<\/a>Rolled devil’s club cambium. (Vivian Faith Prescott | For the Capital City Weekly)<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t
It’s a beautiful day in Southeast Alaska and we’re about to harvest. The ideal spot is Devil’s Club Alley along this dirt road. “This is perfect,” I say, noting shade and the pullout.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
My daughter, Auntie Viv, whom we call the Devil’s Club Lady, or sometimes Devil’s Club Auntie, says the first step to making s’axt’ medicine is to learn to harvest. Preparation is important: “Step one: Getting into the bushes. You should be clothed with fairly impenetrable rain gear or else be very careful in the forest. Harvesting a plant covered in thousands of thorns takes patience and caution.” We wear long sleeve shirts, long pants, hoodies and boots.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
[Book shares the stories of the canneries that helped shape Southeast<\/a>]<\/ins><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t It’s important to teach grandson Timothy and Jackson the Tlingit values of patience and caution. I can use those lessons, too. I’ve always wanted to learn to harvest devil’s club, but like those who’ve grown up in Southeast Alaska, I’m wary of thorns. I also want to help teach the next generation in our family. When my daughter offered to teach us, I said yes. There’s so much to learn about s’axt’ that it can take years. Today she’ll harvest the stalks and we’ll help with the rest. Another time, we’ll learn to make medicines.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t As we walk, Auntie says to her nephews, “You need to apprentice with a knowledgeable harvester for years.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “You?” asks Jackson.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “Yes, but I learned from Harlena, Florence and Nora. And Ruth, Irene, Janice … and a whole bunch more.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “That’s a lot,” Grandson Timothy says.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Auntie Viv nods. “You can have many teachers. You’re learning basketball from different sources.”<\/p>\n Jackson Pearson works on devil’s club. (Vivian Faith Prescott | Capital City Weekly)<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t We look for straight stalks. Great-grandpa Mickey has already spotted a good patch of devil’s club.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “That’s good,” she says approaching the spot. She turns toward us. “Before we harvest we give thanks and let the plant know our good intentions with the medicine we’ll make.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “Gunalchéesh,” says Auntie Viv.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “Gunalchéesh,” we say in unison.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t A snip and a snap<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t With her big snippers in hand, Auntie Viv heads through the bushes and disappears. The tops of the devil’s club wiggle. There’s a snap and chopping sound.<\/p>\n Vivian Mork Yéilk’ harvests devil’s club. (Vivian Faith Prescott | Capital City Weekly)<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t “I’m going to toss one out,” she says. “But don’t catch it. It has thorns.” A thorny stalk flies out on the road. She walks up the embankment holding another leafless branch by the end. “Before cutting it’s easiest to scrape a handle first and cut off the leaves.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Timothy, Jackson and I bring the stalks back the short distance to our parking site. We come back together and walk further on. “Don’t take too much from one area,” Auntie says. “A good rule is a quarter or less of each plant system and then move on.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “There’s lots of it here,” I comment.<\/p>\n Auntie Vivian Mork Yéilk’ and nephew Jackson Pearson work on devil’s club. (Vivian Faith Prescott | For the Capital City Weekly)<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t Auntie Viv nods. “There’s plenty of devil’s club but there’s a myth the plant can’t be over harvested. It’s over harvested in Washington and Oregon. And also in Alaska, close to towns like Sitka and Juneau where it’s easily accessible.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Great-grandpa and Oscar stop on the side of the road. Timothy sets out a lawn chair for grandpa to rest. Auntie Viv reminds her nephews that in the Tlingit culture it’s important to leave easy access harvesting areas for elders and children. “If you have a bit more energy and youth you should harvest farther from the town you live in.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Auntie Viv heads into the bushes again. Soon Auntie tosses out a couple more stalks. She points the plants out.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “The thorns on the leaves grab everything, making it hard to walk in the woods. Some people clean the stalk where they cut it and sometimes they’ll bring it out for someone else to clean. Either way, it’s easier to clean if you cut off the leaves.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Cleaning the club<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Everything she tells us makes sense. She’s a good teacher. We walk back to the truck where we unpack our lawn chairs and set out supplies on the tailgate.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t We each pick a spot and set up our chairs slightly away from one another. Auntie tells us some Tlingit elders say it’s disrespectful to clean devil’s club directly on a trail, a camp or picnic table, or at your house because the thorns can get everywhere and are quite painful.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/a><\/a>