Native American Herbal Medicine and its Relevance today

Native American herbal medicine used natural substances for treating many common illnesses and conditions. Herbal remedies were a fundamental of Native American culture that went beyond dealing with aches and pains and into spirituality as part of medicine.

A Native American herbal remedy that is still practiced today is using the Impatiens flower to treat Poison ivy and Poison oak rashes.

Native Americans created their remedies from local ingredients and different tribes developed those remedies based upon what was available to them. Some of the plants and flowers used- as well as the area they were harvested from- were deeply sacred and reserved for religious or spiritual practices. Some are suprisingly common and used today, like the humble Pepper or Capsicum.

Natural Herbal Remedies that are used today

The appeal of Native American herbal medicine – and indeed all natural and herbal remedies- is driven by the perception that herbal remedies are less toxic, and don’t have the side effects associated with many prescription medicines. 

Some of the Native American remedies derived from North American plants are incredibly simple to locate and quite common, like Skunk Cabbage. Other ingredients used by Native American tribes include Wild Cherry, Wild Yam Root, Passion Flower, Sage, Juniper, Willow, Purple Coneflower and Rabbit Tobacco.

Native Americans used Passion flower to treat boils and drank infusions for liver health. The Aztecs of South America used it for insomnia and to treat nervousness and anxiety. There are more than 500 different varieties of Passion flower.

Natural Treatment for Asthma

Native American medicine came up with treatments for asthma many thousands of years before the commonly used Ventolin puffers of today. The first true residents of North America used something called Skunk Cabbage to stimulate the removal of phlegm.

There are two types of Skunk Cabbage, with the Eastern Skunk Cabbage being the one specifically used for asthma. The Wikipedia web site states that, ‘In the 19th century the U. S. Pharmacopoeia listed eastern skunk cabbage as the drug "dracontium". It was used in the treatment of respiratory diseases, nervous disorders, rheumatism, and dropsy.'

Wikipedia also states that Eastern Skunk Cabbage is also known as Clumpfoot Cabbage, Foetid Pothos, Meadow Cabbage, Polecat Weed, Skunk Cabbage, or Swamp Cabbage.

Early Days of Practicing Population Control

The Navajo, Chippewa, Shoshoni and many other tribes used different types of natural contraceptives. Some of the ingredients include Ragleaf Bahia, Blue Cohosh, Dogbane, Milkweed, American Mistletoe, Antelope Sage and Stoneseed.

Ragleaf Bahia is better known as Bahia dissecta and sometimes yellow ragleaf, it is part of the daisy family.

Using Boneset for many Ailments

Native American Tribes used Boneset for many different health problems. According to Wikipedia, the name Boneset alludes to its use to treat broken bones as well as dengue fever, which was also called breakbone fever because of the pain that it caused.

An example of Boneset

Native American Medicine and its Connection to Wild Crafting

Wild crafting is a modern practice and many Wild crafters located in North America use the different ingredients that were used in Native American herbal medicine. Wild crafting is a world-wide practice with residents of different countries using herbs, flowers, mosses, mushrooms and more to practice ancient healing.

Wild Crafting's popularity is driven by the relevance of ancient remedies like that used in Native American herbal medicine.