Plant Teachings

To access the full curriculum, visit the Native Plants and Foods Curriculum Portal.

In order to protect the plants and Native American cultural knowledge and stories featured in the curriculum, we ask that anyone using the materials read the Tend Teacher Guide, watch the Honoring Plants, Places and Cultural Traditions video, and take a multiple-choice quiz on the portal. Consider the plant information and stories featured in the curriculum as gifts, and the quiz as an opportunity to reflect on the generosity, intentionality, and purpose with which it is shared—a means of honoring the work.

Sign In to Portal

Learn how plants lead us in being healthy and resilient.

The Plant Teachings for Growing Social-Emotional Skills Toolkit includes a book, plant teaching cards, movement videos, an activity guide, and infographics, and was developed through a partnership between GRuB, Squaxin Island Tribe’s Northwest Indian Treatment Center, and Seattle Indian Health Board. Learn more about the project team here.

The toolkit is intended for mental health workers, educators, and community members who are exploring behavioral health skills that are rooted in the land and Coast Salish culture. Resources can be integrated into many different settings including behavioral health programs, community health and wellness classes, K-12 social-emotional lessons, and outdoor education programs.

Goals of the toolkit include: 

  • Increasing individual and community resilience through building social-emotional skills including mindfulness, self-awareness, coping with stress, and building healthy relationships. 
  • Protecting and promote healthy plant communities through education, ethical harvesting, and ecological restoration. 
  • Increasing a sense of community, seasons, and place.
  • Promoting the value and significance of Indigenous Science and Native ways of knowing, doing, and being, including intergenerational and experiential learning, the transmission of knowledge through stories, and recognizing and building reciprocal relationships. 

Toolkit Materials

Order the Plant Teachings For Growing Social-Emotional Skills book and card set at Chatwin books. Tribal and bulk discounts are available.

Plant Teachings Book

This 97 page full-color book includes an overview on social-emotional skills; a chapter covering 22 Northwest regional plants with descriptions, cultural teachings, stories, ecological relationships, and recipes; and a chapter on making plant medicine with methods for harvesting, processing, and preparation.

Explore Ordering Options

Plant Teachings Cards

Each of the 23 cards in this deck features a common Pacific Northwest plant and a related social-emotional teaching, accompanied by personal reflection questions. Use these full-color, waterproof and washable cards (suitable for wilderness use) to learn, teach, and remember skills to practice during challenging times.

Explore Purchasing Options

Movement Videos

Movement can be a powerful way to promote physical health, become more mindful and self-aware, reduce stress, and connect with plants, places, and cultural teachings. These videos can be used in a classroom or home setting. Teachers are encouraged to adapt the movement activities and lead them in a way that best fits their students.

Teacher Activity Guide

This guide offers additional insights and activities for teaching social emotional skills including mindfulness, self-awareness, coping with stress, and building healthy relationships. The guide also includes additional activities for each plant featured in the Plant Teachings book and cards. A slideshow features images of each of the plants.

Infographics

Each of the plants in the toolkit has an accompanying infographic or poster that serves as a visual reminder of the plant and associated skill. These can be printed on 8.5x11 or 11x17 paper.

Preview some of our infographics by clicking the link below:

Accessing the Toolkit

Order the Plant Teachings For Growing Social-Emotional Skills book and card set at Chatwin books. Tribal and bulk discounts are available.

In order to protect the plants and Native American cultural knowledge and stories featured in the toolkit, we ask that anyone using the materials read the Tend, Gather and Grow Teacher Guide, watch the Honoring Plants, Places and Cultural Traditions video, and take a multiple-choice quiz. Consider the plant information and stories featured in the toolkit as gifts, and the quiz as an opportunity to reflect on the generosity, intentionality, and purpose with which it is shared—a means of honoring the work.

Learn more about Plant Teachings

For more information on the project, including trainings and adapting the resources to your program, email elise@tahomapeak.com.

Contact Us
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Tend Gather & Grow

Plant Teachings

Cedar Box

Native Infusion

Access Our Online Portal

We ask that anyone using our educational materials read the teachers guide and complete our online quiz. This step also unlocks an additional layer of materials and resources.

Join our Mailing List

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.