About NIT
Hello, my name is Ede
I have a few passions in life and two of them have always been reading about history and hair. I've spent a lot of time researching both.
I love history because it's a window into the past with endless stories that are entertaining and educational.
The concept of Natural Island Traditions (NIT)
came to me back in 2003 after a conversation I had with my mother about her beauty regimen (this was before YouTube).
Trying to grow my hair longer was a full-time job that led me to buy and try "any and everything", so I wanted to know what my mother did to keep her long hair healthy.
While planting in the garden with my mother, I was inspired to dig into her past, so I asked her “what products did you use in your hair when we lived back in Jamaica?”
And she told me something that would change my life forever – her natural hair care regimen using plants and herbs.
That conversation made a huge impact on me and changed how I took care of my hair.
It also opened my eyes to parts of my culture that my mother did not tell me about because she considered it unimportant.
I was raised drinking herbal teas, using plants as “medicines” and taught to cook traditional Jamaican dishes – so I guess my mother figured her job was done.
My mother taught me many things about my Jamaican heritage. She used castor oil in my hair from time to time but she never taught me anything about using actual herbs and plants in my hair. I felt cheated.
This is how cultural knowledge gets lost. It’s not passed down to the next generation.
And this is why I was inspired
to write about and share the regimens and traditions of my “Island” homeland.
I started my research with what I knew and then focused on countries in the Caribbean, which led me to Central and South America.
After speaking with a few co-workers from the Philippines and India, I noticed we shared several foods and customs, as well as colonial histories - so I broadened my research to include Asia, the Pacific Islands, Africa and Europe.
Historical research took me to many places around the world.
I found the link between the “old world and new world” to be quite fascinating. The blending of cultures has given each country both common and unique customs & traditions.
I thought it would be interesting and fun to learn how the indigenous and native people from around the world used plants in their everyday lives; and specifically, how they used it in their hair.
The inspirational information my mother shared with me can now be found anywhere,
in books and on the internet. . . its no longer "new" or a secret but my purpose remains the same. (and it's still a work in progress)
My goal with NIT is to showcase these plants, herbs and “Super Foods”, their history and the people who used them to sustain their lives, health and beauty.
Come & explore with me, and learn how to use these cultural traditions to maintain the health of your natural hair.
Thanks for stopping by!
- Ede V