The knowledge of medicinal plants handed down through generations has the potential to unlock valuable treatments for numerous diseases, including cancer. Yet, while traditional practices provide anecdotal evidence, modern science requires solid empirical data. Unfortunately, funding for this type of research is often limited, especially for natural remedies that cannot be patented. This lack of profitability reduces interest from corporations and potential sponsors.

Sometimes, unexpected sources can provide undeniable proof of a plant’s medicinal properties. A notable example comes from a Native American high school student whose research on a traditional recipe and plant gained international attention at the Los Angeles International Science Fair. According to Indian Country Today, Destany “Sky” Pete, a member of the Shoshone and Paiute Tribes from the Duck Valley Indian Reservation (spanning Idaho and Nevada), discovered a link between her community’s current health problems and the absence of traditional foods, particularly the lost recipe for toishabui, also known as chokecherry pudding.

Curious about the potential health benefits of chokecherry pudding—especially its rumored ability to fight cancer—Sky decided to put these claims to the test. She partnered with Dr. Ken Cornell, a biochemistry professor at Boise State University with expertise in cancer cell research, to design an experiment.

Dr. Cornell analyzed four different chokecherry samples on uterine sarcoma cancer cells. Surprisingly, only one sample—the traditional chokecherry pudding—showed promising results. Within just 24 hours, the cancer cells began to die. Sky explained that the key ingredient behind this success was the inclusion of crushed chokecherry pits, an essential part of the original recipe. The findings were celebrated within her community as a powerful example of how traditional knowledge can align with modern science.

Sky’s project was such a success that it won the First Grand Prize at the 2017 Elko County Science Fair in Nevada, outperforming over 440 other submissions. Motivated by these results, she plans to continue her research to determine if chokecherry pudding can have similar effects on other types of cancer cells over longer testing periods.

Reflecting on the significance of her work, Sky highlighted the importance of traditional diets in maintaining health. “It was the traditional preparation of toishabui with the crushed seeds that had the results,” she said. “I feel like our ancestors were really healthy. Nowadays, we’re prone to diabetes and other diseases. But back then, it was our food that made us healthy.”