Native Americans have a long tradition of using natural herbal remedies. The spiritual leaders of the tribe, sometimes known as medicine men, used different plants, roots and herbs to treat and heal members of the tribe. The different herbal remedies varied depending on the tribe and their geographic location. Indian healing treats not only the body, but also the spirit. Part of treatment is in the ritual and ceremony to balance the spirit and body. The tradition of using herbal remedies continues today.
Colds
Depending on the tribe, there are a variety of herbs used for cold remedies. The Iroquois used wild ginger to treat colds. The Menominees, Alabama, Creeks, Iroquois and Mohegans used boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum L. from Asteraceae) tea to treat different symptoms of the flu. Fever, stomachache and body aches were treated using boneset. Boneset is chiefly used to treat fevers, but can cause diarrhea if large quantities of the tea are consumed, according to Drugs.com.
Wild ginger (Asarum canadense) is similar to the ginger in stores in taste and medicinal value. Native Americans use it to treat stomachache, according to the National Parks Service.
Boneset and wild ginger are just two of over 140 medicinal herbs native to North American, according to the National Parks Service.
Constipation
Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest use the bark of the cascara buckthorn to treat constipation. This is a laxative that is listed in more than 17 countries' pharmacopeias, according to Gentcar Natural Ingredients (GNI), a plant-extraction and -purification company. Cascara sagrada comes from the bark of a buckthorn tree, according to the National Parks Service. Its name means "sacred bark" because of its healing properties.
The "New York Times" noted, in an article published Feb. 9, 1999, that "Natural laxatives like the herb Cascara sagrada are just as habit-forming and harmful to the colon as laxatives sold as drugs."
Burns
The Kiowa Indians use yellow-spined thistle to treat skin sores and burns. They boil the thistle blossoms and apply the liquid to the burn or skin sore.
Headache
The Onondaga Indians of upstate New York used pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium, Hedeoma pulegioides) to treat headaches. They would boil the leaves and drink the tea to alleviate headaches. Pennyroyal is a member of the mint family and grows throughout Northeastern America and Canada. Pennyroyal has severe toxicity at 5 g doses and is not considered safe for use, according to drugs.com.
Inflammation & Swelling
The Menominees Indians used witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana L.) to reduce swelling and inflammation. They boiled the leaves and rubbed the liquid on the area that needed treatment. In a 1994 study at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, UK, they concluded that witch hazel does indeed contain antiinflammatory substances.
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