The Secret of Plants

William Jerome
December 14, 2010
Gesgapegiag

"It took me 14 years to learn these things, and I'm still learning."

William Jerome, Mi'qmaq

"When Jacques Cartier landed in Gespeg in 1534, his crew survived thanks to Mi'gmaq remedies," says William Jerome. Like his ancestors, he uses traditional practices to help his fellow humans regain their health, both for their body and their soul. The knowledge he acquired from the members of his nation was enriched through encounters with Algonquin, Iroquois and Innu healers. With them, he shared the secrets of plants, how to make remedies and how to use them. Like them, he contributes to the preservation of an ancestral knowledge that enabled Jacques Cartier to continue his explorations.