Osage Use of Plants in and around Smallin Cave

The Osage presence in and around Smallin Cave was documented by explorer Henry Rowe Schoolcraft 200 years ago. Botanical surveys have demonstrated the cave valley presents a wide diversity of native plants. Through a combination of historical and ethnographic research, a picture of potential Osage plant use around Smallin Cave has emerged. Come see and hear the Osage names and uses for several of the plants common at Smallin Cave and the Ozarks region.

About the Presenter: Eric C. Fuller received a BA in Antiquities from MSU and an MA in Anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis. He is the Staff Archaeologist for Smallin Civil War Cave in Ozark, Missouri and has taught Anthropology courses for Drury University. Since 2013, Fuller has been conducting archival and field research in Osage ethnobotany with the cooperation of the Osage Nation.