Healing plants

Two documents were preprinted due to the size of the class this term - 30 students. One was a triple spaced list of student names to be used for quick notes during the presentations. The second was pages seven and eight of the Paies walk reference. These pages of the Paies walk reference are hoped to be useful to avoid spelling and state name lookups for plants during the presentations. 

Keesha explained the locally well known use of guava leaves to treat diarrhea. She did not mention that the leaves to use are the newly formed leaves at the end nor a dosage, which is typically four leaves. 

This term has been marked by an ever increasing loss of local language and traditional knowledge. Field walk questions such as "What is the name of this plant in your language?" generally elicits silence. Plants that virtually every student knew back in 2002 are now unknown to virtually every student in 2026. The course is an element in the effort to retain local language knowledge, yet there is an increasing sense that there is rising tide of language and cultural knowledge loss that college courses cannot reverse. 

Rollin Alfred brought laman, lemon leaf. He noted its use to treat colds and the use of the bark to treat high fever with chills. These uses have in the past been ascribed to the local key lime tree, not the introduced lemon tree. Lemon may work as well as key lime, but the treatments were originally built around key lime.

Amaryssa brought in a grass known as pwuker in Mortlockese and described a use of the roots in an infusion to treat joint pain.

Jamal brought in soursop leaf known locally as sei. The leaves are used to make a tea that is used by those with high blood pressure and diabetes. Soursop may have been introduced during the Japanese era,

Maicalany reported the ability of sakau (Piper methysticum) leaves to staunch bleeding. This healing use has been previously reported from Piper ponapense and Piper betel by other students, this seems to be Genus level healing capability.

Merryoleen read a presentation from her cell phone that was organized in a fashion reminiscent Gemini output, as if she was reading a bulleted list. Each healing use was preceded by the words "Traditional use." One could almost hear the full colon after each "Traditional use" enunciation. The uses were very generic. Her plant was Morinda citrifolia, known locally as weipwul. Whether this was generated by AI was not determined. If this information was generated by AI, then this might be the first healing plant presentation for which AI was used. Perhaps the student failed to prepare and turned to AI in a scramble to put a presentation together. Perhaps the loss of traditional knowledge has progressed to the point where a student has no one in the family to turn to for a healing use of a plant. This presentation certainly opened up questions about how to carry this aspect of the course forward with authenticity. 

Whycliff brought in a local orchid which he referenced as being called kelekel in the local language. Kelekel is Pseuderia micronesiaca and is known to be used medicinally. Whycliff Said that the leaves can be pounded and squeezed to produce a liquid extract which can then be consumed to prevent what he termed kilisou. Kilisou means to be naked, perhaps he meant kilsarawi which refers to shingles (Herpes zoster) or kilin waii which references fungal skin diseases such as ringworm.

Preston brought in Morinda citrifolia, known as nen in the outer islands of Yap, and spoke of eating the young fruits when one is sick. Specifics were not given.

Jamielyn presented Volkameria inermis to treat coughs. This is a use found also in Pohnpei. There are two approaches typically used. One is in an herbal steam bath, the other is drinking the juice extracted from pounding and squeezing the leaves. In the outer island of Yap this is known at Gabiy. 

Jai presented a healing use of aau, Ficus prolixa. A branch is cut and boiled in water. The infusion is then consumed to treat high blood pressure.

Austin brought in a photo of Aloe vera and described its use to treat wounds and soften the skin. This is more recent introduction and has no specific local name.

Marikai explained the use of the fruit of Morinda citrifolia, weipwul, to treat food poisoning. The fruit, when small - perhaps at the flowering stage - is consumed. Up to four fruit. Chase the fruit with water.

Vern spoke on the outer island Yapese use of coconut (niu) roots (waranun sa fei) to stop bleeding from a wound. The roots are obtained and then ground and applied to the wound to stop bleeding. 

Raynold brought in what appeared to be Blechnum orientale referring to the plant as lipa deamoahdi. The fronds are used to treat some sort of female illness, but the how they are used was not entirely clear. 

Trevor presented Terminalia catappa, known in the outer islands of Yap as gasaas. He said one can eat the fruit for headache. This was somewhat puzzling as the fruit is too hard to consume. The seed, however, is related to almonds can can be eaten as food. How an almond cures a headache is unclear. 

Marco brought in tuhkehn kilin waii (Senna alata). The young leaflets are used to treat the fungal skin disease ringworm, which is known as kilin waii.

Kelarimalyanne spoke on the use of guava leaves to treat stomach ache and diarrhea.

Delaura described the use of moami (Carica papaya) root (kalawa) to treat nausea and loss of appetite. The roots are pounded and then squeezed. The juice is then consumed to treat the condition.

Lisarita brought in nopwur (Chuukese name, Morinda citrifolia). She described a treatment for toothache using the plant. Notes on this treatment were unclear. 

Sueleen brought in sekewenleng (Peperomia pellucida) and its use to treat high blood pressure. The whole plant is pounded, squeezed into water, and then consumed. The treatment also has heart health benefits.  

Brennan presenting yaor (Premna serratifolia) to treat flu when used in an herbal steam bath combined with gabiy (Volkameria inermis). He also noted that the pounded leaves can be used to treat external injuries.

If nothing else, perhaps this exercise helps students confront the loss of cultural knowledge that some of them are experiencing. As for the possible use of AI, perhaps all that can be done is to instruct students to not use AI. To talk to their family and if their family has nothing, to go ahead and use reference material on healing uses of a particular plant.