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Devil's Club is a common shrub in Southcentral and Southeast Alaska. It is well known for its long spines and dense growth. Over time, Alaska Native people have used different parts of the plant to treat a variety of medical needs, such as stomach trouble, colds, fever, tuberculosis, and boils, sores and other skin infections.
Listen to Barbara Johnson, Tlingit from Yakutat, Alaska, talk about using devil's club. Or read the transcript (ORAL HISTORY 2004-17-29, Part 1). Listen to Barbara's full interview about her work as a community health aide in the Community Health Aide Program Project Jukebox.
Listen to Jennifer Andrulli, Yup'ik and Dene Athabascan from Manley Hot Springs and Soldotna, Alaska, talk about using devil's club bark to make tinctures. Or read the transcript (ORAL HISTORY 2021-02-32). To learn more about how Jennifer Andrulli uses plants for traditional medicine and healing, listen to her full interview.
Listen to Emily Willis of Skagway, Alaska talk about using devil's club. Or read the transcript (2018-14-01, Part 1). To learn more about how Emily Willis uses and grows plants, listen to her full interview in the Observing Change in Alaska's National Parks Project Jukebox.
