Strength of the Earth

The Classic Guide to Ojibwe Uses of Native Plants

Author Frances Densmore, Introduction by Brenda J. Child

Minnesota Historical Society Press (February 1, 2006)

From a pioneering ethnographer, an invaluable recording of how early-twentieth-century Ojibwe women used wild plants in their everyday lives.

Description

From techniques for tapping maple trees and harvesting wild rice to extracting dyes from bloodroot and making dishes from birch bark, Strength of the Earth details the many uses of more than 200 forest and prairie plants. Early twentieth-century ethnologist Frances Densmore recorded traditions and techniques relayed by dozens of Ojibwe women to create this invaluable handbook perfect for readers interested in Native American art and culture, organic gardening, natural remedies, and living off the land. Brenda J. Child offers a fresh introduction focusing on the power of female healers.

Author information

Frances Densmore (1867–1957) was a Minnesota-born ethnologist with the Smithsonian Institution who specialized in the study of American Indian culture.

Brenda J. Child is an associate professor of American Studies at the University of Minnesota and a member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa (Ojibwe) Indians, and author of My Granfather's Knocking Sticks.

• 136 pages
• 6 x 9 inches
• ISBN: 9780873515627