Human Rights Portfolio

Suzanne Michele CHOUTEAU -- Cincinnati

(Health -- Salud )

Suzanne Michele Chouteau was born in Davenport, Iowa. She received her BA in Art from St. Ambrose University, studying with her father Professor Thomas Francis Chouteau, and her MA and MFA degrees from The University of Iowa. She is a Professor of Art & Art History at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio where she has taught printmaking, art history and design courses since 1988. Her artworks have been shown in over 100 exhibitions internationally and nationally. Chouteau's husband, Christopher Paul Bedel, is Direc tor of the Cincinnati Museum Center's Edge of Appala chia Preserve System in Adams County, Ohio where they raised their son, Elijah Bird Bedel. "Health-Wellbeing for me represents access to good medicine in a loving, nurturing community. Throughout the Americas indigenous people have practiced holistic healing with plant-based medicines, but their lifeways have been continuously threatened or completely anni hilated by imperial, colonial forces. In Oaxaca, the flowers of Macpa/xochitl (Nahuatl for palm flower), ar bol de las manitas (Spanish) or Chiranthodendron pen tadactylon are effective to treat diarrhea, dysentery, and stomach pain particularly in children. This medici nal practice hangs on by a thread because the tree is now endangered due to habitat destruction and cli mate change. I am a member of the Shawnee Tribe whose family members were forcibly removed from Ohio c. 1833. I now live on lands they once inhabited. The Shawnee's medicinal plant knowledge was re nowned and valued by numerous other tribes. They used Melaaki (Shawnee for snakeroot), cohosh (Algonquin) or Cimicifuga racemosa to treat fevers, particularly in children, and also to treat depression in adults by boiling it into a tea. It was also ground up and used as a snake repellent. Melaaki has had particu lar significance in my own health as an alternative to the hormone therapies, anti-depressants and other drugs that doctors typically prescribe for the treatment of menstrual irregularities and menopausal symptoms."

Suzanne Michele Chouteau naci6 en Davenport, Io wa. Recibi6 su licenciatura en arte de la Universidad de St. Ambrose, estudiando con su padre, el profesor Thomas Francis Chouteau, y sus tftu/os de maestria de arte y maestrf a de be/las artes de la Universidad de Iowa. Es profesora de Arte e Historia de/ Arte en la Universidad Xavier en Cincinnati, Ohio, donde ha impartido cursos de grabado, histo ria de/ arte y diseflo desde 1988. Sus obras de arte se han exhibido en mas de 100 exposiciones a nive/ nacional e internaciona/. Su esposo, Christopher Paul Bede/, es Director de/ Sistema de la Reserva Edge of Appalachia de/ Cincinnati Museum Center en Adams County, Ohio, donde criaron a su hijo, Elijah Bird Bede/. "El Bienestar/Salud para mi representa el acceso a una buena medicina en una comunidad amorosa y enriquecedora. En todo el continente americano, los pueblos indigenas han practicado la curaci6n holisti ca con medicamentos a base de plantas, pero sus vidas han sido continuamente amenazadas o com pletamente aniquiladas por las fuerzas coloniales imperiales. En Oaxaca, las flores de Macpalxochitlna huatl para flor de palma), arbol de las manitas o Chi ranthodendron pentadactylon son efectivas para tratar la diarrea, la disenteria y el dolor de est6ma go, especialmente en los nifios. Esta practica medici nal pende de un hilo porque el arbol ahora esta en peligro debido a la destrucci6n del habitat y al cam bio climatico. Soy miembro de la Tribu Shawnee, cuyos familiares fueron retirados por la fuerza de Ohio c. 1833. Ahora vivo en tierras que alguna vez habitaron. El conocimiento de las plantas medici nales de los Shawnee fue reconocido y valorado por muchas otras tribus. Utilizaron Melaaki (Shawnee para snakeroot), cohosh (Algonquin) o Cimicifuga racemosa para tratar la fiebre, particularmente en los nifios, y tambien para tratar la depresi6n en los adul tos hirviendola en un te. Tambien se moli6 y se us6 como repelente de serpientes. Melaaki ha tenido una importancia particular en mi propia salud como alternativa a las terapias hormonales, antidepresivos y otras drogas que los medicos suelen recetar para el tratamiento de las irregularidades menstruales y los sintomas de la menopausia."