The story of the bitterroot

This video is being shown on PBS stations in the American Northwest and until recently has only been available in museums and in interpretive centers along the route of the Lewis and Clark trail. So what's so special about bitterroot? Just about everything: it is a plant, the Montana state flower, a winter staple of the Salish peoples, a culture, and a way of life. The eight standalone episodes depict bitterroot from the Salish legend to its importance in the Anglo discovery and founding of the West, from its botanic collection and cataloging by the Lewis and Clark Expedition to its present-day cultivation and gathering by the Bitterroot Salish and the peril to its future existence in its natural range. This fascinating documentary is lovingly constructed, filmed, and edited. Rarely has a film so successfully shown the spiritual connection of Native Americans with the natural world, to the point that viewers can feel that connection. Very highly recommended for video collections in history, ethnic studies, or ecology; a must for libraries in the Northwest.-Cliff Glaviano, Bowling Green State Univ. Libs., OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 7 Up-This flexibly-structured program consists of eight segments, each between five and ten minutes in length, which can be used as stand-alone supplements to lessons on anthropology, history, Native studies, or biology. Individually, each covers a number of topics: the legend of the bitterroot, the plant's role in Lewis and Clark's voyage of discovery, the plant's botanical characteristics, how it became the state flower of Montana, the effect the white man's settlement had on their harvest, one man's obsession with their cultivation, the communal process of gathering the bitterroot, and speculation on the future of this resilient plant. This creative and fascinating program gives viewers a very complete picture of the story of the bitterroot and how it intertwines with the Salish people of the northwest and their native culture. It is constructed using interviews with Salish descendants, tribal leaders, historians, ethno-botanists, and non-native admirers of the hearty bitterroot. High quality footage, stunning photography, and inventive graphic design are combined with a female voice-over track. These elements impart the rich history of a plant that has served as a food source, an intriguing botanical curiosity, and a symbol of the native peoples' tenacity and strength.-Meghann R. Matwichuk, University of Delaware, Newark (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.