Kinnikinnik

Kinnikinnik is and old Algonquian Indian word for special botanical mixtures used for ceremonial offerings and in rituals. The term also signifies the highly esteemed plant bearberry, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi. The small, oval, leathery leaves of bearberry are so prized that they are often smudged alone. Bearberry may also be part of a larger mixture that includes tobacco or thirty or more other botanicals. Each herb is prepared and dried separately; then they are mixed together and carried in pouches.

Kinnikinnik is not always burned. Sometimes it is carried as an offering substance or worn for its healthy aroma and to ward off harmful influences. Kinnikinnik may also be packed in baskets and bags with ceremonial items to keep them nurtured and healthy.

Certain tribes, such the Great Lakes Algonquian and the Iroquois, developed fabulous formulas for their Kinnikinniks, and their mixtures became valued trade items. Many California tribes also blended their smoking mixtures and smudges in notable ways. Kinnikinnik blends all over tribal America. Often they contain a few or many of the botanicals listed in the Medicine Bee Herbal Native Tea Blends. Some also have tobacco in them, but this is not necessary.

To learn more about the tribal people and their herbs, please visit American Native Healing Arts or learn more about the shaman healing methods.