Interview with Helen McKinney

Interview with Helen McKinney

Herbs -- Therapeutic use

McKinney, Helen, 1917-2004

Alternative medicine

Traditional medicine -- North Carolina, Western

Helen McKinney is interviewed as part of the "Native Plants Project"--a research project of the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University. A native and lifelong resident of Buncombe County, Helen shares some memories of relatives and family gatherings as she enjoys a meal. Helen learned about herbal remedies from her grandmother. She discusses numerous herbs and their healing properties, as well as how and where they can be harvested. She also gives detailed descriptions of a few plants. Helen maintains that wild plants are superior to those that have been planted, but they are becoming more difficult to find due to the loss of natural lands. She reads some passages from one of the few books on herbs she uses as references, recounting anecdotes about people that she has treated over the years for various ailments. Also present during the interview are Faye Ownby (Helen's cousin)and Sandra Gudger (Helen's friend).

McKinney, Helen, 1917-2004

WCU Mountain Heritage Center Oral Histories

Hunter Library Digital Collections, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723

1920s; 1930s; 1940s; 1950s; 1960s; 1970s; 1980s; 1990s;

1998-07-14

Lower, Emily

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/

audio/mp3;

sound recordings

interviews

eng

Sound

35658

https://southernappalachiandigitalcollections.org/object/35658

2015-05-22

All rights reserved. For permissions, contact Hunter Library Digital Collections, Western Carolina U, Cullowhee, NC 28723;

Buncombe County (N.C.)

North Carolina, Western

00:46:12(duration)

00:46:36(duration)

Oral Histories of Western North Carolina