Rooted Remedios is a resource provided by Guerrero Student Center (GSC) and the Women and Gender Resource Center (WGRC) with the intention of helping students gain language and engage in concepts of Indigenous medicinal practices by establishing a supportive and educational space for Indigenous medicine and teachings. These practices include sustainable plant harvesting, social justice, traditional medicine, and overall health and wellness. This will be done by providing access and resources aimed at the benefit of Chicanx, Latinx, Indigenous, multiracial peoples, and lower-income or working-class community members.
The cornerstone of this project involves creating and sustaining botanica stations within the Women and Gender Resource Center (WGRC) and the Guerrero Student Center (GSC). These botanicas will act as focal points for dispensing medicines, accompanied by relevant information and directions of use. The botanicas will be open throughout the upcoming semesters with seasonal updates to the medicines provided.
The project also plans to host seasoned practitioners of Indigenous medicine, providing diverse perspectives on various aspects of traditional healing practices. Excluding the first month of the semester, they aim to host monthly speakers and workshops. This will create a student-led initiative, in collaboration with the centers, that will empower students to take charge of reaching out to speakers, planning events, and utilizing available resources.
The core impact of Rooted Remedios lies in providing educational opportunities and a welcoming space for marginalized community members to explore and learn about Indigenous medicinal practices directly from Indigenous practitioners.