ANALYSIS OF "THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES AND FIRST NATIONS PEOPLES" This paper discusses the role of therapeutic landscapes in the health of First Nations peoples. Wilson follows a cultural approach, and attempts to explore the relationship between health and landscapes for the Anishinabek. The Anishinaabe are indigenous people who live in a relatively remote First Nation's reserve in northern Ontario. After living in the area for two months and establishing a connection with the locals, Wilson conducted in-depth interviews with 17 Anishinaabes. Previous research conducted on this topic discussed land as mere physical and symbolic spaces in which Anishinabek inhabit. However, Wilson's conversations with the interviewees revealed that the role of land extended beyond those representations. One interviewee spoke about how land provided fundamental resources for survival and the use of traditional medicines such as "fungus from trees" (Wilson, 2003). One interviewee talked about the importance of symbols and extraordinary landscapes through an example of a sweat lodge and its healing properties. Another interviewee discussed how activities such as hunting allow individuals to connect spiritually to the earth. Wilson comes to a conclusion that the Anishinabek have physical, symbolic and spiritual relationships with the land. The land represents more than just a space in which they carry out their everyday lives, but also a location of healing, as well as a complex relationship between culture, health and identity. One major strength of the study was the way Wilson presented his results. Instead of relying entirely on paraphrasing his interviews, he included important quotes said by his interviewee. After presenting the quotes, he proceeds to analyzing and interpreting them. An advantage of this is that it prevents the probability of the quotes to be mistranslated, and gives the readers the
ANALYSIS OF "THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES AND FIRST NATIONS PEOPLES" opportunity to analyze it too. An example of this can be seen when Wilson explores the importance of spirituality of the land to the health of the Anishinabek. For some readers who are influenced by the western conceptions of health and place, spirituality may be a difficult and abstract concept to understand. Wilson presents a quote with an interviewee, Allan: "If I have problems I take a walk in the bush. I talk to the trees and they listen. They take my problems away" (Wilson, 2003). By providing this quote, readers are better able to understand spirituality in the context of the Anishinabek and may even relate it to similar concepts in their lives. For example, when I read this quote, it reminded me of my personal experience of meditating on the beach, and how that helped my mental and emotional health. A major flaw of the study lies in its research method. Wilson stated in the paper that he had "asked 21 community members to participate", and ended up with a group of 17 interviews. By simply asking people to participate, Wilson uses availability sampling by selecting those who are easily accessible. Since Wilson wanted to conduct in-depth interviews with the Anishinabek, a non-probability