GOSD Zoom Presentation Wed Oct 2, 7pm
Kumeyaay Ethnobotany: Shared Heritage of the Californias
Presenter: Mike Wilken
Join Great Outdoors San Diego in an early celebration of Indigenous Peoples' Day and LGBTQIA+ History Month with this 50min presentation Kumeyaay Ethnobotany: Shared Heritage of the Californias hosted by Mike Wilken. This virtual presentation will be followed by a half hour of discussion in preparation for Mike Wilken's Bayside hike on Saturday Oct. 12th at 9am (Register here).
This talk explores the remarkable interdependence between native peoples and native plants of the Californias through vivid photographs and lively narratives. Wilken goes into detail about some of the often-encountered local native plants and their traditional uses, to help enrich our experience when we're out hiking. He also provides archaeological and historical background, descriptive passages from early chroniclers and ethnographic accounts, explorations into the endangered Kumeyaay language, interviews with contemporary plant specialists, as well as discussions of ongoing cultural revitalization efforts. Out of this comprehensive perspective emerges a fascinating portrait of the region’s ancestral peoples, their living cultures, and the native plant specialists who have enthusiastically shared their ever-relevant wisdom for future generations.
Kumeyaay Ethnobotany explores the remarkable interdependence between native peoples and native plants of the Californias through hundreds of vivid photographs and lively narratives. At the heart of the book are in-depth descriptions of 47 native plants and their uses, however this carefully researched work also provides archaeological and historical background, descriptive passages from early chroniclers and ethnographic accounts, explorations into the endangered Kumeyaay language, interviews with contemporary plant specialists, as well as discussions of ongoing cultural revitalization efforts. Out of this comprehensive perspective emerges a fascinating portrait of the region’s ancestral peoples, their living cultures, and the native plant specialists who have enthusiastically shared their ever-relevant wisdom for future generations.
A Little About GOSD Trip Leader Mike Wilken
Anthropologist Michael Wilken’s research and advocacy work with Native Baja Californians has explored traditional arts (pottery, basketry, oral narratives and song), ethnobotany, history, languages and cultural landscapes of the indigenous peoples of the northern Baja California region. He has developed lifelong collaborative relationships with native artists and traditional authorities to foster cultural revitalization and sustainable community development. Wilken’s fascination with native plants and the natural landscapes of the Californias has inspired him to explore the many ways that humans have interacted with their environments, from the ancient past, into the present.
Meeting Date & Time: Wednesday Oct 2 @ 7:00pm on Zoom
Meeting place: Zoom (online)
Host: Mike Wilken
Cost: Free for all
Time Commitment 50 min presentation followed by Q&A, 90min max.
Contact/Question - If you have any questions not addressed by the information above or on our registration page, please feel free to contact the trip leader: Mike Wilken ([email protected])
