At the Vancouver Island Herb Gathering back in June, it was an absolute pleasure for the Canadian Council of Herbalist Associations to formally honour our Elder Herbalists in a ceremony gathering over 300 participants. With smudging, drumming, dancing and stories shared by elders present so many attendees were moved with laughter and tears hearing reflections and advice offered by our Elders to everyone present. This was an event which will be remembered!
The 36 nominated Elders include practitioner herbalists from across Canada who have spent at l
east 25 years offering outstanding contributions to the field of herbalism. Their bios and background can be viewed on the CCHA website Honouring Our Elders page. Many of our nation’s herbal elders have offered years of service to community healing and to defend and establish the right to access herbs in Canada. We honoured their contributions with the announcement at Canada’s first nation wide herbal gathering in 2015. Our herbal elders have gathered vast amounts of knowledge and as they move towards retirement we hope to help them stay connected to the younger herbalists who will look to them for teachings and support.
The CCHA welcomes nomination of additional elders to be honoured at future gatherings, visit the website for more information.
