Maskihkiy Kistikan
Cree: Mostosowehkuskwa
English: Sage
Latin: Artemisia ludoviciana
Cree: Wekus
English: Sweetgrass
French: Foin d'odeur
Latin: Hierochloe odorata
Medicinal Plant knowledge is diverse and rich. While some of it has been lost due to colonization and our turn towards Western medicine, people have begun to embrace the traditional ways again. Ask family members, especially your Kookum and Moshum if they remember ever using plants to heal. Here are some of the Medicinal Plants that will be found in our garden:
Medicinal Plants
Sweetgrass is one of the four sacred plants of the First Nations people in Western Canada. After being picked, it is often braided and used for smudging. The leaves have a sweet vanilla smell.
Information about Sweetgrass:
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
- Native Tech
Sage is another one of the four sacred plants of the First Nations people in Western Canada. It is also used for smudging, and also is made into a tea for healing.
Information about Sage:
- Working with Aboriginal People
- Evergreen
- Natural News
Wild Tobacco is not native to Alberta, but it is still one of the most sacred plants used by the First Nations people. It is frequently used for Pipe Ceremonies. Be careful though... the leaves of the Wild Tobacco plant can be toxic.
Information about Tobacco:
- University of Iowa
- Plants for a Future
- Dancing to Eagle Spirit Society
Cree: Amisko Wehkuskwa
English: Wild Mint
Latin: Mentha arvensis
Cree: Cistimaw
English: Wild Tobacco
Latin: Nicotiana Rustica
Mint... something almost all of us are somewhat familiar with, yet did you know it was a commonly used medicinal plant? It is tasty enough that you can just chew a leaf, but it also makes an excellent tea!
Information about Wild Mint:
Cree: Ayoskanahtik
English: Raspberry
Latin: Rubus Idaeus
Raspberries! One of the favorites due to their tasty berries... but watch out for the thorns. Raspberries were often used to replenish vitamin C, especially during the long winters on the prairies.
Information about Raspberries:
- Evergreen
- Edmonton Public School District
- Indian Country Today Media Network
Cree: Inimena
English: Canada Blueberry
Latin: Vaccinium myrtilloides
Blueberries... another tasty favorite. Traditionally they would be used as a fruit to eat over winter, to treat headaches, and we now know that they can reduce the incidence of cancer and heart disease.
Information about Blueberries:
Cree: Kaminakuse
English: Wild Rose
Latin: Rosa acicularis
The Wild Rose, the official plant of Alberta. The Wild Rose is a thorny bush, but the petals and the rose hips were often used to make a delicious tea.
Information about Wild Roses:
- Evergreen
- Clover Leaf Farms
- The Wild Garden
General Resources
Native Plants for the Playground and their Uses
This is a fantastic information sheet on a variety of plants native to Saskatchewan and their traditional uses. It provides the Cree, Latin, and English name. I highly suggest this as a place to start!
Agriculture Canada - Medicinal Crops
The Government of Canada has a basic listing of some of the Medicinal Crops commonly grown in Canada. While limited on the number of plants listed, the ones that they include have a wealth of information.
Some of the information provided here is very informative with the plants listed, but not suited for in depth research.