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Seneca snakeroot (Polygala senega L.) is a member of the milkwort family and a known medicine to the Anishinaabe people. The Ojibwa call Seneca snakeroot bi'jikiwuk'. The name translates, literally, as “ buffalo medicine” but since the coming of white men and their cattle it is now referred to as “cattle herb medicine.” When made into medicine among the Ojibwa the dried root of this plant is used to treat coughs, colds and asthma. It is also used by some healers in the treatment of diabetes. It can be found growing in moist prairie and at the edges of aspen groves.  Ojibwe family traveling from Pembina to Devils Lake to collect Seneca Root After European contact, fur traders and settlers learned about this plant and its qualities from watching the Natives, and many used it to make cough syrup and cough drops. During the fur trade and up to the late 1800s, many of the regional tribes engaged in picking the root as a wage-earning activity. Families would travel to good gathering spots and spend days at a time in the summer to pick the root.
Because of its price per pound, a family could easily supplement their income by picking Seneca root.
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The BLM provides a free database to search for Federal Land Patents of GLO records. This resource offers inquiring minds the ability to source information on the initial transfer of land titles from the Federal government to individuals, including Native Americans who received land under various Treaty, allotment, or homestead authorities. The Official Land Records Site for the United States, the GLO site has a searchable database of more than five million (1820-present) Federal land conveyance records, including scanned images of those records. There are also images related to survey plats and field notes, dating back to 1810. The site does not currently contain every Federal title record issued for the Public Land States. It's a great genealogical resource. CLICK HERE to enter the site and start finding documents like the one provided below...   Powwow Sweat' Promotes Fitness Through Traditional Dance. In Indian Country, a gym membership is not a cultural norm and the incidence of heart disease and obesity are high. Native Americans are 60 percent more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic whites. The Coeur D'Alene tribe, whose headquarters is in northern Idaho, is trying to combat the problem by incorporating culture into fitness programs. The tribe has created an exercise routine — called "Powwow Sweat" — based on traditional dancing. The program features a series of workout videos that break down six traditional dances into step-by-step exercise routines. Check out some of the videos at the links below.. |
AuthorA collaborative effort of members of the Ojibwe and Metis communities Archives
May 2019
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