Stag Special
Walking the pathway between Base headquarters and the Base clinic you will notice a few areas marked with small white flags.
These are areas where a few varieties of sage grow being set aside as “no mow zones.”
Eventually, there will be signs so people can better identify these areas and learn more about some of the plants which grow here.
The native mixed-grass prairie which this Base occupies has many traditional Indigenous medicines including both Prairie Sage — male sage Artemisia ludovincia — and Pasture Sage — female sage Artemisia frigida.
According to Base biologist Sherry Punk-Murphy, “We identified this area as an accessible location where we can teach people about the importance of mixed-grass prairie and how important these species are to Indigenous people. What are weeds to some people are actually native mixed-grass prairie species.”
Smoke from Prairie Sage is used for the purification of mind, body and spirit and sacred articles in advance of prayers and ceremonies.
Moreover, Prairie Sage is burned for meditation, smudging and the cleansing of spirit and dwelling.
CFB Shilo’s Defence Indigenous Advisory Group (DIAG) military co-chair Sgt Sylvain LeBlanc would like to be able to use these areas to both harvest sage for ceremonies and to educate.
“We want people learning about the medicines we have in our local area and provide for teachings about harvesting sage. These are opportunities for all CAF members and family here at Shilo,” he said.
The sage growing along the walkway also occurs through the area between Base HQ and the hospital. In fact, sage grows throughout the Base. But not all areas are easy to access or good for harvesting.
In the past, this area was designated a Naturalized Site as an example of native prairie plants found throughout the CFB Shilo training area. It is no longer managed as a Naturalized Site due to introduced species, such as Baby’s Breathe, Caragana, Lilac and ornamental onion plants.
Summer students from Base Environment will remove Baby’s Breath and other introduced species from the areas being set aside for sage harvesting.
CFB Shilo’s Environment section has marked certain areas with white flags to identify locations where sage grows so it can be left alone (see aerial map with ‘X’ marks). A few varieties of sage grow here which are important Indigenous medicines. Not mowing these areas will allow the sage to grow so it can be harvested within Indigenous customs and used in ceremonies here on Base. Eventually, there will be signs so people can better identify these areas and learn more about some of the plants that grow here. Photos supplied
