If you have any of the tools shown in the picture below, please bring them with you when we meet up for willow gathering.
Author Archive: Shoshone Food
Advisory Group Meeting: Friday April 12, 2024
Date: Friday, April 12, 2024
Time: 1-5 p.m.
Location: Frank B. Wise Building, SNAP Ed Kitchen (at the end of the east hallway)
We will be discussing our organizational strategic planning with a consultant. Please bring a dish to share.
(Prairie Smoke or “Mtn. Avens or 3-flowered avens”)
Names
Shoshone:
Unknown
English: Prairie Smoke or “Mtn. Avens or 3-flowered avens”
Scientific: Geum triflorum
Zone
Upper Foothills
Harvest Time
- Any time
Primary Uses
- Peel root bark to white succulent core; lay into wound, site in bleeding. cook peeled root in a soup, for diarrhea
Secondary Uses
- None listed
Cautions
- Too much tea may cause constipation
Active Principle(s)
- Vitamin C and B-vitamins
Video Description of Plant
Click play on the video to learn more about this plant.
Notes
Medicinal Uses:
- Rash: root infusion applied to rashes to soothe and heal
- Ulcers: root tea is astringent for ulcers
- Bleeding: Root powder or infusion
- Diarrhea: Root tea
Process Prep
- Root fresh or dried made into tea
- Tea – 2-3 cups/day. 1 Tbls root/cup water boiled
bee·yah·soe·reenp (Giant Wild Rye or “Great Basin”)
Names
Shoshone:
bee·yah·soe·reenp
English: Giant Wild Rye or “Great Basin”
Scientific: Elymus cinereus
Zone
Upper Foothills
Harvest Time
- harvest between flowering and seeding
Primary Uses
- Specific blades’ edge were used to remove eyelid growths: archeologists use this grass asa confirmation of the SheepEater/Duka-Dika peoples’ campsite location in high elevation.
- From rain/snow melt, due to unique water-shedding of leaf blades when bundled
Secondary Uses
- For grazing animals, in heavy-snow winters, this serves as survival grass
Cautions
- None listed
Active Principle(s)
- None listed
Video Description of Plant
Click play on the video to learn more about this plant.
Notes
General Use:
- Folded leaves used to scrape away dust inflammation inside eyelids for wounds
Process Prep
- Tie in bundles for thatching
- Bend mid leaf to make scraping tool for sand abrasions and pustules
bah·hoonh (Wild Tobacco or “coyote tobacco”)
Names
Shoshone:
bah·hoonh
English: Wild Tobacco or “coyote tobacco”
Scientific: Nicotania trigonophilia
Zone
Upper Foothills
Harvest Time
- When flowering
Primary Uses
- On a rack, where meat is drying
- Used on arthritic joint
Secondary Uses
- Flower/specifically, the calyx part; smoke it.
Cautions
- Leaves alkaloid content is so high that mouth + tongue burns, if leaves are smoked without being diluted with a secondary plant
Active Principle(s)
- Nicotine, anabasine, and several other toxic alkaloids
Video Description of Plant
Click play on the video to learn more about this plant.
Notes
Medicinal Uses
- Antibacterial: Standard infusion wound wash
- Anti-inflammatory: Infusion for muscle ache. Sitz bath menstrual cramps
- Arthritis: Infusion as topical analgesic
- Burns: Infusion as an analgesic
- Ears: Smudge blown in-ears to relieve congestion
- Hemorrhoids: Infusion topical
- Pain: Infusion for muscle pain and joint pain
- Skin: Poultice, analgesic for skin injuries
- Stings: Poultice for bee, wasp, scorpion stings
- Swelling: Poultice, analgesic
- Wounds: Wound dressing infusion
Process Prep
- Dry leaves for medicine
- Dry flower calyx for smoking
(Pineappleweed – “Under-the Horse’s Hoof” – “Indian Perfume”)
Names
Shoshone:
Unknown
English: Pineappleweed – “Under-the Horse’s Hoof” – “Indian Perfume”
Scientific: Matricaria matricarioides
Zone
Upper Foothills
Harvest Time
- When flowering, harvest whole plant
Primary Uses
- Use to relax; put in a calm mood, or go to sleep
- Fly repellant ton meat/berries perfume
- Mothers would tie onto cradleboard, use to calm, put to sleep, and sweeten the air around the baby
Secondary Uses
- Drink in p.m. because of sleep inducement
Cautions
- some people may be allergic to this plant
Active Principle(s)
- Azuline, a sedative
Video Description of Plant
Click play on the video to learn more about this plant.
Notes
Medicinal Uses:
- Anxiety: Whole plant tea
- Cancer: Mixed with other plant meds for skin cancer
- Cough: Whole plant tea
- Diarrhea: Flower tea
- General Malaise: Flower tea mixed with evening primrose seeds
- Hyperactivity: Tea as relaxant
- Mental Health: Tea has a calming effect
- Nervous System: Tea relaxant
- Rash: Water infusion or oil used to treat rashes
- Skin: Infusion, improves skin integrity
- Sleep: Tea
- Swelling: Topical poultice for swelling and redness
- Ulcers: Tea soothing to stomach ulcers
- Yeast Infection: Tea is antifungal
Process Prep
- Use fresh or dry
- 1 tsp flowers/cup tea
(Heartleaf Arnica)
Names
Shoshone:
Unknown
English: Heartleaf Arnica
Scientific: Arnica cordifolia
Zone
Upper Foothills
Harvest Time
- Whole plant any time after flowering
Primary Uses
- Topical only for pain relief: rub into arthritic site; old injuries; infected sites
Secondary Uses
- None listed
Cautions
- Poisonous for any internal use. Do not use on open cuts, may cause nausea
Active Principle(s)
- None listed
Video Description of Plant
Click play on the video to learn more about this plant.
Notes
Medicinal Uses:
- Anti-inflammatory: Leaves and flowers as topical counter irritant
- Arthritis: Leaves and flowers rubbed on joints
- Burns: Crushed leaf on blisters
- Pain: Topical counter-irritant
- Wounds: Part of wound dressing for closed wounds and bruises
Process Prep
- Use fresh or preserve in alcohol or buffalo back fat
- topical only
(Pipsissewa)
Names
Shoshone:
Unknown
English: Pipsissewa
Scientific: Chimaphila ubellata
Zone
Upper Foothills
Harvest Time
- Not Specified
- Leaves for medicine
Primary Uses
- Leaves used as urinary tract infection treatment
Secondary Uses
- None listed
Cautions
- None listed
Active Principle(s)
- Ericolin
- arbutin
Video Description of Plant
Click play on the video to learn more about this plant.
Notes
Medicinal Uses
- Abrasion: Leaf infusion
- Antibacterial: Leaf tea
- Glomerulitis: Leaf tea
- Infection: Tea for UTI or topical
- Kidney Nephritis: Leaf tea
- Kidney Stone: Leaf tea with bedstraw
- Urinary Tract Infection: Leaf tea
Process Prep
- Dry leaves
- 1 tsp/cup
new·wuh·bownh (Bearberry)
Names
Shoshone:
new·wuh·bownh
English: Bearberry
Scientific: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Zone
Upper Foothills
Harvest Time
- Berries in fall – food leaves for medicine and for smoking
Primary Uses
- Dry the berries or freeze for them to taste like apples
- UTI’s
Secondary Uses
- Mix with tobacco to smoke in pipe
Cautions
- None listed
Active Principle(s)
- Ericolin
Video Description of Plant
Click play on the video to learn more about this plant.
Notes
Medicinal Uses
- Abrasion: Leaf infusion
- Antibacterial: Leaf tea
- Glomerulitis: Leaf tea
- Infection: Tea to treat UTI or topical
- Kidney Nephritis: leaf tea
- Kidney stones: Leaf tea along with bedstraw
- Urinary Tract Infection: Leaf tea
- Vitamin C: Berry as food
- Wounds: Leaf infusion part of topical dressing
Process Prep
- Dry leaves
- 1 tsp/cup
wah·pee (Rocky Mountain Juniper (Tree Juniper, often called Cedar Tree))
Names
Shoshone:
wah·pee
English: Rocky Mountain Juniper (Tree Juniper, often called Cedar Tree
Scientific: Juniperus scopulorum
Zone
Upper Foothills
Harvest Time
- Berries or branches any time of year
Primary Uses
- Cedar-smudging; hung in teepee to keep bad spirits away
- Spice for strong-tasting meat
Secondary Uses
- Incense: From the bed in the branches or trunk, when cut and polished
Cautions
- Prolonged use or use for chronic kidney infection or damage to kidneys
Active Principle(s)
- Juniperin and volatile oils
Video Description of Plant
Click play on the video to learn more about this plant.
Notes
Medicinal Uses:
- Antibacterial: Leaf or berry tea topical. Berry (blue) internal for urinary infection.
- Appetite Stimulant: 3-5 berries (blue phase)
- Bleeding: Berry tea, topical and internal
- Congestion: Branch and berry teta. Also inhale steam
- Contraception: Berries (cones) chewed or drunk on tea
- Cough: Tea made of branches
- Diarrhea: Berry tea
- Fever: Berry tea
- Glomerulitis: Berry tea in moderation
- Healing: Berry tea
- Heart: Branch/berry teta
- Hyperactivity: Berry tea
- Infection: Tea UTI or topical
- Intestinal Health: Berry tea digestive aid
- Lungs: Berry tea
- Mental Health: Branches used to balance emotional health
- Pneumonia: Berry tea
- Spiritual Healing: Branches spread on ground to keep away bad magic
- Throat: Tea for sore throat
General Notes
- Kidney Health
- Contraception
- Possible diabetes treatment
Process Prep
- Green berries boiled 20 minutes for good shampoo w/ buckbrush
- Blueberries chewed or in tea for cystitis or appetite stimulant
- 13 to 5 berries 2x/day