Shawanameen'shee (Shadbush)
Shawanameen'shee (Lenape for Shadbush) trees are blooming around us, and for many Indigenous communities, they indicate the change of season. The trees’ white flowers announce that Spring has sprung and their reddish-purple berries (will soon) proclaim that summer is upon us.
You might be familiar with Shawanameen'shee’s common English names: Shadbush, Juneberry, Shadwood, Serviceberry, and Saskatoon.
Across Lenapehoking, this tree is known as Shadbush because Lenape communities recognize that its blooms coincide with shad migrating up rivers and streams. On the calendar, March is recognized as Shëwanamèkwi Kishux in Lenape, or Shad Month.
In Potawatomi, Bozakmin translates to “best of the berries.” They often ripen in June – hence the name Juneberry – and are savored as a fresh and a dried food. The Haudenosaunee have dried and mashed the berries into cakes, and then reconstituted the berries into a sauce or mixed them into cornbread. Many tribal communities also mixed the dried fruits with dried meat and fat to create pemmican, (a high-protein, shelf-stable food).
Shawanameen'shee is also an important medicine. The Haudenosaunee have given the fruits to women after childbirth for pain and bleeding. The Chippewa have given an infusion made with the tree’s roots to expecting mothers after an injury to prevent miscarriage. And a decoction with the tree’s inner bark has been used as a disinfectant wash by the Chippewa.
As we celebrate Shawanameen'shee and the changing seasons, we also celebrate Indigenous ecological knowledge. Native communities developed this knowledge over centuries by observing and building relationships with plant relatives.
*Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice. Consult a doctor before using this plant for a medical purpose.*
Sources: Big Horn Lenape, Lenape Talking Dictionary, Native American Ethnobotany Database, Emergence Magazine, University of Wisconsin Green Bay, Chesapeake Bay Program, New York Botanical Garden, Hudson River Park, National Park Service, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Native American Heritage Program