Saina Lourdes “Mama Lou” Toves Manglona is keeping tradition alive in her debut book Tinanom Åmot Siha: Plants Used in Traditional Chamoru Healing. Matsuki hirayama has more on how manglona’s grandmother played a role in her becoming of a yo’åmte and why she’s hoping to pass on what she learned. 

Before she became a respected yo’åmte, or traditional Chamoru healer, she recalls helping her grandmother in the garden when she was a young child. "Every morning, she called me to come out and help her with the medicine. I helped my grandma when I was two years old. I helped my grandma water the medicine," she said.

To this day, she remembers the song her grandmother would sing to each plant, and the precious lessons imparted. " [I remember] asking my grandma ‘why are you talking with the plant? The plant doesn’t have a mouth.’ But my grandma was telling me that you have to talk to the plant because [while] the plant doesn’t have a mouth, you have to have a good relationship with the plant. If you don’t have a good relationship with the plant, the plant will not give you a good leaf," she said.

By nine years old, she was starting to make åmot, or indigenous herbal remedies, through her grandmother’s guidance. "I made it by pounding, boiling and squeezing the leaf. [There’s] different processes in different kinds of medicine," she said.

Just like how her matriarch did, Manglona is hoping to keep the tradition alive by passing down more than seven decades of her life’s work compiled in her new book published by University of Guam Press.  It profiles over 70 plants that Manglona uses in her healing practice. 

"People have to learn what the plant is, what plant they’re using for what kind of illness that they do. It’s very important that you learn about the plant because you’re making medicine," she said. "Especially because some plants are poison and you have to know what plants you’re using because it [could be poisonous]. That’s very important and you have to learn about that."

As an educator teaching basic indigenous healthcare at the University of Guam, it’s fitting that her debut book should be an educational text. It includes detailed photography, simple plant descriptions and space for notes. 

She said, "I made this book because after three years of teaching, I found out that it's very important that I have to teach like this. And it’s very easy for the apprentices to learn."

The book will launch at the Guam Museum at 1130 am this Saturday, with a book signing and meet the author event. A free HITA (Heritage-Ideas-Traditions-Arts) talk and presentation will begin at 1pm, where attendees can learn more about åmot. 

"I encourage all the people that can make it to the book launch because on that day, I prepared 200 bottles of medicine to give away for people coming," she said. "Especially, I have food from my island of Rota that I prepared. That food is very different from food from here."

"So I will see you Saturday. Come and be with me so we can enjoy our heritage from our ancestors. This is our culture, too."

To pre-order your copy of Tinanom Åmot Siha, just visit uogpress.com.