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Friday 28 June 2024 LOCAL
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Lessons from our elders: Plants and fruits for medicinal use

(Oranjestad)—Though western Arrowroot to find in supermarkets around the
medicine is now widely used for Arrowroot is native to tropical Amer- world and can be grown all year
common illnesses and to keep our ica and can be sold as a powder round on the island. Related to pota-
bodies healthy and happy, it is still or whole. It is said that you can take to and tomato, eggplants are good
very common in every household arrowroot powder and make a “sha- to calm nerves. It can also be used to
in Aruba (and around the world) to lup” (porridge) for stomach pain or lower blood pressure, by steeping its
have staple home remedies that is when you’re feeling weak. You can leaves in boiled water and drinking
passed on through generations. Here make it with milk too, but it is advised it. You can also make eggplant juice
are some tips that our elders have to best use just water. You can also to help purify your blood. However,
passed on to us over the years. add prunes for a bit of sweetness. do make sure to drink slowly; let it
Arrowroot shalup is also good to treat mix with your spit and then swallow.
Pineapple this can be used to stimulate men- an unhealthy gut or for diarrhea.
Pineapple has more uses than struation flow in women. This also Eggplant kataplan* can also be used
topping it on your Christmas ham. stimulates the passing kidney stones. To make arrowroot shalup, boil a bit to treat skin tumors, abscesses and
According to elders, the skin of a When ripe, the fruit can be used for of water and add one tablespoon hemorrhoids. Eggplant kataplan
pineapple is great to use to refresh poisoning in the gut and can help of arrowroot powder and stir con- can also be used externally to treat

your body. Clean the skin thoroughly treat rheumatic diseases, like arthritis. tinuously until you reach porridge arthritis..q
and make tea or warapa* with it. It is consistency. If you make a shalup
said that this tea can also be drank However, breastfeeding women with milk, add a pinch of salt. Raw *warapa: term referring to a wa-
after an operation on the ovaries or who cannot produce much milk are arrowroot powder can be used to ter and sugar solution, a.k.a simple
uterus. This gets rid of irritation and advised not to consume too pine- powder babies. syrup.
inflammation. apple, and people with acid reflux *kataplan: porridge-like mixture used
are recommended to not consume Eggplant/Aubergine externally for wounds or parts of the
When the fruit is unripe and green, any pineapple at all. Eggplants, or aubergines, are easy body that are painful or swollen.

Episode 137 - New Year! Dande “Ay Nobe”!

Aruba`s traditional New Year was welcomed, the mu-
Year’s celebration. We do sical group passed house to
not know exactly when the house singing to the rhythm
rhythm of Dande arose in of giving and with the song
Aruba, it is estimated that it spreading good wishes to
was around the year of 1880 the inhabitants. The musi-
that it really start to be heard cal group consisted of a
all over the island drummer, a Wiri player, and
a singer. Over the years, in-
From the stories that have struments such as the “cu-
been passed down through arta”, guitar, the mandolin,
generations we know that accordion and even the vio-
there is a supposition that lin were incorporated. Many
the Dande was influenced times, others on the back
by Arubans returning from of a donkeys, went to visit
Cuba and coinciding with relatives first, infecting each
the times when the Aruban home with joy and good
people traveled to the island wishes for the year that has
to work in the fields. The truth just begun, then continued
is that this particular rhythm through the houses of friends
does not exist anywhere else and acquaintances.
in the world. As musicians were given
The word Dande derives from great respect, the musical
“dandare” which means to group would play at the lim-
go from one place to an- its of the houses they visited, house gave his approval ly to the children even the which the Catholic Church
other. As for the expression just at the entrance, or in the for the group to enter, the youngest. celebrates the feast of the
“Ay nobe” it would be the front yard. Now if the own- singer, as a sign of respect We must emphasize that the “Dia di Tres Rey “(Three Wise
result of the: Año Nuevo ers of any particular house for the house and the family, Dande rhythm, despite be- Men of the East).
(New Year) of the Spanish invited them to come in, they would take off his hat. In this ing written in six eight just like
language since there is no will continue playing inside time there is a belief that the the tomb rhythm, has its origi- We propose you one social
word that in our Papiamento each home. If the owner of purpose of removing the hat nal rhythm that is given by its encounter & give you more
language has a relationship the house did not want to was to receive money which own instruments, as in these reasons to love Aruba! This
with this expression. receive them, they did not is completely wrong. times the bass that gives it unforgettable adventure
insist and went to the next The custom indicates that its original touch. The visits gets you into a real Aruba’s
The custom indicates that house. the singer begins to sing to of the Dande group began home where you can cap-
immediately after the clocks the owner of the house, then with the New Year and lasted ture your destination in both
struck 12:00 pm and the New When the owner of the to the lady and successive- until January 6, the day in a memorable and immersive
way. Visit us, mention this
Article by: Etnia Nativa column and take home a
native gift! Appointment is
Whatsapp us +297 592 2702 and book required: etnianativa03@
gmail.com or WhatsApp at
your Aruban exprerience 297 592 2702 for an exclusive
Etnia Nativa is close to the high rise hotels and insiders’ experience.q