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Shaker Swamp
Four Seasons in the Medicinal Wetlands of New Lebanon, New York
A major wetland in upstate New York has been a source of healing waters and rare medicinal plants for millennia. The Native, spiritual, and secular communities there have all shaped the history of American medicine.
54 minutes
Directed by Ted Timreck
Produced by Ted Timreck
Music: Ted Timreck
Drone Photography: Gavin Preuss
Narration: Josh Hamilton
Produced by Timreck Productions Inc. in associaition with the Shaker Swamp Conservancy and the Darrow School
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"[A] stunning visual portrait of a 'living pharmacy' in the wetlands of upstate New York." J. Richard Stepp, Editor, Journal of Ethnobiology
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In SHAKER SWAMP Ted Timreck explores the medicinal wetland at the base of Mount Lebanon, NY. Shaker Swamp is a remarkably preserved ecosystem where at least 74 medicinal plants known to the Indians, Shakers and Tildens have been identified and still survive. It was first used as a source for harvesting medicinal plants by Native Peoples. Then, in the early 19th century, in a rare, documented instance of cross-cultural cooperation with the early settlers, the Indians taught the Mount Lebanon Shakers about the medicines growing in the swamp. From the middle of the 19th century, the Tilden family who learned the medicinal formulas from the Shakers, built the first pharmaceutical factory in America at the edge of the Shaker Swamp, and sold their remedies worldwide.
The story of the Shaker Swamp—and the broader lost history of natural medicines in America—is important to save for future generations, when it can be better understood in the wake of the contemporary upsurge of interest in evolving, natural remedies.
After almost 20 years of research and documentation on the environmental and social anthropology of the medicinal wetlands of New Lebanon, Timreck's rich musical program—devoted to introducing the sheer, preserved beauty of this natural habitat—makes it clear that the Shaker Swamp is one of America's rich, historical examples of how environment shapes culture.
Grade Level: 10 - 12, College, Adults
US Release Date: 2024
Copyright Date: 2024
DVD ISBN: 1-961192-24-1
Reviews
"Across North America and beyond, wetlands are critically endangered habitats. For anyone concerned about environmental loss, the destruction of wetlands and other natural habitats around the world, this gentle, uplifting film is an inspiration. Shaker Swamp not only features spectacular scenery, viewed within and from above the wetland, but also introduces us to dozens of the plants and animals that live in the swamp. The film highlights the efforts of local people from all walks of life to preserve and restore Shaker Swamp for its amazing biodiversity, its cultural history, and its values as an outdoor educational and recreational locale, to be enjoyed and cherished long into the future." Nancy Turner, Professor Emeritus of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Author, Ancient Pathways, Ancestral Knowledge: Ethnobotany and Ecological
Wisdom of Indigenous Peoples of Northwestern North America
"A unique perspective on a conservation worthy wetland replete with botanical treasures ranging from the unassuming early blooming skunk cabbage to the Fall-fruiting fragrant spice bush, Shaker Swamp is a perfect amalgam of human innovation and nature, narrated and pictured through the lens of history and ethnobotany. Anyone who wishes to know about wetlands, the Shaker community in upstate New York, medicinal plants, or a little local history would benefit from this documentary. Serene and sublime, yet educational and evocative, a must see for residents and students of New Lebanon and beyond!" Suneeti Jog, Research Scientist, Wetland Science Program, Affiliate Faculty of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
"Shaker Swamp offers a wonderful overview of medicinal plants, First Nations ethnobotanical pharmacopeias, Shaker history, natural history, preservation of nature, and the first pharmaceutical house in North America. It presents plant names combined with scenery of natural landscape views from the ground, above the trees, and underwater. This excellent documentary will be useful for ethnobotanical, ecological, and natural history students." Dr. Manuel Lizarralde, Professor in Ethnobotany, Department of Botany, Connecticut College
"Shaker Swamp presents a stunning visual portrait of a 'living pharmacy' in the wetlands of upstate New York while telling an important history of the region. Settlers learned about the medicinal plants in the swamp from Indigenous peoples which ultimately led to the first pharmaceutical factory in the United States. We see the swamp in all its beauty and complexity across four seasons and come to know the rich diversity of medicinal plants that are found there." J. Richard Stepp, Professor of Anthropology, University of Florida, Editor-in-chief, Journal of Ethnobiology
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Subjects
American Studies
Anthropology
Antiquarians
Biodiversity
Ecology
Environment
Ethnobotany
Geography
Geology
Health
History
Human Geography
Humanities
Indigenous Peoples
Medicine
Native Americans
Natural History
Natural Resources
Preservation
Sociology
Wetlands
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