The Herbalist Street Medic

with 7Song

Street medicine refers to the various types of medicine and health care practitioners who offer assistance and treatment at protests and demonstrations. These include protests such the one currently taking place at Standing Rock and also include urban street protests at political events and Occupy encampments. Herbalists offer a valuable service helping in these situations with conditions ranging from anxiety, injuries, gastrointestinal problems, sleep disturbance and pain.

We will look at different ways of assessing these health needs and discussing single herbs and formulas to address them. There will be a focus on categories such as antiinflammatories, sedatives and others that are useful for a variety of conditions. This is a practical class for those already helping in these situations or those interested taking part at these events. It is also open for folks wanting to learn these skills.


7Song has been involved in herbal first aid at various events for many years. He has worked as a street medic and as an herbalist at clinics and first aid stations. He has helped run the first aid station at the Rainbow Gathering for over 20 years, which is an off-the- grid health care area that sees up to 150 people a day with a wide range of health conditions. He is director of holistic medicine and a clinical herbalist at the Ithaca Free Clinic. He is also the director of the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine in Ithaca, NY. One of his goals in teaching is showing how herbal medicine offers useful primary and adjunct therapies in first aid situations, especially when working alongside a diversity of health care practitioners.


Recorded on June 25, 2020