Traditional Medicinal Plants at Guam’s Amot Taotao Tano Farm

Reader Contribution by Lanette Lepper
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Three weeks ago, we left the east coast for a move to Guam. Smack dab in the middle of rainy season, it is not the ideal time to plant the herbs and veggies that I am used to working with. (We’re not in Zone 8 anymore, Toto!) In the months before our move, I did extensive research to familiarize myself with gardening on the island. One of the videos I found  introduced me to Amot TaoTao Tano Farm, and I knew it was one of the first places I wanted to visit once I arrived.

Last weekend, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a free tour of the farm thanks to a grant from the Guam Humanities Council and the Bank of Guam. I learned that ‘Amot TaoTao Tano’ means “Medicine for the Native People” and was originally the personal garden of Suruhana Bernice Nelson (a ‘Suruhana’ is a Chamorro Traditional Healer). Today, it has grown to 2.5 acres containing more than 200 medicinal plants (most are native to Guam, but there are also plants from China, the Philippines, Japan, Phonpei, Palau, and the continental US) and is now a non-profit. The mission of the farm is to help others learn about the traditional (and dying) art of Chamorro Healing.

Suruhana Bernice Nelson has been practicing the traditional art of Healing for over 50 years.

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