Honoring Our Relatives: The Teachings of Plants

Join us Saturday February 14th for the Norris Center’s 12th annual natural history symposium at the UC Santa Cruz Hay Barn from 1-4:30pm. This year, our symposium will include a keynote presentation from renowned herbalist, healer, and teacher Sage LaPena, a panel discussion with local Amah Mutsun tribal stewards, herbal tea-making, and an opportunity to create your own plant artwork. A environmental career mentoring workshop for students (including free lunch) will be held at the Hay Barn immediately before the symposium from 10:30-12:30 at the Hay Barn.

Keynote speaker Sage LaPena is an Herbalist trained in both Traditional Native American and Western herbalism protocol. Sage is mixed-blood Nomtipom and Nomsus Wintu, with roots in the high country along the waters of the Trinity River and Upper Sacramento River. Certified as a Clinical Herbalist since 2006, Sage began her training in the ways of plants as a child, working with Traditional Healers and respected Elders from local Tribes of Northern California. Her principal mentor, Mable McKay, was a well-known Traditional Healer, last Pomo dream doctor, activist, and world-renowned basket weaver, of Cache Creek Pomo and Patwin descent. Sage has had many positions in Botanical, Medical, Cultural and Restorative Environmental fields. Sage is currently the Manager of the Healing Ways Department and a Traditional Practitioner at Sacramento Native American Health Center (SNAHC) where her focus is diabetes management, women’s medicine, and the building of Traditional Healing practices and protocols. Sage has been teaching about Plants and People for 40 years, with a focus on diabetes for over 20. A lifetime of learning and hard work has led her to where she is today. Her goal is restoring plant knowledge and medicine to the community and securing a place for Traditional medicine to native clinics throughout California and across the country.