How to Make Nettle Pesto & Nettle Tea — Leigh Joseph (Styawat), Ethnobotanist

The Yetwánaý Project: Exploring the Link Between Traditional Medicines, Foods, Culturally Related Exercise and Health

Welcome to The Yetwánaý project blog. Yetwánaý is the Skwxwú7mesh name for salmonberry. This name refers to the whole plant and we have chosen this name for our research project as salmonberry is one of the first plant foods that becomes available in the spring. Please see the blog post on the benefits of yetwánaý for more information on how to use this wonderful plant.

This research project will look at our traditional plant medicines, traditional foods and culturally related exercise and explore how these things might aid in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in our communities. The research team consists of a Squamish Nation committee working in cooperation with a research team out of the University of Montreal and the University of Ottawa. I (Leigh Joseph) will be undertaking my PhD studies through this project. The aim of the research is to contribute to the Squamish Nation community in the most practical and useful way possible. Therefore I will be looking for input and ideas throughout this research project and beyond.

The project will have two parts to it. We will be partnering with existing community programs to incorporate activities, resources and events inline with our research focus. Keep your eyes peeled for events such as plant workshops, plant walks, nutritional education events and more!

The second part of this research project will be a diabetes intervention. This intervention will give approximately 30 members of our community, 15 who are pre-diabetic and 15 who are living with type 2 diabetes, the opportunity to be part of a 1 year experience to connect to their health through culturally relevant ways in order to prevent or manage type 2 diabetes.

Participants in this intervention will have access to:

Traditional plant medicines

Activities related to traditional foods and medicines

Educational resources and activities aimed to increase access and use of traditional plant medicines and foods

Ways to measure and monitor their progress through the course of the one-year period

We will send out more information on this intervention but if you or someone you know would like to be involved or learn more please feel free to contact us!

Type 2 diabetes is a symptom of colonialism. Our people didn’t live with this disease prior to contact. Our diet, medicines and ways of life were changed in a short period of time. As a result of this change in lifestyle, and a shift away from our traditional diets, we are seeing the following:

Prevalence of diabetes is 3 to 5 times higher in First Nations than in the general population.

In most populations where rates of diabetes are higher, age of diagnosis is younger in First Nations peoples.

These rates are similar in other countries where Indigenous populations have been subject to colonization.

We can look to our ancestors and our cultural teachings for ways to prevent and manage this disease. There is no shame here, only strength. As Indigenous People we can take a stand and say that taking care of our bodies and our health is a way to heal ourselves, our families and our communities. Health is multifaceted and by strengthening our physical health we will then have the healthy platform to continue to strengthen our spirit, our hearts, our connection to our culture.

We will update this page with information on our traditional plants and their health benefits as well as other diabetes and health related topics. Our overall aim for this research is to promote the health of our nation and increase education and access to traditional plant medicines, foods and culturally related exercise.

Nettle Pesto Recipe

This is a basic pesto recipe with nettles as a substitute for basil. Because blanched nettles will not oxidize and turn brown easily you can store this pesto in the fridge for up to a week.

Produces 1 cup, feel free to double or triple the recipe based on the amount of nettles you have after they are blanched. Takes 20 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic
2 generous tablespoons toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons grated cheese
2/3 cup blanched nettles (see instructions below)
Salt to taste
Olive oil (see instructions below)

Instructions

To blanche nettles, bring a large pot of water to a boil, place the nettles in batches into the water for 1-2 minutes, after that immediately immerse the nettles in an ice water bath. Then strain the nettles and dry them with a salad spinner or paper towel. Tip: You can use the water that was used to boil the nettles as a healthy chilled drink or use it as a base for a soup stock, or even cool it and pour it in your garden!
Pulse toasted pine nuts in the food processor or high powered blender.
Add the garlic, salt, cheese and nettles and run the machine so everything combines, but isn’t a smooth paste, you want it with some texture.
Start adding olive oil. Drizzle it in a little at a time until you have the consistency you want.
Pour pesto into clean jars and store in the fridge or use right away on your favourite dish!

Drying Nettle for Tea

You can harvest the plant the same way; use gloves and scissors to clip the nettles, and make sure to harvest in an area that you know is clean. Don’t harvest along highways, under hydro lines or other areas where chemicals may be used. The reason this is so important is you do not want to wash the nettles you are going to dry for tea. (If you wash them there is a higher chance they will mould.)

Take your clean and dry nettles and bundle them together, take an elastic and put it tightly around the stems. Hang the bundle from a string in a cool dry and dark place and wait for them to be completely dry. The reason you don’t want to do this in the sun is that you might loose some of the potency of the plant with sun drying.

After they are dry, take them and remove the leaves, the stinging will be gone now. Compost the stems and save the leaves in a cool and dark place. Storing them in a glass jar, paper bag or other storage container is great and you can keep them in the fridge or freezer as well to maintain freshness. You can also use a coffee grinder (preferably one that hasn’t been used for coffee as the taste will get into the nettles) and pulse them into smaller pieces.

When making nettle tea you can fill a tea ball or add 2 table spoons to a small pot and steep for 5-10 minutes then strain and enjoy. The tea can help with inflammation and as a general tonic for maintaining health. Nettle tea can also help reduce the symptoms of hay fever.

Leigh Joseph (Styawat), Ethnobotanist

Leigh Joseph (Styawat), Ethnobotanist

Blog: The Yetwánaý Project

Leigh Joseph (Styawat), Ethnobotanist

The Yetwánaý Project: Exploring the Link Between Traditional Medicines, Foods, Culturally Related Exercise and Health

Nettle Pesto Recipe

Drying Nettle for Tea