Tobacco Nicotiana Spp. (Page background: N. Glauca Blossoms) The major member of the Nicotiana species that was prized by the Indians in the North West was N. Quadrivalvis (the photo above.) This is definitely not your daddy's cigarette tobacco! N. Quadrivalvis:A native species of the western North America. Its wild range is from southern Oregon to southern California. It was cultivated within and beyond its wild range. Lewis and Clark on their expedition up the Missouri River in 1804-1805 found this tobacco being grown by the Arikara, Mandan, and Hidatsa Indians of South Dakota and North Dakota. Tobacco should be properly cured before use if you don't want some rather unpleasant flavors and reactions. If you use home grown or harvested tobacco for religious purposes, I would recommend getting a Holy or Medicine man to teach you how to cure it. Otherwise, you can find lots of interesting topics plus curing info at Alan Daly's Tobacco Chat Board
Tobacco Trivia:
Tobacco use in all its many forms (smoking, chewing, sniffing, drinking, etc.) originated in the
New World and was widespread among the hundreds of native tribal groupings in both North
and South America.
Some tribes used tobacco strictly ceremonially before European contact; others used no tobacco
before European contact.
During the precontact period, tobacco may have been smoked less frequently by American
Indians than it is today.
Tobacco was often used in ceremonies in ways other than smoking. Smoking tobacco was often
not the primary feature of the ceremonies in which it was observed.
Tobacco, specifically its active component, nicotine, was used medicinally and in medical
ceremonies. It was used as an analgesic and as a treatment for ailments such as asthma,
rheumatism, convulsions, intestinal disorders, childbirth pains, and coughs. It was applied to
snake and insect bites and was used in the treatment of open wounds because of its presumed
antiseptic qualities.
The tobacco that spread to Europe and to the rest of the world, Nicotiana tabacum, originated in South America and was noted for its richer taste and higher potency.
Kinnikinnik, a mixture of N. rustica, bark, and herbs, was often smoked by American Indians
rather than pure tobacco because of its milder taste.
Tobacco was often used in agricultural ceremonies. There were many rituals concerning its
cultivation when it was grown for sacred purposes.
Tobacco smoke was an
important visual symbol of contact with the supernatural world.
There were gender differences in treatment of tobacco, including methods for its cultivation.
Women generally were not allowed to participate in its cultivation, although they were
responsible for other crops.
Tobacco was often used socially as a peace offering or to bind agreements.
According to the US Surgeon General, Tobacco is an addictive and Carcinogenic substance. |
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