Caveman Chuck
Navajo Medicine Man
Our friends Harrison and Virginia were visiting from the Navajo Reservation. We took a trip up Mias Canyon to look for plants. We filled several 33-gallon trash bags with plants that they'll be taking back to the reservation when they go home.
Harrison called this plant White Sage. I think this is the Salvia apiana species (my guess); in addition to White Sage, this is also called Bee Sage and Sacred Sage. It is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, being found mainly in the coastal sage scrub habitat of Southern California and Baja California, on the western edges of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts.
White Sage can be made into a tea, to decrease sweating, salivation, and mucous in the sinuses, throat, and lungs.
Cold tea can be a good stomach tonic.
Lukewarm tea is good for treating sore throats.
Many Indians used White Sage for smudge sticks, similar to incense. It is believed to cleanse a house (or other place) of evil spirits. The leaves are generally bound into a stick shape and burned.[1]
Seeds
• The seeds can be ground into a flour and used for mush.
• You can drop the seeds into the eye and permitted to roll around under the eyelids in order to cleanse the eyes.
Leaves
• The leaves can be crushed and mixed with water to create a hair shampoo, hair dye, and hair straightener.
• The leaves can be used for flavoring in cooking.
• The leaves can be eaten, smoked or used in a sweathouse for cold symptoms.
• The dried leaves can be mixed with pipe tobacco and smoked.
[1] I have quite often seen abalone shells used to hold the burning sage. I don't know why abaolone is used and I haven't been able to find out from anyone else.
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Update: This photo was used to accompany the article How to Treat a Sinus Infection on the Squidoo Health & Medicine website.
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20081230_0011a1_800x600ng
Navajo Medicine Man
Our friends Harrison and Virginia were visiting from the Navajo Reservation. We took a trip up Mias Canyon to look for plants. We filled several 33-gallon trash bags with plants that they'll be taking back to the reservation when they go home.
Harrison called this plant White Sage. I think this is the Salvia apiana species (my guess); in addition to White Sage, this is also called Bee Sage and Sacred Sage. It is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, being found mainly in the coastal sage scrub habitat of Southern California and Baja California, on the western edges of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts.
White Sage can be made into a tea, to decrease sweating, salivation, and mucous in the sinuses, throat, and lungs.
Cold tea can be a good stomach tonic.
Lukewarm tea is good for treating sore throats.
Many Indians used White Sage for smudge sticks, similar to incense. It is believed to cleanse a house (or other place) of evil spirits. The leaves are generally bound into a stick shape and burned.[1]
Seeds
• The seeds can be ground into a flour and used for mush.
• You can drop the seeds into the eye and permitted to roll around under the eyelids in order to cleanse the eyes.
Leaves
• The leaves can be crushed and mixed with water to create a hair shampoo, hair dye, and hair straightener.
• The leaves can be used for flavoring in cooking.
• The leaves can be eaten, smoked or used in a sweathouse for cold symptoms.
• The dried leaves can be mixed with pipe tobacco and smoked.
[1] I have quite often seen abalone shells used to hold the burning sage. I don't know why abaolone is used and I haven't been able to find out from anyone else.
—————————————————————————
Update: This photo was used to accompany the article How to Treat a Sinus Infection on the Squidoo Health & Medicine website.
—————————————————————————
20081230_0011a1_800x600ng