Medicinal Plants Used by Native Americans
Like all tribes, the Blackfoot had their own medicinal plants they used.
Even if you aren’t reading Shinin’ Times, you might still have an interest in medicinal plants used by Native Americans.
Interest in medicinal plants used by Native Americans and their methods of healing seems to be on the rise these days. That interest seems to stem from a discontentment about western medicine. With quickly rising health care costs, large pharmaceutical companies turning billions of dollars in profits each year, and a belief that many health care providers treat symptoms rather than the root cause, have left many people unhappy. On the other hand, there are the facts that western medicine has greatly improved our lives. Over the last 100 years our global population has grown from 1.5 billion to 7.5 billion, in the US our life expectancy has almost doubled, and our infant mortality has gone from 167 deaths for every 1,000 births, to just 7 deaths for every 1,000 live births. These are all GOOD things. Still, some people look for a more natural approach to healing and health and look to Native American traditions for their knowledge.
When learning about healing and medicinal plants used by Native Americans, it’s important to remember that traditional medicine varied widely between tribes. Pre-Columbian America consisted of around 500 different nations of people speaking different languages, practicing unique customs, and practicing different medicine. Since in Shinin Times Jemmey Fletcher is being pursued by Blackfoot in the northern reaches of the Rocky Mountains, for this extension we’ll take a closer look at that region specifically.
Like many other Native American tribes, today the Blackfoot tribe in Montana is doing their best to pass on their traditional culture to the next generation. As part of that effort they have created pamphlets to encourage their tribe members to use traditional plant medicines when possible. According to the tribe, here are a few medicinal plants historically used by their tribe.
Medicinal Plants Used by Blackfoot Tribe
Peppermint: Leaves were dried and drank as a tea for stomach pain and nausea.
Raspberry: Dry leaves and drink as tea. Used as an antioxidant and muscle and blood vessel relaxant.
Valerian Root: Dry root was used as a tea. This root was used for anti-anxiety and to sleep better.
Willow Bark: The dry interior bark was taken as a pain killer. Willow was used widely by many tribes wherever it grew. Modern science has identified the plant contains salicin, as chemical similar to aspirin.
Willow. Image via wikicommons.
Blueroot: Dry roots used in a tea. This root was used to as a painkiller much like willow bark.
Licorice Root: Roots were dried and used in tea. Licorice was used to reduce swelling in the stomach and throat.
Yarrow: In Shinin’ Times Jemmey gathers this plant to help his partner George Washington Blackburn. As the story indicates, yarrow was used as a blood-clotter. It was also used to treat coughing, colds, and throat irritation.
Chokecherry: Chokecherry grows widely in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain region. Blackfoot reportedly used it to treat diarrhea and purge the bowels.
Sweetgrass: Another commonly used plant in the region was sweetgrass. Sweetgrass smoked for purification and drank as a tea to relieve cough.
Sweetgrass. Image via wikicommons.
Red Osier Dogwood: Berries were used as a laxative, leaves were used to treat stomach, liver, and kidney problems, and the bark could be used for chest colds.
Alumroot: Alumroot was used for a variety of reasons including as a tea to ease coughs and chest pains, as well as a paste to heal cuts and sores.
Biscuit Root: Biscuit root appears to have been a “go to” plant for the Blackfoot. It could be used for sinus and chest conditions, and drank by people when they were simply feeling in a “weakened condition.”
While there are hundreds of other medicinal plants used by Native Americans like the Blackfoot, this offers a basic understanding of the topic. It’s important to note two things when studying this topic. One, this post is meant to be informative on the topic, not a field guide to harvesting and consuming. Before EVER attempting to use these wild plants to treat yourself, it is imperative you can accurately identify them 100% of the time. Several of these plants have similar looking varieties that can be poisonous. Secondly, in general Native American medicine was really a completely different approach to medicine than we have in the western world. You simply didn’t take a medicine when you started feeling poorly. There were rituals that needed to be followed, and ceremonies that needed to be performed in order to maintain health. When combined with their active and natural lifestyles, it should be no wonder the people who practiced them were often in extremely good health.