Plants As Medicines
by Kumu Dane Silva
The methods used for the cultivation and processing of medicinal plants in the islands of Hawaiʻi may depend on the availability of ancient technology or modern technology. For example, ancient people of Hawaiʻi (kanaka maoli) did not have metal for tools or utensils. Their methods of making medicine included pounding roots with stone and wooden utensils. Stone vessels, coconut shells, gourds or wooden bowls were used to contain the medicines prior to usage by the patient. Water was the primary liquid used with or without sea salt, for making infusions. Plant-based oils were widely used (eg. coconut, kukui). These ancient methods allowed our ancestors to make medicines from plants. At the same time, they limit the ways of taking the raw plant and making medicine from it.
Today, we have metal tools and powered equipment. These maybe used to shred flowers, seeds, leaves or branches or roots of plants. We have glass or metal containers. These are used to hold the extracts or infusions until they are ready for usage.
We have modern methods for heating or cooling infusions, using electrical power. Heating allows the plant to dissolve into the water, or oil. This increases the amount of medicine that is infused into the liquid of choice. This cooling process using ice or a refridgerator also stops the process of cooking or subsequent breakdown or decay, and helps to preserve the healing power (mana) of the plant.
We may use alcohol to make plant extracts. Those will be stored in glass or plastic containers. We may use a distillation apparatus (still) made of glass, stainless steel or copper, to separate and concentrate different parts of the infusions or extracts. These are advantages of modern technology.
Lokahi
The three elements which comprise Hawaiian healing depend on the concept of Lokahi. Lokahi is defined as unity. It is a perfect union of three different things, or Akua (spirit), Kanaka (mankind), and Aina (environment, plants). Lokahi is a belief system that describes health as a perfect balance between spirit, mind and body. It describes an integrative relationship between the plants, the people, the ancestors and the invisible energies (mana) which connect all the moving parts.
In our community of kanaka maoli near Hilo where I grew up, we had experts in different cultural arts and practices.
My first lessons about plant medicines came from my ohana (family). My tutu wahine (grandmother) taught me about using the stones (pohaku) to pound the roots of plants to make food or medicines (laʻau). She saved my life from an insidious, infectious disease by making an infusion of leaves from a tree in her garden. I drank the bitter tea, and the infection left my body. Antibiotics were powerless in fighting that internal infection.
Spiritual healing.
“Healing is 80% spiritual, and 20% laʻau (medicine).” Papa Henry Auwae.
One of our Hawaiian community leaders taught us about herbal medicines, when we were children. He is quoted above, in his description of healing.
An important component of traditional and contemporary Hawaiian healing methods and practices also include “pule” or a spiritual approach. A prayer, an offering or a ceremony may be included during the process of making medicine from a plant for a member of the family or community. This unique component separates Hawaiian healing traditions from non-spiritual approaches, such as biomedicine or complementary approaches like aromatherapy.
Diseases (Maʻi)
In pre-contact times, we are told that many infectious diseases which are prevalent today did not exist. Venereal diseases were non-existent. Tuberculosis was unknown. The types of lifestyle-based diseases which are prevalent today such as diabetes mellitus, or metabolic syndrome were non-existent. Introduced diseases included smallpox, which decimated indigenous peoples.
Plant medicines in post-contact times were unable to treat the advent of new, infectious diseases imported by men on boats. The confusion about the causes of pain, suffering and death was compounded by the limited capacity of Western-trained physicians to manage patients with limited availability of medicines to treat infectious diseases.
Today, we are overwhelmed by chronic diseases (maʻimaʻi). These diseases are vastly different from the acute or infectious problems (maʻi) which afflicted our strong and healthy ancestors. We hear about people “walking for the cure”, or fighting the war on cancer. These efforts help to fund researchers who seek to understand the best approaches for stopping the unremitting inflammation and resultant tumors. The most common cause of death is heart disease. These are diseases which are the cumulative results of chronic inflammation, due primarily to choices in diet and lifestyles. Trauma or exposure to toxins in foods or environment also contribute to internal inflammation.
Inflammation (Pehu)
What is inflammation? Why does it have an important role in our approaches to healing?
One type of inflammation is called acute. It is associated with recent causes of pain, redness, swelling, heat and loss of functions. When this type of response to trauma or infections persist for days, weeks or years, it becomes chronic. The word “pehupehu” is Hawaiian for chronic inflammation.
Inflammation is the response of our immune system to attacks to the integrity of the body, externally or internally. The most commonly described responses include the appearance and behaviors of specialized cells and the production of antibodies. For those of us who studied science or medicine more than ten years ago, our previous understanding of the immune system and chronic diseases may require a review of more recent studies. The complex modes of sending signals between cells or internal parts of immune cells are very important. These pathways of signalling between our cells and their internal parts may often be responsible for maintaining the inflammatory processes. This is called auto-inflammation.
When we seek to help our ohana to find solutions for their conditions, we pule for them. Our pule or prayer helps us to focus our energy or mana. It helps us to “see” a plant that is indicated for the person in need of kokua or help. Then we must locate that plant, and with permission it is gathered and prepared for our protocols of care.
Self-care is the foundation of the philosophy of plant medicine and healthcare. Ohana care is when members of the extended family provide care for each other. Professional care is when we seek guidance or insights from those who focus their careers on providing care for the health and well-being of others. To help ourseves and each other, every level of care must be considered or provided, as needed.
Malama kou kino. Take care of your body.
