Julian Library Hosts Richard Bugbee, Ethnobotanist - On Saturday, August 8, 1:00 PM

by Peter Savage

Here is a typical trip “down the hill” for a resident of Julian: A stop by a department store or Costco to pick up some new house wares or clothing. A quick run into the pharmacy to pick up a prescription, then a stop by Home Depot to pick up building supplies and a new tool. A trip to the bank to refill the wallet, followed by a trip to the gas station to refill the car. Finally, the last stop is the supermarket to fill up on food for the pantry and refrigerator. Then the drive back to Julian in a state of exhaustion. It’s exhausting just writing about it.

Has it always been that way for the Julian populace? Hardly. People have lived in what is now Julian for thousands of years. The early residents were the indigenous inhabitants of the local mountains and plains. They were members of Indian nations. They had no stores, cars, running water, farm implements, electricity or refrigerators. Modern drugs and pharmacies were hundreds if not thousands of years off in the future. There was little or no trade - you couldn’t buy what you wore, the structure you lived in or what you ate. How in God’s name did they survibve?

It wasn’t easy, but the Indians did it. They survived because of their wisdom and immense knowledge of their native environment. That life-sustaining “data bank” was handed down from gereration to generation. With that deep wisdom and precious knowledge, they coaxed their environment into sharing its riches with them. And they alway gave back.

Nowhere was their knowledge more useful than understanding the properties and gifts of the native plants of this area. They derived most of their food, medicine, clothing, shelter, weapons, fuel and tools - in other words, practically everything that sustained them - from native plants.

As we deviate more from the daily use of that wisdom and knowledge to survive, we risk losing the understanding of how our natural environment can sustain us and, in turn how we can sustain our natural environment. Some people do still realize the importance of preserving the knowledge of the Elders. Most are descendants of the indigenous Indians. Those descendents understand that the knowledge of their forefathers is well worth preserving. Ethnobotanist Richard Bugbee is one of those people.

Professor Bugbee is a Payoomkawichum Indian and Californio descent. As an Associate Professor of Ethnobotany (the scientific study of the relationships that existed between people and plants
) at Cuyumaca College. Bugbbe presents workshops on the plants that are native to this region. The objective of his presentations is create awareness of Indian plant use and to instill a sense of honpor to plant life as all living things should be honored. His presentation will include a presentation of the different native plants and a display of California Indian items made from various plant materials.

Bugbee served as the Curator of the Kumeyaay Culture Exhibit at Southern Indian Health Council on’Ewiiaapaayp Indian Reservation for 15 years. For over six years, he was the Indigenous Education Specialist for the San Diego Museum of Man. Presently, Professor Bugbee is a language trainer for the Avocates for Indigenous California Languange Survival (www.aicls.org), and the news editor for the Kumeyaay.com website which provides articles and reports on events pertaining to the indigenous communities of southern California.

Bugbee’s goal is to serve as a bridge connecting the wisdom, knowledge and expierence of Native American Indian Elders with the Indian and non-Indian youth feeling that it is important to bring together the knowledge keepes with the knowledge seekers.

Come be a knowledge seeker at this engaging and entertaining event.

Ex-San Diego Charger and now artist Ed White of the Oak Lake Art Center is a close friend of Professor Bugbee. Mr. White will introduce Professor Bugbee at the Julian Library program. The library is located at 1850 Highway 78 next to the High School. For more information call 760 765-0370.

The Julian News

Posted on August 8th, 2009 by hunwut
Filed under: Culture, Environment