Indian Uses of Native Plants

This year we're diving into ethnobotany, or "the study of how people use plants in different cultures, regions, and time periods", with special focus on plants that are used for dyeing or decorating fabric or objects. Our first book is Indian Uses of Native Plants, by Edith Van Allen Murphey (1879-1968). The book was published by Meyerbooks, Illinois, 1990; and Mendocino County Historical Society, 1958, 1987. Ms. Murphey served for ten years in the Inter-Mountain area for United States Bureau of Indian Affairs. Their primary interest was to identify and eliminate stock-poisoning plants on Indian cattle and sheep ranges.

The Inter-Mountain area encompasses National Forest System lands within Utah, Nevada, western Wyoming, southern Idaho, and a small portion of California. Four geographic areas come together  in the area—the Great Basin, Colorado Plateau, Middle Rocky Mountains, and Northern Rocky Mountains—which are rich with native and endemic species. The contacts that Ms. Murphey made during her research for the BIA, enabled her to gather data on plant uses by various indigenous people groups throughout the region. Ms. Murphey describes that at first the indigenous groups were reluctant to come forward with information, but after learning that the purpose was to document the knowledge so it would not be lost, they came forward willingly and proudly.

The Preface, Forward, and Introduction provide information and context for the book. The bulk of the content is organized into 19 categories, such as Indian Foods, Famine Foods, Feasts, The Salt Journey, Medicinal Plants, Ceremonials and Magic, Bows and Arrows, and Tepees. Each category includes information about plants and their uses, and provides Common Names, Botanical Names, and indigenous names. Some uses are cosmopolitan (shared across tribes), others are unique to specific tribes (often based on the what is available in specific regions). Also included are interesting details, such as how a medicine was prepared, how infants were cared for, and how some of the old methods have evolved in modern times. The backmatter includes Dictionary of Plant Names (Common, Indian, and Botanical), Index of Scientific Names, and Index of Common Names. The scientific names are typically updated with each printing.

Indian Uses of Native Plants is full of information, processes, methods, and lore. My favorite categories include Basketry, Dye Plants, and Tanning Hides. I had assumed that most dyes would be used for fabric and wool, but found they are more often used for basketry and for coloring hides and feathers. Surprisingly, fibers from various plants are woven into a basket to provide color, rather than the basket material being dyed. Alum is a frequent mordant (obtained from plant roots, or from minerals in the desert). Some dye material is naturally high in tannin, so no additional mordant is required (such as Wolf Moss or rock lichens). This book is a gem for anyone interested in ethnobotany in the Inter-Mountain area.