Under a canopy of the Kenaitze Indian Tribe’s Birch Tree House in Old Town Kenai on Thursday, a small group of younger tribal members rubbed steel wool on the stems of freshly cut devil’s clubs, a plant found throughout south-central Alaska known for its maple-shaped leaves and spiky stems.
As the thorns fell to the ground, some began to peel away the outer layer of the stem, exposing a woody root. This is one of the first steps in processing the plant for medicinal purposes.
Earlier in the day, the group harvested about 10 stalks of devil’s club using garden shears during a rainstorm in the Nikiski Forest. Before cutting and chopping, the youth were reminded of traditional harvesting protocols.
“We go out and prepare our minds and our hearts to be pure at the harvest,” said Audré Hickey, project coordinator of the tribe’s suicide prevention program, who led the day’s youth workshop.
“We thank the land, so you can give it a lock of hair or water. That’s our way of saying thank you for giving us the devil’s club,” Hickey said.
After collecting, the group brought the leaves back to land and placed the devil’s club stems in a bucket. Later, they will mix the stems with olive oil and beeswax to make an ointment and create beads.
The young people who took part in the program signed up for different reasons. Most wanted to pass some time during the last days of their summer vacation. Others had experienced the healing effects of devil’s root for themselves and were curious to know how to make the ointment.
“My older sister gave me devil’s club ointment,” said 15-year-old Iris Hale. “I had a heart monitor on for a while and the sticker left a rash. It really helped heal that.”
Other young people in the workshop, like 12-year-old Julia Anderson, had not previously given much thought to the devil’s club. Now she wants to use her new knowledge to help others.
“I wanted to see what I could do with the ointment, what it could be used for, or what I should put it on, because I didn’t know what it was for,” Anderson said.
Hickey hopes the workshop opportunity will encourage Indigenous youth to honor, respect and feel a deeper connection to the land. Not everyone has a strong connection to plants in their daily lives, and she says working with native plants and learning about their uses can foster a deeper appreciation.
“We are a suicide prevention program, so our main focus is culture,” Hickey said. “Elders have told me that if we know who we are, we won’t hurt ourselves. That’s why we believe it’s important to anchor youth firmly in their culture so they develop self-confidence and have a solid foundation for their lives.”
The tribe’s suicide prevention program offers hands-on activities throughout the year, including traditional oil lamp carving, hiking, mushroom picking and more. For more information about the program or upcoming events, visit the Kenaitze Indian Tribe website. Facebook page.
