This tea is what we call "dé'" or as "Navajo tea"

Wild tea in full blossom
Photo by Venaya Yazzie 2017
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 

The summer has begun an so has the picking and harvesting of naturally growing wild tea. This wild tea has been used by the Navajo people, and other Indigenous tribal people, for hundreds of years. This tea is what we call "dé'" or as "Navajo tea."

The organic tea grows in the high-desert areas of the American southwest and can be found at this time of season (and throughout summer ) blooming its bright yarrow-colored flowers. When these yellow flowers are in full bloom the tea plant is ready to be harvested. The plant itself is a long, slender green plant that can grow up to 2 feet high and holds several leaves that branch off of the main stem. When harvesting this plan the Navajo way is to give an offering to the plant so that it can bless you and also grow again.  Also, when picking the plant one must not pull it out by the roots, but instead should cut or break off the plant at the bottom. By doing this method one can ensure that it will grow again.

The tea must be rinsed off and prepared, many Navajo do this in several ways, but one common way is to bundle the tea and tie with a cotton string. The tea must be air dried or sun dried to ensure it will not mold.  Then it can be stored in a cool, dry place throughout the year. When one is ready to drink the tea it can be boiled to make a hot tea, but some even make it into an iced tea in the summer.

Wild tea in prepared bundles
Photo by Venaya Yazzie 2017
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

This tea has been used by the Navajo for medicinal reasons, of which one is to alleviate stomach problems.  When a woman is pregnant or has cramps the tea is consumed to ease the pains.

For the Navajo weaver though the plant's blooming yellow flowers are highly esteemed, as the blossoms are used to make a rich yarrow-colored dye for the traditional Navajo vegetal-dye weavings in their Navajo wool rugs. 

By Venaya J. Yazzie 2017
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED