Natural Medicines

Wabanaki have over a thousand different plants for food, medicine, materials, and usage in ceremony. Some of these foods are similar to those eaten today: root and green vegetables, fruits, nuts, berries, seeds, and mushrooms, maple syrup, wild rice, and wild fruit are now enjoyed by Indigenous and non-indigenous peoples alike.   Plants are an important component of Wabanaki medicine and are associated with ceremony and healing. Wabanaki healers are skilled in selection, preparation and dosage of certain plant medicines. Traditional treatments have been effective in treating a host of ailments. The mixture of medicines can be used internally as teas or externally as compress or a salve.   There are four sacred medicines used in everyday life and in all ceremonies. All of them can be used to prepare a smudge. Sage is well known for cleansing your mind, body and spirit. Sweetgrass, is sacred, called the “sacred hair of mother earth” is often dried and braided, then burned so that its sweet smoke can be used in ceremony. Cedar is often called the “tree of life”  and is used to purify.