SACRED PLANT MEDICINE: EXPLORATIONS IN THE PRACTICE OF INDIGENOUS HERBALISM. BY Stephen Harrod Buhner. Foreword by Brooke Medicine Eagle. Illustrations by Cyncie Marini. Boulder, CO: Roberts Rinehart Publishers (5455 Spine Road, Mezzanine West, 80301), 1996. 210 Pp. ISBN Number 1- 57098-091-8. $18.95. Raised during the 1950’s in western Kentucky, Stephen Harrod Buhner became enamored with the use of plants in healing at an early age. Nurtured by an extended family which included four great- grandparents, Buhner’s interest blossomed to help him become one of the most notable sacred plant practitioners in the United States. “Sacred Plant Medicine” is an exploration of the historic medicinal use of plants around the globe. The text explains the relation of plants to man, not just utilitarian relationship but also the family relationship. The author discusses plants as relatives to human beings. To ancient man, and to some cultures today, plants are considered sacred and the use of plants to provide medicine for man is a holy activity. Buhner expresses the belief of most indigenous cultures that every part of the universe is integral to the whole, that every part is both a creation and a manifestation of God. He further explains that much of the religious misinterpretations made by non-indigenous cultures when observing the indigenous cultures is centered around this fact. The non- native typically interprets a natives reverence for a plant, animal or other part of the natural world as paganistic nature-worship and fails to observe the fact that the native, in showing respect for one of God’s creations, is in fact worshipping God. Far from the “new age” testimonial I first expected when briefly flipping through the book, “Sacred Plant Medicine” is both well researched and enjoyable to read. Written from the personal perspective of the author, the book is a first person testimonial to the sacredness of the plant world. It includes three appendices, color plates of nineteen different plants, and a complete index. The first appendix contains a suggested reading list and programs which offer apprenticeships and training programs in sacred plant medicines. The second appendix offers guidance in the harvesting of wild medicinals, their propagation, their preparation, and storage. The last appendix provides source documentation for the various stories and quotations included in the main text. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone whose interest in the plant world goes beyond the taxonomic keys and scientifically accepted uses of plants in medicine. Anita Cheek Moon, Member Reviewers’ Consortium
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