Dr. Summer Wesley moves through the world with a sharp sense of humor and clear, stern purpose. The knowledge and experiences that she shares can only flow from a Chahta woman who knows exactly who she is. She’s a community advocate, artist, and entrepreneur who lives by the words, “do no harm, but take no shit.” Whether she’s leading workshops, advocating for her communities, or creating art, Summer has spent years building bridges between tradition and progress, helping others value their authentic selves.
In Chahta Alikchi, written with Dr. Faith G. Harper, she weaves together generations of Choctaw plant knowledge with modern wellness practices. What started as a way to preserve teachings for her own family grew into a book that reconnects readers with ancestral science, memory, and the land itself. In this interview, Summer talks about responsibility, protection, and the importance of carrying our teachings forward with care.
Q. Chahta Alikchi bridges ancestral plant knowledge with modern wellness practices. What inspired you and Dr. Faith G. Harper to bring this book to life now, and what do you hope readers understand about Chahta medicine through it?
A: It began with my concern about knowledge loss. Last year, one of my adult children had asked me which plant to use for their symptoms, but I couldn’t remember the name of it. This was something I’d known for nearly my entire life and I could picture the plant in my head, but the words just wouldn’t formulate; which was a stark reminder of the cognitive effects of Long COVID, and also how easy it is for important knowledge like this to disappear. When I was growing up, every family had at least one person that knew how to use plant medicine; but now, when I mention this practice to people from my children’s generation, most act like I’m speaking of a completely foreign concept.
So, I decided to begin writing down notes on the plants that are used frequently to create a reference for my family to use and pass down, to ensure that the knowledge is preserved. However, I had concerns about making sure it was stored in a format that would last, which I casually mentioned to Dr. Faith, one day, as I was researching options. She suggested that, perhaps, it could be expanded into a resource that includes historical knowledge and is published in a broader format to ensure preservation and accessibility. So, we discussed the concept with the publisher she has been working with for a number of years, and this project was born.
We hope readers come away from Chahta Alikchi understanding that Chahta medicine is rooted in our culture, which is a lived worldview that is based in the earth and focused on balance. Knowledge of our plant medicines developed over millennia, through use and observation–ie. Science; not superstition, as it is often dismissively labeled.
Q. This book weaves together oral teachings, archival research, and lived practice. How did you navigate honoring traditional knowledge while adapting it for a modern readership?
A: We wanted to make this book very readable and accessible, even to those who have no background knowledge about herbalism, so it is written in the same manner that the two of us would explain this topic to a person in an everyday conversation.
However, Faith & I take our responsibility for protecting sacred knowledge very seriously, as that is not for public consumption, so we evaluated the information that we included very carefully to ensure that we weren’t including information about ceremonial uses or anything that we had not been taught, through our own training processes, was open knowledge. The utilization of the plants, themselves, has not really changed over time; but knowledge about how to identify specific plants and make medicinal preparations has been lost in a lot of families, so we included information about how preparations are made, as well as identifying characteristics of each plant.
Q. The text references Dr. Gideon Lincecum’s 1820s notes on Choctaw medicine. What was it like revisiting those early records through a Choctaw lens and re-centering Indigenous voices in that narrative?
A: Prior to this, I was unaware of the extent of Dr. Gideon Lincecum’s work other than in passing historical references; I only knew the plant knowledge that had been passed on to me. While I had often wondered what plants were used prior to removal, I had no idea about The Gideon Lincecum Herbarium or how to access such information. So, it was surreal to learn about this resource and be able to see the plants our ancestors used that we no longer have access to, having been forcefully removed to Oklahoma. To find our language in the records and learn Chahta names for many plants has been truly invaluable to me, on a personal level, and is a reminder of how important language revitalization is, as our culture is embedded in the traditional use of our language.
Q. Your art often reflects Choctaw identity, healing, and connection to the land. How does your visual art practice inform or intersect with the herbal and cultural work in Chahta Alikchi?
A: I wouldn’t say they intersect so much as they’re rooted in the same place—Chahta culture. Culture is more than just beads & baskets. Though those things are pretty, the substance of culture is much deeper. It’s lived experience, grounded in and derived from a worldview that has been handed down to us by our ancestors, from time immemorial. The word “traditional” is thrown around a lot, and diluted to mean ‘things that have been done a lot or for a long time’ when, in reality, for something to truly be Chahta it must be compatible with our worldview, which is rooted in nature and cannot be separated from the land or our place in the ecosystem. That is where our identity resides and the place where healing is found.
Q. Many Indigenous artists view creativity itself as medicine. Do you see your art as an extension of the same healing traditions that guide your herbal practice?
A: Herbalism and art are both creative practices that take the same existential energy. When we create, or prepare medicine, or even grow or prepare food, we infuse that creation with the energy we have during that process. That is why I was taught to never create in any of these ways when in a negative or turbulent headspace, because energy cannot be destroyed but it can be transferred. If our goal is to give life to others, rather than suffering, it’s vital we take that responsibility very seriously and exercise care. Our word “hullo” is a verb that is often translated into the English word “love” but it’s far more substantial than the limited emotion we call by that term. It’s denotes actively providing care for others. And that is what we are (or, at least, should be) doing when we create, regardless of the medium.
Q. Are there particular plants, colors, or symbols that appear both in your artwork and your understanding of Chahta healing, and what do they represent to you?
A: Symbolism is very important in Chahta culture. I tend to use rows of our triangle (also called the half diamond) symbol, enclosed on top & bottom by a line, in my visual art. Those parallel lines indicate a path. The triangle shape recalls our Mother Mound but we also have a teaching that describes it as showing when we deviate from our own personal path to help others, then return to our own. That embodies the collectivistic nature of Chahta teachings.
Likewise, I’m very careful about using certain symbols. The diamond pattern that is commonly seen, for example, is a sacred symbol invoking our Snake Medicine. When they are in a row, enclosed in that path I mentioned, it is indicating to others that your life path is that medicine–that you are trained in that & openly accepting the responsibility of utilizing that appropriately for the community. That is not something to use lightly or as mere decoration, so it is not something that is seen in my public work.
Q. Writing about traditional medicine carries deep responsibility. How do you approach questions of cultural consent, protection, and reciprocity when sharing this knowledge with a wider audience?
A: A lot of care was taken to ensure that information that was included in the book is appropriate and that sacred/ceremonial knowledge was protected. Throughout my adult life—whether it was because I was learning these skills or times that I have been asked to speak on behalf of various segments of my community for policy discussion—I have had ongoing conversations with elders about what information is acceptable for the public and what should not be released outside our community. So, I followed that guidance and instruction as to what can be presented openly and, if there was ever a question, we erred on the side of caution and did not include that information.
Q. How does the Choctaw worldview shape your understanding of wellness beyond the physical body?
A: Chahta worldview varies from that of western culture in that we don’t have the xian derived concepts of suffering as a blessing or death as something to fear. We seek balance in all things and believe the earth provides us what we need when we need it. Plant medicine can alleviate suffering and support our bodies as they do their job of healing as best they can. And, when our life reaches an end, we also have processes for supporting the dying as they move on to whatever comes next. We also don’t view physical wellness in isolation. Instead, we understand that mental and spiritual health are necessary in order to have physical health. They all work together and must be cared for accordingly.
Q. Collaboration is central to Indigenous knowledge systems. What did you learn from working alongside Dr. Faith G. Harper, and how did your respective disciplines complement each other?
A: Dr. Faith is a wonderful friend & colleague and working together seemed to help us each remember things that we hadn’t thought about in years or didn’t previously see the significance of. When something is your normal & your everyday practice, it’s easy to forget that it’s not necessarily common knowledge. But we worked through things the way our people tend to do–we told each other stories and that would help us remember more of what we know that may have been filed way back in our brains, which helped us pull that knowledge out and bring them together in this book.
Q. You’ve now created a bridge between traditional healing, art, and written knowledge. What do you hope future generations of Chahta artists, healers, and storytellers take from this work?
A: I hope that current & future Chahta creatives recognize the importance of creation and preservation of our knowledge. If we don’t continue to nurture the plant, eventually the root withers and, if we allow that to happen to our culture, who we are as a people ceases to exist. We cannot allow that to become reality. We must return to our ways of balance and community in order to heal and to thrive as a people.
Chahta Alikchi breathes life into knowledge that has endured colonization, erasure, and the passage of time. In every sense of the word, it is medicine rooted in love, language, and balance. Chahta Alikchi is a continuation of knowing, a way of keeping the land, the language, and the lessons of survival and healing alive. Summer’s work shows us that creation, in any form, can be ceremony, and that the real medicine is in how we choose to live, give, and remember.
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