| Picea glauca (Moench) Voss White Spruce USDA PIGL |
Cree, Woodlands Fiber, Basketry Wood used for the edging of a birch bark sewing basket base and lid. Leighton, Anna L., 1985, Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 48 |
| Picea glauca (Moench) Voss White Spruce USDA PIGL |
Cree, Woodlands Fiber, Canoe Material Wood used to make ribs and gunwales for birch bark canoes. Leighton, Anna L., 1985, Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 48 |
| Picea glauca (Moench) Voss White Spruce USDA PIGL |
Cree, Woodlands Fiber, Caulking Material Pitch used as a sealant for birch bark canoes. Leighton, Anna L., 1985, Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 48 |
| Picea glauca (Moench) Voss White Spruce USDA PIGL |
Cree, Woodlands Fiber, Sewing Material Roots used to sew birch bark baskets and canoes. Leighton, Anna L., 1985, Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 48 |
| Picea glauca (Moench) Voss White Spruce USDA PIGL |
Koyukon Other, Fasteners Roots skinned and used to lash birchbark baskets. Nelson, Richard K., 1983, Make Prayers to the Raven--A Koyukon View of the Northern Forest, Chicago. The University of Chicago Press, page 50 |
| Picea glauca (Moench) Voss White Spruce USDA PIGL |
Tanana, Upper Drug, Antirheumatic (Internal) Decoction of tree top, young birch tip and Hudson Bay tea taken for body aches. Kari, Priscilla Russe, 1985, Upper Tanana Ethnobotany, Anchorage. Alaska Historical Commission, page 2 |
| Picea glauca (Moench) Voss White Spruce USDA PIGL |
Tanana, Upper Drug, Cold Remedy Decoction of tree top, young birch tip and Hudson Bay tea taken for colds. Kari, Priscilla Russe, 1985, Upper Tanana Ethnobotany, Anchorage. Alaska Historical Commission, page 2 |
| Picea glauca (Moench) Voss White Spruce USDA PIGL |
Tanana, Upper Drug, Respiratory Aid Decoction of tree top, young birch tip and Hudson Bay tea taken for congestion. Kari, Priscilla Russe, 1985, Upper Tanana Ethnobotany, Anchorage. Alaska Historical Commission, page 2 |
| Picea glauca (Moench) Voss White Spruce USDA PIGL |
Tanana, Upper Fiber, Basketry Roots used to sew birchbark baskets. Spruce roots were dug by hand or with an axe, preferably from a tree that was not crowded by other trees. The roots of a tree growing in an open place were less likely to be entangled with the roots of other trees and were therefore easier to dig. Spruce roots in moist ground where moss grows were also easier to gather than those found in dry soil. Before using spruce roots, the Upper Tanana peeled the bark off by hand or with a knife. After peeling them, they sometimes dyed them by boiling berries and soaking the roots in the juice. Spruce roots could be dried for future use but must be soaked in water to make them pliable before being used. They could be dug anytime during the year when the ground was not frozen. Kari, Priscilla Russe, 1985, Upper Tanana Ethnobotany, Anchorage. Alaska Historical Commission, page 2 |
| Picea glauca (Moench) Voss White Spruce USDA PIGL |
Tanana, Upper Other, Fasteners Warmed pitch used as glue to patch birchbark canoes and to attach feathers to arrows. Kari, Priscilla Russe, 1985, Upper Tanana Ethnobotany, Anchorage. Alaska Historical Commission, page 2 |
| Picea mariana (P. Mill.) B.S.P. Black Spruce USDA PIMA |
Cree, Woodlands Fiber, Caulking Material Pitch used to seal seams on a birch bark canoe. Leighton, Anna L., 1985, Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 49 |
| Picea mariana (P. Mill.) B.S.P. Black Spruce USDA PIMA |
Cree, Woodlands Fiber, Cordage Roots used to tie and secure the ends of a birch bark dish. Leighton, Anna L., 1985, Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 49 |
| Picea mariana (P. Mill.) B.S.P. Black Spruce USDA PIMA |
Cree, Woodlands Fiber, Sewing Material Roots used to sew sheets of birch bark together for a tipi cover. Leighton, Anna L., 1985, Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 49 |
| Picea mariana (P. Mill.) B.S.P. Black Spruce USDA PIMA |
Cree, Woodlands Fiber, Sewing Material Roots used to stitch birch bark basket and canoe seams. Leighton, Anna L., 1985, Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 49 |
| Picea mariana (P. Mill.) B.S.P. Black Spruce USDA PIMA |
Koyukon Other, Fasteners Roots skinned and used to lash birchbark baskets. Nelson, Richard K., 1983, Make Prayers to the Raven--A Koyukon View of the Northern Forest, Chicago. The University of Chicago Press, page 50 |
| Picea mariana (P. Mill.) B.S.P. Black Spruce USDA PIMA |
Micmac Fiber, Sewing Material Roots used as sewing material for canoe birch bark products. Speck, Frank G. and R.W. Dexter, 1951, Utilization of Animals and Plants by the Micmac Indians of New Brunswick, Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences 41:250-259, page 258 |
| Pinus banksiana Lamb. Jack Pine USDA PIBA2 |
Menominee Fiber, Sewing Material Small, boiled roots used as cords to sew birch bark canoe and stitching sealed with pitch or resin. Smith, Huron H., 1923, Ethnobotany of the Menomini Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee 4:1-174, page 75 |
| Pinus resinosa Soland. Red Pine USDA PIRE |
Ojibwa Fiber, Building Material Resin boiled twice, added to tallow and used for mending roof rolls of birch bark. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 421 |
| Populus tremuloides Michx. Quaking Aspen USDA POTR5 |
Cree, Woodlands Fiber, Building Material Poles placed upon the birch bark cover of a tipi to secure it. Leighton, Anna L., 1985, Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 52 |
| Prunus americana Marsh. American Plum USDA PRAM |
Chippewa Food, Bread & Cake Berries cooked, spread on birch bark into little cakes, dried and stored for winter use. Densmore, Frances, 1928, Uses of Plants by the Chippewa Indians, SI-BAE Annual Report #44:273-379, page 321 |
| Prunus serotina Ehrh. Black Cherry USDA PRSES |
Chippewa Food, Bread & Cake Berries cooked, spread on birch bark into little cakes, dried and stored for winter use. Densmore, Frances, 1928, Uses of Plants by the Chippewa Indians, SI-BAE Annual Report #44:273-379, page 321 |
| Quercus alba L. White Oak USDA QUAL |
Ojibwa Other, Tools Wood was of much value, especially for making awls to punch holes in birch bark. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 418 |
| Rhus typhina L. Staghorn Sumac USDA RHHI2 |
Algonquin, Quebec Drug, Antirheumatic (Internal) Infusion of plant with choke cherry, oak, yellow birch and dogwood used for rheumatism. Black, Meredith Jean, 1980, Algonquin Ethnobotany: An Interpretation of Aboriginal Adaptation in South Western Quebec, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series Number 65, page 192 |
| Ribes triste Pallas Red Currant USDA RITR |
Chippewa Food, Bread & Cake Berries cooked, spread on birch bark into little cakes, dried and stored for winter use. Densmore, Frances, 1928, Uses of Plants by the Chippewa Indians, SI-BAE Annual Report #44:273-379, page 321 |
| Rubus arcticus L. Arctic Blackberry USDA RUARA3 |
Tanana, Upper Food, Winter Use Food Berries preserved alone or in grease and stored in a birchbark basket in an underground cache. Kari, Priscilla Russe, 1985, Upper Tanana Ethnobotany, Anchorage. Alaska Historical Commission, page 12 |
| Rubus chamaemorus L. Cloudberry USDA RUCH |
Tanana, Upper Food, Winter Use Food Berries preserved alone or in grease and stored in a birchbark basket in an underground cache. Kari, Priscilla Russe, 1985, Upper Tanana Ethnobotany, Anchorage. Alaska Historical Commission, page 12 |
| Rubus frondosus Bigelow Yankee Blackberry USDA RUFR4 |
Chippewa Food, Bread & Cake Berries cooked, spread on birch bark into little cakes, dried and stored for winter use. Densmore, Frances, 1928, Uses of Plants by the Chippewa Indians, SI-BAE Annual Report #44:273-379, page 321 |
| Rubus idaeus L. American Red Raspberry USDA RUIDI |
Tanana, Upper Food, Winter Use Food Berries preserved alone or in grease and stored in a birchbark basket in an underground cache. Kari, Priscilla Russe, 1985, Upper Tanana Ethnobotany, Anchorage. Alaska Historical Commission, page 12 |
| Rubus idaeus ssp. strigosus (Michx.) Focke Grayleaf Red Raspberry USDA RUIDS2 |
Chippewa Food, Bread & Cake Berries cooked, spread on birch bark into little cakes, dried and stored for winter use. Densmore, Frances, 1928, Uses of Plants by the Chippewa Indians, SI-BAE Annual Report #44:273-379, page 321 |
| Salix bebbiana Sarg. Bebb Willow USDA SABE2 |
Cree, Woodlands Fiber, Basketry Stems used to rim birch bark baskets. Leighton, Anna L., 1985, Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 58 |
| Salix bebbiana Sarg. Bebb Willow USDA SABE2 |
Cree, Woodlands Other, Fasteners Bark used to tie or fasten many things. Bark was used to tie the fish roasting sticks, rock fish net weights, birch bark moose calls, and snowshoe frames, which were tied together before they were bent, as well as bundles to be carried by hand. Leighton, Anna L., 1985, Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 58 |
| Salix bebbiana Sarg. Bebb Willow USDA SABE2 |
Cree, Woodlands Other, Tools Bark made into netting to clean pitch used in sealing birch bark canoes. Leighton, Anna L., 1985, Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 58 |
| Salix bebbiana Sarg. Bebb Willow USDA SABE2 |
Okanagan-Colville Fiber, Sewing Material Bark used for sewing birch bark onto basket frames. Turner, Nancy J., R. Bouchard and Dorothy I.D. Kennedy, 1980, Ethnobotany of the Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington, Victoria. British Columbia Provincial Museum, page 136 |
| Salix discolor Muhl. Pussy Willow USDA SADI |
Cree, Woodlands Fiber, Basketry Stems used to rim birch bark baskets. Leighton, Anna L., 1985, Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 58 |
| Salix discolor Muhl. Pussy Willow USDA SADI |
Cree, Woodlands Other, Fasteners Bark used to tie or fasten many things. Bark was used to tie the fish roasting sticks, rock fish net weights, birch bark moose calls, and snowshoe frames, which were tied together before they were bent, as well as bundles to be carried by hand. Leighton, Anna L., 1985, Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 58 |
| Salix discolor Muhl. Pussy Willow USDA SADI |
Cree, Woodlands Other, Tools Bark made into netting to clean pitch used in sealing birch bark canoes. Leighton, Anna L., 1985, Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 58 |
| Salix exigua Nutt. Sandbar Willow USDA SAEX |
Okanagan-Colville Fiber, Sewing Material Bark used for sewing birch bark onto basket frames. Turner, Nancy J., R. Bouchard and Dorothy I.D. Kennedy, 1980, Ethnobotany of the Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington, Victoria. British Columbia Provincial Museum, page 136 |
| Salix interior Rowlee Sandbar Willow USDA SAIN3 |
Cree, Woodlands Fiber, Basketry Stems used to rim birch bark baskets. Leighton, Anna L., 1985, Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 58 |
| Salix interior Rowlee Sandbar Willow USDA SAIN3 |
Cree, Woodlands Other, Fasteners Bark used to tie or fasten many things. Bark was used to tie the fish roasting sticks, rock fish net weights, birch bark moose calls, and snowshoe frames, which were tied together before they were bent, as well as bundles to be carried by hand. Leighton, Anna L., 1985, Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 58 |
| Salix interior Rowlee Sandbar Willow USDA SAIN3 |
Cree, Woodlands Other, Tools Bark made into netting to clean pitch used in sealing birch bark canoes. Leighton, Anna L., 1985, Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 58 |
| Salix scouleriana Barratt ex Hook. Scouler's Willow USDA SASC |
Okanagan-Colville Fiber, Sewing Material Bark used for sewing birch bark onto basket frames. Turner, Nancy J., R. Bouchard and Dorothy I.D. Kennedy, 1980, Ethnobotany of the Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington, Victoria. British Columbia Provincial Museum, page 136 |
| Salix sp. |
Tanana, Upper Fiber, Basketry Stems used to make rims for birch bark baskets. Kari, Priscilla Russe, 1985, Upper Tanana Ethnobotany, Anchorage. Alaska Historical Commission, page 7 |
| Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea (Raf.) R. Bolli Blue Elderberry USDA SANIC5 |
Thompson Food, Spice Berry juice used for marinating fish. The berries were mashed in birch bark baskets, and when the fish had been split open along the backbone in preparation for barbecuing, it was soaked for a while in elderberry juice to flavor it. Then, the fish was taken out, the berry seeds scraped off and the fish barbecued and eaten. Turner, Nancy J., Laurence C. Thompson and M. Terry Thompson et al., 1990, Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the Thompson Indians of British Columbia, Victoria. Royal British Columbia Museum, page 199 |
| Sambucus racemosa L. Scarlet Elderberry USDA SARAR3 |
Thompson Food, Spice Berry juice used to marinate salmon. The berries were mashed in birch bark baskets, and when the fish had been split open along the backbone in preparation for barbecuing, it was soaked for a while in elderberry juice to flavor it. Then, the fish was taken out, the berry seeds scraped off and the fish barbecued and eaten. Turner, Nancy J., Laurence C. Thompson and M. Terry Thompson et al., 1990, Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the Thompson Indians of British Columbia, Victoria. Royal British Columbia Museum, page 199 |
| Shepherdia canadensis (L.) Nutt. Russet Buffaloberry USDA SHCA |
Carrier Food, Ice Cream Berries beaten by hand in a birch basket into Indian ice cream. Carrier Linguistic Committee, 1973, Plants of Carrier Country, Fort St. James, BC. Carrier Linguistic Committee, page 76 |
| Shepherdia canadensis (L.) Nutt. Russet Buffaloberry USDA SHCA |
Thompson Food, Bread & Cake Soapberries dried on mats and formed into cakes. The berries were gathered in the summer, but were not hand picked because they were too soft. A clean mat was placed underneath the bush, then a branch laden with fruit was held and hit with a stick until the fruit fell off. The ripe berries were then placed in a basket, heated with hot rocks and spread out on mats or on a layer of 'timbergrass' set on a scaffolding and allowed to dry. A small fire was lit beneath so that the smoke would drive away the flies. The dried soapberry cakes were then broken off, placed in a birch bark basket with water and 'swished' with a whisk of maple bark tied to a stick. The mixture was originally sweetened with the 'white' variety of saskatoon berries that were dried and soaked in water to reconstitute them. More recently, sugar was added to the whip to sweeten it. The sweetened froth was served in small containers, first to the men and then to the women, as a sort of dessert or confection. It was said that the soapberries must never come into contact with grease or oil or the berries would not whip. One informant said that special containers were used for the preparation of soapberries, not for cooking or any other purpose, so that the berries could be kept free of grease. It was said that pregnant women should never eat the soapberry whip. Turner, Nancy J., Laurence C. Thompson and M. Terry Thompson et al., 1990, Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the Thompson Indians of British Columbia, Victoria. Royal British Columbia Museum, page 209 |
| Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don Western Redcedar USDA THPL |
Okanagan-Colville Fiber, Canoe Material Wood used to make canoes, frames for birchbark canoes and paddles. Turner, Nancy J., R. Bouchard and Dorothy I.D. Kennedy, 1980, Ethnobotany of the Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington, Victoria. British Columbia Provincial Museum, page 20 |
| Tilia americana L. American Basswood USDA TIAMA |
Malecite Fiber, Sewing Material Fiber used for sewing birch bark. Speck, Frank G. and R.W. Dexter, 1952, Utilization of Animals and Plants by the Malecite Indians of New Brunswick, Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences 42:1-7, page 6 |
| Vaccinium oxycoccos L. Small Cranberry USDA VAOX |
Cree, Woodlands Food, Winter Use Food Berries picked in the fall and stored outside in birch bark containers for winter use. Leighton, Anna L., 1985, Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 47 |
| Vaccinium oxycoccos L. Small Cranberry USDA VAOX |
Tanana, Upper Food, Winter Use Food Berries preserved alone or in grease and stored in a birchbark basket in an underground cache. Kari, Priscilla Russe, 1985, Upper Tanana Ethnobotany, Anchorage. Alaska Historical Commission, page 10 |