I was born in Cornwall Barracks, the beautiful Rio Grande Valley, Portland, Jamaica – one of the nine Maroon villages in the Blue and John Crow Mountains, highest region in Jamaica. I am a descendant of Nanny of the Maroons, leader of the Windward Maroons and Jamaica’s only female National Heroine. The Maroons are a proud nation of people originally from Kormantse West Africa that were brought to Jamaica by the Spaniards sometime in the seventeenth century. Unwilling to succumb to slavery, they ran away to the hills in Portland nestled between the Blue and John Crow Mountains. Therein lie many rivers and mineral springs, including the great Rio Grande River which is a source of sustenance and livelihood for the Maroon people.
As a descendant of the Maroons, growing up in and around these fascinating sets of generations, I have always been interested in the Maroons’ history, herbal plants and different kinds of food. The Maroons had no medical doctors back in the 17th and 18th centuries, neither stores, shops or even matches to make fire. In fact, no basic commodities existed except for Creation, and that’s what really intrigued me about their traditional herbal medicines. I know that herbs are very precious and healing because I have seen lots of healing wonders performed by many herbalists and myself. I am an herbalist from birth, and I love to work with things that are created by the Creator, like unto my ancestors. This tradition is very important to me, and I’m looking forward to handing down my knowledge to future generations.
I collaborated on Common Medicinal Plants of Portland, Jamaica in 2003, and I wrote Healing Herbs of Jamaica which was published in 2010.
Nanny of the Maroons Herbal Wellness Retreat 