| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Meskwaki Fiber, Building Material Bark strips used as the waterproof, top coverings of wigwams. Smith, Huron H., 1928, Ethnobotany of the Meskwaki Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee 4:175-326, page 267 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Meskwaki Fiber, Canoe Material Paper birch used to make canoes. Smith, Huron H., 1928, Ethnobotany of the Meskwaki Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee 4:175-326, page 267 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Micmac Fiber, Basketry Bark used to make baskets. 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 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Micmac Fiber, Building Material Bark used to make house coverings. 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 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Micmac Fiber, Canoe Material Bark used to make canoes. Rousseau, Jacques, 1948, Ethnobotanique Et Ethnozoologie Gaspesiennes, Archives de Folklore 3:51-64, page 56 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Micmac Other, Containers Bark used to make boxes, coffins and other containers. 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 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Micmac Other, Cooking Tools Bark used to make dishes and cooking utensils. 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 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Montagnais Food, Dietary Aid Inner bark grated and eaten to benefit the diet. Speck, Frank G., 1917, Medicine Practices of the Northeastern Algonquians, Proceedings of the 19th International Congress of Americanists Pp. 303-321, page 313 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Montana Indian Fiber, Canoe Material Bark used to make canoes. Blankinship, J. W., 1905, Native Economic Plants of Montana, Bozeman. Montana Agricultural College Experimental Station, Bulletin 56, page 8 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Drug, Adjuvant Root used as a seasoner for medicines. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 358 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Drug, Analgesic Root bark cooked with maple sugar as syrup for stomach cramps. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 358 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Drug, Blood Medicine Decoction of bark taken for internal blood diseases. Reagan, Albert B., 1928, Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa) Indians of Minnesota, Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248, page 231 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Drug, Gastrointestinal Aid Compound decoction of root bark taken to alleviate stomach cramps. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 358 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Dye, Red Innermost bark boiled to extract a reddish dye. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 425 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Fiber, Basketry Bark stripped and used to make emergency trays or buckets in the woods. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 416 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Fiber, Basketry Bark used for buckets and baskets. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 413 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Fiber, Basketry Baskets made for gathering and storing berries, maple sugar, dried fish, meat or any food. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 416 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Fiber, Building Material Bark used for wigwam coverings. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 413 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Fiber, Building Material Bark used to build dwellings and lodges. Reagan, Albert B., 1928, Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa) Indians of Minnesota, Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248, page 241 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Fiber, Building Material Sheets of bark sewn together, made into rolls and used as waterproof roofing for wigwams. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 416 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Fiber, Canoe Material Bark used for canoes. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 413 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Fiber, Canoe Material Bark used to make birch bark canoes. Reagan, Albert B., 1928, Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa) Indians of Minnesota, Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248, page 241 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Fiber, Canoe Material Heavy pieces of bark used to make very durable canoes. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 414 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Food, Preservative Birch bark keeps the food stored in it from spoiling. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 416 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Other, Ceremonial Items Bark placed on the coffins when burying the dead. Reagan, Albert B., 1928, Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa) Indians of Minnesota, Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248, page 241 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Other, Containers Bark used to make small vessels, pails and trays. Reagan, Albert B., 1928, Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa) Indians of Minnesota, Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248, page 241 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Other, Containers Bark used to make storage containers, sap dishes, rice baskets, buckets, trays and winnowing dishes. Reagan, Albert B., 1928, Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa) Indians of Minnesota, Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248, page 241 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Other, Cooking Tools Bark used to make all sorts of drying trays. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 416 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Other, Cooking Tools Bark used to make dishes. Reagan, Albert B., 1928, Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa) Indians of Minnesota, Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248, page 241 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Other, Cooking Tools Bark used to make funnels for pouring hot lard. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 416 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Other, Cooking Tools Bark used to make shallow trays for winnowing wild rice. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 416 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Other, Cooking Tools Nearly any kitchen utensil common to the white man, could be duplicated in birch bark by the Ojibwe. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 416 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Other, Fuel After stripping a felled tree of its bark, it was salvaged for firewood. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 416 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Other, Fuel Scraps of bark used by women to kindle or light fires. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 416 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Other, Lighting Bark rolled into a handy, burn all night torch. The Ojibwe often used a torch of rolled birch bark in lieu of candles. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 416 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Other, Paper Patterns for decorative art made upon the bark. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 413 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Other, Paper Records of medicine lodge rituals kept on its virgin surface. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 414 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Other, Paper There were many layers of bark ranging from the thinnest paper to quite heavy pieces. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 414 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Other, Preservative Wood had the property of protecting articles stored in it from decay. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 414 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Other, Protection Ojibwe claim that birch was never struck by lightning, hence offered a safe harbor in thunderstorms. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 414 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Other, Sacred Items No birch was gathered by the Ojibwe without due offering of tobacco to Winabojo & Grandmother Earth. Families made a pilgrimage to birch groves during the latter part of June and in July to gather their supply of birch bark, because it peels most easily at that time. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 414 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Other, Sacred Items Paper birch and cedar form the two most sacred trees of the Ojibwe, both of which were very useful. Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 414 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ojibwa Other, Sacred Items The Ojibwe regard the bark as a distinct 'contribution from Winabojo.' Smith, Huron H., 1932, Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525, page 414 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Okanagan-Colville Dye, Brown Inner bark used to make a brown dye. 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 89 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Okanagan-Colville Fiber, Basketry Bark used to make baskets. 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 89 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Okanagan-Colville Fiber, Canoe Material Bark used to make canoes. 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 89 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Okanagan-Colville Fiber, Furniture Bark used to make cradles. 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 89 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Omaha Other, Toys & Games Papery bark chewed to a pulp and used for popgun wads. Gilmore, Melvin R., 1919, Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Region, SI-BAE Annual Report #33, page 116 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Pawnee Other, Toys & Games Papery bark chewed to a pulp and used for popgun wads. Gilmore, Melvin R., 1919, Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Region, SI-BAE Annual Report #33, page 116 |
| Betula papyrifera Marsh. Paper Birch USDA BEPAP |
Ponca Other, Toys & Games Papery bark chewed to a pulp and used for popgun wads. Gilmore, Melvin R., 1919, Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Region, SI-BAE Annual Report #33, page 116 |