watercress words by Dr Aletha

7 influential people who are changing-and saving-lives

I think we all have the power to be influential, for good or bad. Notice who’s following you and consider what they’re learning -and imitating-from your actions and attitudes.

Every year TIME magazine publishes an issue devoted to the world’s 100 most influential people. When I read through the list, I find many familiar names and many that I have never heard of.

TIME calls them “a community of leaders whose energy and commitment we hope inspires others to spring into action as well.”

Each nominee is described by someone who knows them well and is often also worthy of being called influential, such as Dr. Anthony Fauci .

Entertainment and sports

The list includes people you might call celebrities-singers, actors, musicians, entertainers, athletes- who I suppose are often influential although I don’t understand why.

As much as I love the arts and sports, I find it odd that they would be the most influential. Certainly their work is, in many cases. Some of these were Scarlett Johansson, Lil Nas X, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kate Winslet, Billie Eilish, and Tom Brady. Simone Biles made the list, I think rightfully so.

Government and politics

Many government officials made the list as you would suppose, after all they run the world, don’t they? So here we have Joe Manchin, Liz Cheney, Xi Jinping, and of course the President and Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

Others in the political realm include Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump. I’ll also include the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, aka Harry and Meghan, although I don’t understand their current position in the British Monarchy.

Science and Technology

So from among their choices my favorites and the subject of this post are those whose work involves science, public health, medical research, and especially the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ve picked 7, so that is 7% of the total.

Of course people in other disciplines addressed the crisis too, so if you include them it would actually be more than 7%, possibly 10-50%. Check out the list in the September 27, 2021 issue of TIME and see what you think.

They are disrupters, fixers, doers, iconoclasts, problem solvers -people who in a year of crisis have leaped into the fray.
Edward Felsenthal, Editor-in-chief

Adi Utarini-public health researcher

The World Health Organization calls Dengue fever, caused by a mosquito-borne virus that infects almost 400 million people world wide, one of the greatest threats to world health,

Adi Utarini developed a technique to render these mosquitoes harmless by inoculating them with Wolbachia, a harmless bacteria that blocks mosquitoes from transmitting dengue with a bite.

“Utarini has survived dengue twice. However, dengue may not survive her”

Melinda French Gates

Barney Graham-physician-scientist

Barney Graham has researched and designed vaccines for decades, by understanding how viruses and human cells interact. His work on viral proteins led to the development of many of the COVID-19 vaccines used now.

“A thought leader in vaccine design and pandemic preparedness, Dr. Graham has helped save millions of lives and altered the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Anthony Fauci

electron microscope image of a 2019-nCoV isolate — Transmission electron microscopic image of an isolate from the first U.S. case of COVID-19, formerly known as 2019-nCoV. The spherical viral particles, colorized blue, contain cross-sections through the viral genome, seen as black dots. credit Hannah A Bullock; Azaibi Tamin, public domain

Lidia Morawska-physicist

Lidia Morawska recognized the importance of aerosol transmission in the spread of the COVID virus. She gathered the data and convinced scientists and public health authorities to change how we measure and lessen our risk of contracting the virus.

“Her advocacy helped change practices from schools to workplaces, making these environments safer for people around the world.”
Scott Gottlieb

Should I increase ventilation in a room to reduce spread of COVID-19? — reduce a

John Nkengasong -virologist

As founding director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, John Nkengasong has helped save lives during the pandemic. His work led to improved testing, better provision of COVID-19 tools, especially vaccines, and a more transparent approach to sharing data by all African countries.

Nkengasong is a modern-day African hero. Expect to see him charting the course both in Africa and globally.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein

3D print of a spike protein of SARS-CoV-2—also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19—in front of a 3D print of a SARS-CoV-2 virus particle. The spike protein (foreground) enables the virus to enter and infect human cells. On the virus model, the virus surface (blue) is covered with spike proteins (red) that enable the virus to enter and infect human cells.

3dprint.nih.gov/

Credit: NIH

Katalin Kariko-biochemist

Katalin Kariko, a senior VP, at BioNTech, began studying RNA when no one else considered it promising. But her research led to the idea of using mRNA (messenger RNA) in vaccines, and their use in developing the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. This technology has potential application for other vaccines as well as treating autoimmune disorders.

“I admire her dogged pursuit of an idea she was passionate about, and her willingness to collaborate with others.She inspires us with her creativity, persistence, and commitment.”
Jennifer Doudna

Rochelle Walensky-clinician-investigator

During her time at Harvard University, Rochelle Walensky made numerous important research contributions to controlling HIV infection. As director of the CDC she again confronts another major public health challenge , COVID-19, leading in its management and addressing health equity and other serious public health issues.

“Dr. Walensky’s calm courage and proven track record of respecting science are restoring the CDC’s prominence in leading us through this pandemic.”

Julie Geberding

CDC is committed to achieving health equity

Dolly Parton- living legend

Although I question why celebrities are on the list, for Dolly Parton I make an exception, because I don’t consider her a celebrity. I think of her as champion of the underdog, being somewhat of an underdog herself. From humble beginnings in rural Tennessee in a large, poor but loving family she used her talent and hard work to achieve a remarkable career in music, movies, and business.

Imagination Library with Dolly Parton — AT DOLLY PARTON’S STAMPEDE, BRANSON, MISSOURI (PHOTO BY DR ALETHA)

She established the Imagination Library to provide free books to millions of children. Last year she donated $1 million to help fund the develop the COVID-19 vaccine. And she publicly received a “shot in her arm” to encourage others to be vaccinated.

Have you ever met anyone who doesn’t love Dolly Parton? I never have. She’s my role model because of her steadfast morals and values.”

Miley Cyrus

update December 4, 2021

This year People magazine named Dolly Parton one of its People of the Year, calling her “the Queen of Country”, an American icon, one of the most prolific songwriters of our time.” She says,

I ask God every day to let Him shine through me. He’s given me that gift to be able to talk to them(her fans) , and I’m very careful with it. And people don’t really come to see me be me-they come to see me be them, the parts of me they can relate to.
People magazine, December 13, 2021

We all have an opportunity to help create a better world..we can choose to be among those who pick up the phone and run toward the struggle.
Edward Felsenthal

exploring the HEART of health

So what do you think about these choices or others on the list from TIME? Are there other people you would have included? I think we all have the power to be influential, for good or bad. Notice who’s following you and consider what they’re learning -and imitating-from your actions and attitudes.

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Dr. Aletha

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The Rich History of Watercress in Native American Culture

In 1889, the Locvpokv Muscogee Creeks established the village of Talasi near the Arkansas River, later called Tulsa. The Council Oak remains a cultural landmark, where Native Americans hold ceremonies. This article explores watercress and its culinary uses, highlighting its significance to local indigenous communities and the environment.

In 1889, after two years on the Trail of Tears, the Locvpokv Muscogee Creeks arrived in Indian Territory and placed ashes from their ancestral fires at the base of an oak tree a few miles from the Arkansas River.

Tulsa

This “Council Oak” designated the new village of the Locvpokv, which they called Talasi or “Old Town”. Subsequent white settlers mispronounced the word, eventually creating a new name, Tulsa.

Indian Territory merged with Oklahoma Territory to create the State of Oklahoma, and Tulsa, my hometown, is now its second-largest city. Native Americans and their culture played an important role in developing this city and still do.

Today, the original oak holds court in the Council Oak Park where tribal members still hold commemorative ceremonies. The grounds feature an ethnobotanical garden displaying plants that Creek Indians used for food, fiber, ceremonial and medicinal purposes.

Listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1976, Creek Council Oak Park is protected and preserved by Oklahoma Historic Preservation zoning.

Native Americans

Knowing that indigenous Americans understood and used plants in various ways, I wondered if and how they might have used watercress. Watercress came to this continent from Europe and is now well established.

The U.S. Geological Survey, USGS, considers watercress a “nonindigenous aquatic species” or NAS. It is native to Eurasia and Asia and was introduced to North America by cultivation and dispersed by wind, water, and animals. Characteristics include

fast-growing, perennial herb
aquatic-cold lakes and slow-moving streams
grows “floating or prostrate in mud”
most abundant in summer and autumn
flowers March to October

Nasturtium officinale range map. USDA PLANTS Database.

“Watercress: nutritional and medicinal“

Fortunately, I didn’t have to look far. I found an answer in a newspaper published in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, about 60 miles from Tulsa.

In a March 15, 2021 article, reporter Lindsey Bark published an interview with Cherokee Nation citizen Melissa Lewis, who gathers watercress each year to use in dishes such as smoothies and pesto.

Melissa praises watercress as tasty and nutritious. Since it is an aquatic plant, she finds it in local springs away from farming and ranching areas where the water might be contaminated with chemicals and bacteria.

“It’s (watercress) in the family that has other things like wasabi and mustards. They all have that same chemical that’s sulphur-like that gives it that spicy taste.”
Melissa Lewis

In this video watch Melissa gather watercress growing in a local stream.

Watercress-“a desirable weed”

I found another source far west, virtually, in California. In the Tehachapi News. Writer Jon Hammond reviews the history, ecology, and dietary features of watercress.

Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) can be found throughout creeks in Kern County, the Bakersfield California Metropolitan area. Caliente Creek has Watercress growing along its banks in countless places, as does Walker Basin Creek. Tehachapi Creek, Sycamore Creek, and Oak Creek also host Watercress in their upper reaches, where at least a little water typically flows year-round.

Jon says he learned to eat watercress from The Nuwä, the Tehachapi Indian people also known as Kawaiisu or Paiute, who called Watercress by the name poh-oh-pah-toor, meaning “in the water.”Nuwä people ate Watercress raw, often with salt, or boiled and mixed with bacon and eaten inside a tortilla.

According to Jon, watercress has small rounded spade-like leaves and produces pretty white flowers. Although some references claim that once these flowers appear, the leaves become bitter, he has eaten flowering watercress that did not taste bitter.

He explains watercress can be used in many ways, including in green salads, though it can be quite peppery. The sharpness disappears after cooking, and it is used in soups, roasts, omelets, pesto, and green smoothies.

Of all the invasive plants that humans have inflicted on the environment of North America in the past 400 years, it’s hard to think of one more benign and potentially as useful as Watercress. This plant has been nurturing humans for centuries, and you can grow your own or buy it from a grocery store and try some time-tested recipes.
Jon Hammond

Watercress- a multifaceted plant food

In my watercress posts, I’ve used references from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA, website. I also find info from another government agency, the Department of the Interior, or DOI.

The information is much the same but looks at watercress from a somewhat different angle.

While the agriculture department focuses on farming, food, and nutrition, the interior department focuses on the environment, wildlife, and geology.

NEW MEXICO LAND OF ENCHANTMENT-highway sign — Welcome sign at the New Mexico state line

Deb Haaland-first Native American DOI Secretary

Deb Haaland made history when President Biden appointed her as Secretary of the Department of the Interior, an office in his cabinet. She is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and a 35th-generation New Mexican. Since the DOI includes the Department of Indian Affairs, her appointment is fitting.

Secretary Haaland’s story is fascinating in several ways-

Her father was a 30-year combat Marine who was awarded the Silver Star Medal for saving six lives in Vietnam; he is buried in Arlington Cemetery
Her mother is a Navy veteran who served as a federal employee for 25 years at the Bureau of Indian Affairs
She used food stamps at times as a single parent, lived paycheck-to-paycheck, and struggled to put herself through college
At 28 years old, she enrolled and earned an English degree at the University of New Mexico (UNM) and later earned her J.D. from UNM Law School.
She ran her own small business producing and canning Pueblo Salsa
She became the first Native American woman to be elected to lead a State Party
She was one of the first Native American women to serve in Congress, where she focused on environmental justice, climate change, missing and murdered indigenous women, and family-friendly policies.

Secretary Haaland and First Lady Jill Biden (photos from the Tulsa World newspaper, December 7, 2021)

Secretary Haaland accompanied First Lady Jill Biden to Tahlequah, Oklahoma to visit the Cherokee Nation Immersion School. The school seeks to preserve the native Cherokee language by ensuring that young people learn to speak and write it.

You may enjoy exploring these resources about watercress and other plants.

The Rich History and Flavor of Native American Recipes

The Wild and Native Foods We Should Be Eating

adobe buildings at the Taos Pueblo in New Mexico

We visited the Taos Pueblo in northeastern New Mexico.

Exploring the HEART of watercress

I hope you will take the time to explore Native American culture where you live; if it’s anywhere in North, Central, or South America you’ll likely find some aspect of their rich culture and traditions.

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