"Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie - An Ethnobotanical Guide" by Kelly Kindscher is a good source of information about the many plants Lakota Sioux and other tribes used for various conditions.

Many of the plants, together with the ones they brought to this country, were used by settlers as well.

In addition to historical aspects, the book also has modern information on the chemical constituents of these plants, plus growing, harvesting and preservation facts.

The latter (preserving remaining stocks of what are in some cases endangered herbs) is especially important when some today are being gathered from the wild at such a rate as to threaten their existence.

Yes, eric- with the popularity of ginseng, black cohosh, and others, many native herbs have been over-harvested, taking the plants, and giving nothing in return, not even leaving a few! It's all about money. Thanks for the reference to the guide- I'd like to check that out.

A great post, novice. Thank you for posting it. I have ginsing growing on my property and no one but me knows where it is. And it is spreading some. Feel like i've done a small thing for my planet.

There are times when i wish the coming of the white buffolo did mean the end of the white man.but not often.LOL

Very cool goshen. It is sad that the ancient healing art of herbalism has turned into a way to make money, at the expense of the plants, earth, and the consumers themselves, who get a pill instead of the real thing. If any Native American has shared their knowledge of local plants with white people, I am amazed. After what we have done to them and their way of life.......

" The plants are calling you. They have a rich and diverse vocabulary and speak in many tongues. For the scientist the plant may speak in the minute language of chemicals and isolates; to the medicine person they speak in the multi-versed language of healing; to the poet, they speak in beauty. No matter what language you speak or comprehend the plants will converse in a manner in which you can understand, though it may take a listening ear and an open heart to hear them. Ask anyone who has dug their hands deep in the dirt, planted seeds, harvested medicine, and taken time simply to get to know plants on their own turf, they will tell you- these people who know and work with plants- that the the plants communicate in a language clearly discernable if we but choose to listen. And the plants are calling us now, asking us for help. The wild gardens are in trouble and the precious medicines of the earth are being lost...."
-Rosemary Gladstar