level with the Herb Society of America and on the local level with the Monadnock Herb Society.