Lumia Offerings:

Lumia was my great-grandmother’s last name—a Sicilian surname. Cologera Lumia immigrated from Sicily in 1913 at age 20 to follow her fiance, Pietro Sorci. Because of the name’s similarity to the french word for “light,” lumière, I assumed that Lumia meant “light,” too. However, several ancestry resources informed me that in the Sicilian dialect, and as a surname, Lumia means “lemon” or “lemon tree.” It’s likely that I have lemon growers in my ancestry.

Naming this project Lumia brings a hopeful, “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade” attitude. Though my connection to ancestral culture and lands isn’t a direct one, the fact that I have Slavic, Mediterranean, Celtic, Anglo, and Germanic heritage (plus Nordic, North African, Ashkenazi, and more the further I go back) offers the opportunity to explore the gamut of European cultures with a sense of personal interest and connection.

Being an American also invites me to engage in the unique cultural conditions we’re a part of—and actively creating—here. I believe that being present in the community and ecosystem where we live is just as important as knowing where we came from. Blending these pieces in ways that are nourishing, just, and vibrant is a creative process I’m glad to be a part of. I’m grateful for the opportunity to connect with Americans of various races and ethnicities who are exploring this path.

There are Italian words for light that sound similar to Lumia (lume, or luminare as a verb), and I love this added connotation to the name. For me, learning from European and European-descended teachers, reading books about European traditions, and slowly incorporating these practices into my life feels like lighting a cheery lantern in a dark room. I hope this offering provides fuel for other lanterns, too.

Below are just a few organizations and businesses that I have learned from and/or enjoyed beautiful herbal products from. If you’d like to suggest a resource to add, please get in touch:

African American teachers/herbalists:

Amanda David, Rootwork Herbals

Leah Penniman, Soul Fire Farm

Nnenna Ferguson, Bru Apothecary

Greek American mushroom educator:

Olga Tzogas: Mushrooms + Culture of Greece trips

Guyanese American herbalist/teacher:

Karen Rose, Sacred Vibes Apothecary

Indigenous Nations resources:

Onöhsagwë:de’ Cultural Center (Seneca Iroquois National Museum)

Iroquois White Corn Project + Seneca Art & Culture Center at Ganondagan (please note: foraging plants is not permitted at NYS parks, including Ganondagan State Historic Site)

Iranian American herbalist/teacher:

Mandana Boushee (ماندانا) + Wild Gather: Hudson Valley School of Herbal Studies

Irish educators and scholars:

Lora O’Brien & Jon O’Sullivan: Ogham Academy / Irish Pagan School

Italian/Sicilian American teachers:

Lisa Fazio + The Root Circle

MaryBeth Bonfiglio + Radici Siciliane

Philippines + SWANA (South West Asia + North Africa) American herbalist/teacher:

sára, Earth Seed Holistic

Polish American writers/teachers:

Sophie Hodorowicz Knab

Val Alcorn (Slavic/Polish traditions)

Please check out my essay on Cultural Appropriation and American Herbalism to learn how I approach this project.

I resonate with anti-racism teachers who recommend that white people reconnect with European traditions to counter white supremacy. Ancestral traditions are a path for white folks to avoid cultural appropriation while enjoying meaningful practices.

Of course, people who identify as white are not the only people with European ancestry—and, folks with no known European ancestry are welcome to explore Lumia resources that focus on European traditions as well.

I’m grateful for the wonderful Black, Indigenous, Asian or Asian American, and Latiné educators who teach about their practices and traditions much better than I could. You’ll find a list of recommended teachers and herbalists above.

Cultures have been interacting and cross-pollinating for thousands of years. Though my sources may identify a practice as Nordic, or Slavic, or Germanic, an incredible amount of overlap and transmission of knowledge has occurred throughout Europe, as well as between Europeans and the rest of the world. China, India, and the SWANA (South West Asian/North African) region are renowned for their early medical systems, which influenced the development of European systems. I often remind myself that written records were penned by the elite for much of history. I suspect that early medical/herbal writings often overlooked, misinterpreted, or appropriated the folkways of ordinary grannies bent over their gardens, kettles, and cauldrons.

Learning when my knowledge is rooted in a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous Nations, People of Color) tradition empowers me to ask permission to use it, give credit where it’s due, and/or offer financial compensation to those who own the knowledge. And, there are examples of pre-colonial European uses of herbs overlapping with those of North American Indigenous communities or other BIPOC groups—whether due to the historical transmission of information or by happenstance. While wading through our complicated history, I may make mistakes as I attribute traditions to particular groups. I’ll be learning along the way, and I welcome your feedback!