The Native Roots School of Ancestral, Folk and Herbal Medicine goes virtual
THE NATIVE ROOTS SCHOOL of Ancestral, Folk and Herbal Medicine on 241 Ledoux Street is offering two online courses to start the New Year, beginning in January 2021 with a second course starting in February. Both courses meet virtually twice a week from 5 to 7 p.m.
As winter transitions to spring in 2021 the two-course offerings are Ancestral, Folk and Herbal Medicine;
and Women and Gender Nonbinary Medicine. The elders, presenters and topics represent a broad range of traditions. These include herbalism, body systems, medicine making, trauma release, Curanderismo, Quechua, Lakota, Celtic and Jewish healing traditions. The second series explores fertility, menopause, birthing and postpartum, healthy relations, hormone balance and herbal traditions.
Tempo caught up with the school director and founder Morgaine Witirol and asked a few questions about the course offerings and how to sign up for one or both series.
What makes your school unique?
A lot of my teachings had been informal and our classroom was life itself, showing up for the people who took me under their wing in a useful way and trusting that the knowledge would come when I was ready to receive it. I wanted to create a school that first and foremost honored elders and medicine people. A place where traditional medicine could be shared and passed down to the younger generations in a respectful way. A place where students could learn how to responsibly walk with traditional medicine, how to be around elders and how to ethically learn from them.
THIS HAS GROWN NOW into creating space for young people to step up as teachers too. Many people are hungry to learn about healing modalities and some are already on that journey. As they navigate that road we want to offer support and mentorship for them, to address major topics like appropriation, exploitation and ethics that are common within the field of traditional medicine. We also aim to be a bridge for the older and younger generations to connect, learn from one another and work together. Supporting the younger generation in finding pride and celebrating their ancestry and ancestral traditions, encouraging the younger people to step into that role of truly owning and recognizing their ancestral and intergenerational gifts. As well as celebrating the traditions of others, and working with healing and reconciliation around past wounds that we all collectively still hold.
Native Roots came from my desire to honor my first teacher who transitioned and the elders who walk with us. As Rita Navarret said in one of our classes, “give me permission to be within each of you. I do not want to die taking my wisdom with me. I’d rather have more people share my wisdom because I will always live through that and my energy will continue.”
What was your process in putting together these course offerings?
The inspiration of Native Roots came from my first teacher in Belize, a Mayan medicine man and an amazing herbalist. Botanists had identified over 600 plants on his land alone and several other hundreds that he could identify off his land. I studied with him over the course of a year-and-a-half before he passed away. Native Roots hopes to prepare students to be mindful, and use the medicine [and practices] to become land stewards, protectors of the medicine, and be of service to the community. Many of our teachers are of the belief that we can share the knowledge in a responsible and ethical way so it’s not lost and so we can practice it because it is a gift that we can access to care for ourselves and the community.
What are the things one should consider prior to registering?
All are welcome. Our classes bring together people from everywhere, from farmers to lawyers, nurses and doctors, massage therapists, counselors and other practitioners. Old, young, people all over the gender and race spectrum as well.
Online registration is now open for both courses:
Jan. 11 to June 24, 2021 Online Ancestral, Folk and Herbal Medicine Program
Mondays and Thursdays, 5–7 p.m. Herbalism, body systems, medicine making, trauma release, Curanderismo, Quechua, Lakota, Celtic and Jewish healing traditions.
Feb. 3 to April 14, 2021 Women and Gender Nonbinary Medicine Series
Wednesdays and Fridays, 5–7 p.m. Fertility, menopause, birthing and postpartum, healthy relations, hormone balance and herbal allies, and more.
Visit nativerootshealing.com to register and see the presenter and teacher line-up. Or call (914) 400-7558.