An Untitled Work of Fiction: Chapter 2

Herbal Healing

Peggy, 2019

I’ve been interested in herbal healing since I was a small child. I was raised by nookomis, which is Ojibwe for "my grandmother.” I present as a white person and carry that privilege with me, but my childhood was rooted in my Ojibwe culture, as I was raised by nookomis. Success was measured by how well I treated people, places, and things, whereas many of my white American peers measured success with money, brands, and titles. Even as a young child, I found value in nature, the earth, my family, and my ancestors.

When my aunt fell ill, I was nine.