265 entries
Betula alleghaniensis Britt.
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa, South Drug (Diuretic)
Compound decoction of inner bark taken as a diuretic.
Hoffman, W.J. 1891 The Midewiwin or "Grand Medicine Society" of the
Ojibwa. SI-BAE Annual Report #7 (p. 199)
Betula alleghaniensis var.
alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Delaware, Oklahoma Drug (Cathartic)
Decoction of bark taken as a cathartic.
Tantaquidgeon, Gladys 1942 A Study of Delaware Indian Medicine Practice
and Folk Beliefs. Harrisburg. Pennsylvania Historical Commission (p.
25, 74)
Betula alleghaniensis var.
alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Delaware, Oklahoma Drug (Emetic)
Decoction of bark taken as an emetic.
Tantaquidgeon, Gladys 1942 A Study of Delaware Indian Medicine Practice
and Folk Beliefs. Harrisburg. Pennsylvania Historical Commission (p.
25, 74)
Betula alleghaniensis var.
alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Delaware, Oklahoma Drug (Gastrointestinal Aid)
Decoction of bark taken "to remove bile from the intestines."
Tantaquidgeon, Gladys 1942 A Study of Delaware Indian Medicine Practice
and Folk Beliefs. Harrisburg. Pennsylvania Historical Commission (p. 25)
Betula alleghaniensis var.
alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Delaware, Oklahoma Drug (Liver Aid)
Decoction of bark taken "to remove bile from the intestines."
Tantaquidgeon, Gladys 1942 A Study of Delaware Indian Medicine Practice
and Folk Beliefs. Harrisburg. Pennsylvania Historical Commission (p. 25)
Betula alleghaniensis var.
alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Iroquois Drug (Blood Medicine)
Complex compound used as a blood purifier.
Herrick, James William 1977 Iroquois Medical Botany. State University
of New York, Albany, PhD Thesis (p. 300)
Betula alleghaniensis var.
alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Iroquois Drug (Dermatological Aid)
Complex compound decoction used as wash for affected parts of "Italian
itch."
Herrick, James William 1977 Iroquois Medical Botany. State University
of New York, Albany, PhD Thesis (p. 300)
Betula alleghaniensis var.
alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Iroquois Drug (Gynecological Aid)
Decoction of plant used for lactation.
Herrick, James William 1977 Iroquois Medical Botany. State University
of New York, Albany, PhD Thesis (p. 301)
Betula alleghaniensis var.
alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Micmac Drug (Other)
Wood used as a hot-water bottle.
Chandler, R. Frank, Lois Freeman and Shirley N. Hooper 1979 Herbal
Remedies of the Maritime Indians. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 1:49-68
(p. 55)
Betula alleghaniensis var.
alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Drug (Blood Medicine)
Decoction of bark taken for internal blood diseases.
Reagan, Albert B. 1928 Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa)
Indians of Minnesota. Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248 (p. 231)
Betula alleghaniensis var.
alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Potawatomi Drug (Adjuvant)
Infusion of twigs used as a seasoner for medicines.
Smith, Huron H. 1933 Ethnobotany of the Forest Potawatomi Indians.
Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee 7:1-230 (p. 44)
Betula alleghaniensis var.
alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Algonquin, Quebec Food (Substitution Food)
Sap mixed with maple sap if the latter is not available in sufficient
quantities.
Black, Meredith Jean 1980 Algonquin Ethnobotany: An Interpretation of
Aboriginal Adaptation in South Western Quebec. Ottawa. National Museums
of Canada. Mercury Series Number 65 (p. 80)
Betula alleghaniensis var.
alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Food (Beverage)
Sap and maple sap used for a pleasant beverage drink.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 397)
Betula alleghaniensis var.
alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Cherokee Fiber (Building Material)
Wood used for lumber.
Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey 1975 Cherokee Plants and Their
Uses -- A 400 Year History. Sylva, N.C. Herald Publishing Co. (p. 25)
Betula alleghaniensis var.
alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Fiber (Building Material)
Bark used to build dwellings and lodges.
Reagan, Albert B. 1928 Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa)
Indians of Minnesota. Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248 (p. 241)
Betula alleghaniensis var.
alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Fiber (Canoe Material)
Bark used to make birch bark canoes.
Reagan, Albert B. 1928 Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa)
Indians of Minnesota. Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248 (p. 241)
Betula alleghaniensis var.
alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Potawatomi Fiber (Building Material)
Branches used as poles for the wigwam or medicine lodge.
Smith, Huron H. 1933 Ethnobotany of the Forest Potawatomi Indians.
Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee 7:1-230 (p. 112)
Betula alleghaniensis var.
alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Ceremonial Items)
Bark placed on the coffins when burying the dead.
Reagan, Albert B. 1928 Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa)
Indians of Minnesota. Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248 (p. 241)
Betula alleghaniensis var.
alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Containers)
Bark used to make storage containers, sap dishes, rice baskets,
buckets, trays and winnowing dishes.
Reagan, Albert B. 1928 Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa)
Indians of Minnesota. Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248 (p. 241)
Betula alleghaniensis var.
alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Cooking Tools)
Bark used to make dishes.
Reagan, Albert B. 1928 Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa)
Indians of Minnesota. Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248 (p. 241)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Algonquin, Quebec Drug (Unspecified)
Infusion of plant used for many medicinal purposes.
Black, Meredith Jean 1980 Algonquin Ethnobotany: An Interpretation of
Aboriginal Adaptation in South Western Quebec. Ottawa. National Museums
of Canada. Mercury Series Number 65 (p. 151)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Cherokee Drug (Antidiarrheal)
Leaves chewed or infusion taken for dysentery.
Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey 1975 Cherokee Plants and Their
Uses -- A 400 Year History. Sylva, N.C. Herald Publishing Co. (p. 25)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Cherokee Drug (Cold Remedy)
Infusion taken for colds.
Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey 1975 Cherokee Plants and Their
Uses -- A 400 Year History. Sylva, N.C. Herald Publishing Co. (p. 25)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Cherokee Drug (Gastrointestinal Aid)
Infusion of bark taken for the stomach.
Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey 1975 Cherokee Plants and Their
Uses -- A 400 Year History. Sylva, N.C. Herald Publishing Co. (p. 25)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Cherokee Drug (Urinary Aid)
Infusion of bark taken for "milky urine."
Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey 1975 Cherokee Plants and Their
Uses -- A 400 Year History. Sylva, N.C. Herald Publishing Co. (p. 25)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Chippewa Drug (Antidiarrheal)
Decoction of bark taken for diarrhea.
Gilmore, Melvin R. 1933 Some Chippewa Uses of Plants. Ann Arbor.
University of Michigan Press (p. 128)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Chippewa Drug (Pulmonary Aid)
Bark used for pulmonary troubles and decoction of bark taken for
pneumonia.
Gilmore, Melvin R. 1933 Some Chippewa Uses of Plants. Ann Arbor.
University of Michigan Press (p. 128)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Iroquois Drug (Blood Medicine)
Compound decoction taken when the "blood gets bad and cold."
Herrick, James William 1977 Iroquois Medical Botany. State University
of New York, Albany, PhD Thesis (p. 300)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Iroquois Drug (Cold Remedy)
Compound infusion taken by women "when they catch cold with the menses."
Herrick, James William 1977 Iroquois Medical Botany. State University
of New York, Albany, PhD Thesis (p. 300)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Iroquois Drug (Febrifuge)
Compound decoction taken for fever.
Herrick, James William 1977 Iroquois Medical Botany. State University
of New York, Albany, PhD Thesis (p. 300)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Iroquois Drug (Gynecological Aid)
Compound decoction taken by women who have had gonorrhea and are
pregnant.
Herrick, James William 1977 Iroquois Medical Botany. State University
of New York, Albany, PhD Thesis (p. 300)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Iroquois Drug (Orthopedic Aid)
Compound decoction taken for soreness.
Herrick, James William 1977 Iroquois Medical Botany. State University
of New York, Albany, PhD Thesis (p. 300)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Iroquois Drug (Stimulant)
Compound decoction taken "when a person tires."
Herrick, James William 1977 Iroquois Medical Botany. State University
of New York, Albany, PhD Thesis (p. 300)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Iroquois Drug (Unspecified)
"Highly valued medicine because it sustains the deer, the mainstay of
life."
Herrick, James William 1977 Iroquois Medical Botany. State University
of New York, Albany, PhD Thesis (p. 300)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Mohegan Drug (Tonic)
Complex compound infusion including black birch bark taken as spring
tonic.
Tantaquidgeon, Gladys 1928 Mohegan Medicinal Practices, Weather-Lore
and Superstitions. SI-BAE Annual Report #43: 264-270 (p. 266)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Mohegan Drug (Tonic)
Inner bark used to make a tonic.
Tantaquidgeon, Gladys 1972 Folk Medicine of the Delaware and Related
Algonkian Indians. Harrisburg. Pennsylvania Historical Commission
Anthropological Papers #3 (p. 70, 128)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Iroquois Food (Beverage)
Twigs steeped into a beverage.
Waugh, F. W. 1916 Iroquis Foods and Food Preparation. Ottawa. Canada
Department of Mines (p. 148)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Fiber (Building Material)
Bark used to build dwellings and lodges.
Reagan, Albert B. 1928 Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa)
Indians of Minnesota. Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248 (p. 241)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Fiber (Canoe Material)
Bark used to make birch bark canoes.
Reagan, Albert B. 1928 Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa)
Indians of Minnesota. Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248 (p. 241)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Ceremonial Items)
Bark placed on the coffins when burying the dead.
Reagan, Albert B. 1928 Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa)
Indians of Minnesota. Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248 (p. 241)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Containers)
Bark used to make storage containers, sap dishes, rice baskets,
buckets, trays and winnowing dishes.
Reagan, Albert B. 1928 Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa)
Indians of Minnesota. Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248 (p. 241)
Betula lenta L.
Sweet Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Cooking Tools)
Bark used to make dishes.
Reagan, Albert B. 1928 Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa)
Indians of Minnesota. Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248 (p. 241)
Betula nana L.
Bog Birch; Betulaceae
Eskimo, Western Drug (Analgesic)
Compound decoction of leaves taken for stomachache and intestinal
discomfort.
Lantis, Margaret 1959 Folk Medicine and Hygiene. Anthropological Papers
of the University of Alaska 8:1-75 (p. 5)
Betula nana L.
Bog Birch; Betulaceae
Eskimo, Western Drug (Gastrointestinal Aid)
Compound decoction of leaves taken for stomachache and intestinal
discomfort.
Lantis, Margaret 1959 Folk Medicine and Hygiene. Anthropological Papers
of the University of Alaska 8:1-75 (p. 5)
Betula nana L.
Bog Birch; Betulaceae
Eskimo, Inuktitut Fiber (Mats, Rugs & Bedding)
Wood used for "springs" under skin bedding.
Wilson, Michael R. 1978 Notes on Ethnobotany in Inuktitut. The Western
Canadian Journal of Anthropology 8:180-196 (p. 184)
Betula nana L.
Bog Birch; Betulaceae
Eskimo, Inuktitut Fiber (Mats, Rugs & Bedding)
Wood used for "springs" under skin bedding.
Wilson, Michael R. 1978 Notes on Ethnobotany in Inuktitut. The Western
Canadian Journal of Anthropology 8:180-196 (p. 184)
Betula nana L.
Bog Birch; Betulaceae
Eskimo, Alaska Other (Fuel)
Shrub burned to smoke fish.
Ager, Thomas A. and Lynn Price Ager 1980 Ethnobotany of The Eskimos of
Nelson Island, Alaska. Arctic Anthropology 27:26-48 (p. 35)
Betula nana L.
Bog Birch; Betulaceae
Eskimo, Inuktitut Other (Fuel)
Used as tinder, even when wet, and for cooking fires for lack of larger
wood.
Wilson, Michael R. 1978 Notes on Ethnobotany in Inuktitut. The Western
Canadian Journal of Anthropology 8:180-196 (p. 184)
Betula nana L.
Bog Birch; Betulaceae
Eskimo, Inuktitut Other (Fuel)
Used as tinder, even when wet, and for cooking fires for lack of larger
wood.
Wilson, Michael R. 1978 Notes on Ethnobotany in Inuktitut. The Western
Canadian Journal of Anthropology 8:180-196 (p. 184)
Betula nigra L.
River Birch; Betulaceae
Cherokee Drug (Antidiarrheal)
Leaves chewed or infusion taken for dysentery.
Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey 1975 Cherokee Plants and Their
Uses -- A 400 Year History. Sylva, N.C. Herald Publishing Co. (p. 25)
Betula nigra L.
River Birch; Betulaceae
Cherokee Drug (Cold Remedy)
Infusion taken for colds.
Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey 1975 Cherokee Plants and Their
Uses -- A 400 Year History. Sylva, N.C. Herald Publishing Co. (p. 25)
Betula nigra L.
River Birch; Betulaceae
Cherokee Drug (Gastrointestinal Aid)
Infusion of bark taken for the stomach.
Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey 1975 Cherokee Plants and Their
Uses -- A 400 Year History. Sylva, N.C. Herald Publishing Co. (p. 25)
Betula nigra L.
River Birch; Betulaceae
Cherokee Drug (Urinary Aid)
Infusion of bark taken for "milky urine."
Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey 1975 Cherokee Plants and Their
Uses -- A 400 Year History. Sylva, N.C. Herald Publishing Co. (p. 25)
Betula nigra L.
River Birch; Betulaceae
Cherokee Drug (Urinary Aid)
Decoction of inner bark taken for difficult urination with discharge.
Taylor, Linda Averill 1940 Plants Used As Curatives by Certain
Southeastern Tribes. Cambridge, MA. Botanical Museum of Harvard
University (p. 15)
Betula nigra L.
River Birch; Betulaceae
Chippewa Drug (Analgesic)
Decoction of bark taken for stomach pain.
Densmore, Frances 1928 Uses of Plants by the Chippewa Indians. SI-BAE
Annual Report #44:273-379 (p. 342)
Betula nigra L.
River Birch; Betulaceae
Chippewa Drug (Gastrointestinal Aid)
Decoction of bark taken for stomach pain.
Densmore, Frances 1928 Uses of Plants by the Chippewa Indians. SI-BAE
Annual Report #44:273-379 (p. 342)
Betula occidentalis Hook.
Water Birch; Betulaceae
Blackfoot Drug (Abortifacient)
Flowers and leaves included in two separate bundles and used to stop
conception.
Hellson, John C. 1974 Ethnobotany of the Blackfoot Indians. Ottawa.
National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series (p. 60)
Betula occidentalis Hook.
Water Birch; Betulaceae
Blackfoot Drug (Abortifacient)
Decoction of flowers and leaves taken when bundle to stop conception
fails.
Hellson, John C. 1974 Ethnobotany of the Blackfoot Indians. Ottawa.
National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series (p. 60)
Betula occidentalis Hook.
Water Birch; Betulaceae
Jemez Dye (Red)
Bark, mountain mahogany bark and alder bark boiled together and used as
red dye to paint moccasins.
Cook, Sarah Louise 1930 The Ethnobotany of Jemez Indians.. University
of New Mexico, M.A. Thesis (p. 21)
Betula occidentalis Hook.
Water Birch; Betulaceae
Okanagan-Colville Dye (Brown)
Inner bark used to make a brown dye.
Turner, Nancy J., R. Bouchard and Dorothy I.D. Kennedy 1980 Ethnobotany
of the Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington.
Victoria. British Columbia Provincial Museum (p. 89)
Betula occidentalis Hook.
Water Birch; Betulaceae
Blackfoot Fiber (Building Material)
Wands, sharpened at both ends, used to construct the dome shape of the
sweat lodge.
Hellson, John C. 1974 Ethnobotany of the Blackfoot Indians. Ottawa.
National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series (p. 17)
Betula occidentalis Hook.
Water Birch; Betulaceae
Okanagan-Colville Fiber (Basketry)
Bark used to make baskets.
Turner, Nancy J., R. Bouchard and Dorothy I.D. Kennedy 1980 Ethnobotany
of the Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington.
Victoria. British Columbia Provincial Museum (p. 89)
Betula occidentalis Hook.
Water Birch; Betulaceae
Okanagan-Colville Fiber (Canoe Material)
Bark used to make canoes.
Turner, Nancy J., R. Bouchard and Dorothy I.D. Kennedy 1980 Ethnobotany
of the Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington.
Victoria. British Columbia Provincial Museum (p. 89)
Betula occidentalis Hook.
Water Birch; Betulaceae
Okanagan-Colville Fiber (Furniture)
Bark used to make cradles.
Turner, Nancy J., R. Bouchard and Dorothy I.D. Kennedy 1980 Ethnobotany
of the Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington.
Victoria. British Columbia Provincial Museum (p. 89)
Betula occidentalis Hook.
Water Birch; Betulaceae
Blackfoot Other (Cooking Tools)
Wood used to make bowls.
Johnston, Alex 1987 Plants and the Blackfoot. Lethbridge, Alberta.
Lethbridge Historical Society (p. 33)
Betula occidentalis Hook.
Water Birch; Betulaceae
Navajo Other (Toys & Games)
Branch used for the pole in the "hoop and pole" game.
Elmore, Francis H. 1944 Ethnobotany of the Navajo. Sante Fe, NM. School
of American Research (p. 39)
Betula occidentalis Hook.
Water Birch; Betulaceae
Okanagan-Colville Other (Fuel)
Used for fuel.
Turner, Nancy J., R. Bouchard and Dorothy I.D. Kennedy 1980 Ethnobotany
of the Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington.
Victoria. British Columbia Provincial Museum (p. 89)
Betula occidentalis Hook.
Water Birch; Betulaceae
Paiute Other (Stable Gear)
Wood used to make a pack saddle with posts at both ends.
Mahar, James Michael. 1953 Ethnobotany of the Oregon Paiutes of the
Warm Springs Indian Reservation. Reed College, B.A. Thesis (p. 64)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Algonquin, Quebec Drug (Dermatological Aid)
Bark powder used for diaper rash and other skin rashes.
Black, Meredith Jean 1980 Algonquin Ethnobotany: An Interpretation of
Aboriginal Adaptation in South Western Quebec. Ottawa. National Museums
of Canada. Mercury Series Number 65 (p. 152)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Algonquin, Quebec Drug (Pediatric Aid)
Bark powder used for diaper rash and other skin rashes.
Black, Meredith Jean 1980 Algonquin Ethnobotany: An Interpretation of
Aboriginal Adaptation in South Western Quebec. Ottawa. National Museums
of Canada. Mercury Series Number 65 (p. 152)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Chippewa Drug (Cathartic)
Infusion of inner bark used as an enema.
Densmore, Frances 1928 Uses of Plants by the Chippewa Indians. SI-BAE
Annual Report #44:273-379 (p. 364)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Drug (Burn Dressing)
Poultice of outer bark used to bandage a burn.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Drug (Dermatological Aid)
Dried, finely powdered rotten wood used as baby powder to prevent
rashes.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Drug (Dermatological Aid)
Dried inner bark ground, added to pitch & grease & used as
ointment for persistent scabs & rashes.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Drug (Dermatological Aid)
Decoction of inner bark used as a wash for skin rashes and other skin
sores.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Drug (Diaphoretic)
Decoction of wood taken to cause sweating.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Drug (Gynecological Aid)
Decoction of wood taken to ensure an adequate supply of milk for breast
feeding.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Drug (Gynecological Aid)
Decoction of wood and inner bark used for "women's troubles."
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Drug (Orthopedic Aid)
Decoction of wood taken for back pain.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Drug (Pediatric Aid)
Dried, finely powdered rotten wood used as baby powder to prevent
rashes.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Drug (Pediatric Aid)
Decoction of stems or branches taken for teething sickness.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Drug (Toothache Remedy)
Decoction of stems or branches taken for teething sickness.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Drug (Venereal Aid)
Wood mixed with other materials and used for gonorrhea.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Iroquois Drug (Gynecological Aid)
Burned bark ashes used to "shrivel the womb."
Herrick, James William 1977 Iroquois Medical Botany. State University
of New York, Albany, PhD Thesis (p. 300)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Koyukon Drug (Unspecified)
Plant spirit used by the shaman to heal sick people.
Nelson, Richard K. 1983 Make Prayers to the Raven--A Koyukon View of
the Northern Forest. Chicago. The University of Chicago Press (p. 53)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Menominee Drug (Antidiarrheal)
Decoction of inner bark used for dysentery.
Densmore, Francis 1932 Menominee Music. SI-BAE Bulletin #102 (p. 131)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Menominee Drug (Tonic)
Decoction of branch tips used as a tonic.
Densmore, Francis 1932 Menominee Music. SI-BAE Bulletin #102 (p. 131)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Drug (Adjuvant)
Root used as a seasoner for medicines.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 358)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Drug (Analgesic)
Root bark cooked with maple sugar as syrup for stomach cramps.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 358)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Drug (Blood Medicine)
Decoction of bark taken for internal blood diseases.
Reagan, Albert B. 1928 Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa)
Indians of Minnesota. Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248 (p. 231)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Drug (Gastrointestinal Aid)
Compound decoction of root bark taken to alleviate stomach cramps.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 358)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Shuswap Drug (Analgesic)
Plant used for pain.
Palmer, Gary 1975 Shuswap Indian Ethnobotany. Syesis 8:29-51 (p. 60)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Drug (Orthopedic Aid)
Bark used as casts for broken limbs.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Thompson Drug (Cold Remedy)
Sap tapped from trees in early spring and taken for colds.
Turner, Nancy J., Laurence C. Thompson and M. Terry Thompson et al.
1990 Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the
Thompson Indians of British Columbia. Victoria. Royal British Columbia
Museum (p. 189)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Thompson Drug (Contraceptive)
Bark used for contraception.
Turner, Nancy J., Laurence C. Thompson and M. Terry Thompson et al.
1990 Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the
Thompson Indians of British Columbia. Victoria. Royal British Columbia
Museum (p. 189)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Thompson Drug (Cough Medicine)
Sap tapped from trees in early spring and taken for coughs.
Turner, Nancy J., Laurence C. Thompson and M. Terry Thompson et al.
1990 Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the
Thompson Indians of British Columbia. Victoria. Royal British Columbia
Museum (p. 189)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Algonquin, Quebec Food (Sauce & Relish)
Sap used to make syrup.
Black, Meredith Jean 1980 Algonquin Ethnobotany: An Interpretation of
Aboriginal Adaptation in South Western Quebec. Ottawa. National Museums
of Canada. Mercury Series Number 65 (p. 80)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Food (Preservative)
Soft, rotten wood burned to make a slow, smoky fire to smoke cure meat
and fish.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Food (Sauce & Relish)
Sap collected, made into syrup and eaten on bannock.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Food (Substitution Food)
Root bark used as a tea substitute.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Food (Unspecified)
Cambium eaten fresh from the tree trunk.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Montagnais Food (Dietary Aid)
Inner bark grated and eaten to benefit the diet.
Speck, Frank G. 1917 Medicine Practices of the Northeastern
Algonquians. Proceedings of the 19th International Congress of
Americanists Pp. 303-321 (p. 313)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Food (Preservative)
Birch bark keeps the food stored in it from spoiling.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 416)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Food (Unspecified)
Raw sap, sometimes mixed with fish grease, used for food.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Food (Unspecified)
Sap used for food.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Chippewa Dye (Red)
Inner bark boiled, cedar ashes added and used to make a red dye.
Densmore, Frances 1928 Uses of Plants by the Chippewa Indians. SI-BAE
Annual Report #44:273-379 (p. 370)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Dye (Red)
Innermost bark boiled to extract a reddish dye.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 425)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Okanagan-Colville Dye (Brown)
Inner bark used to make a brown dye.
Turner, Nancy J., R. Bouchard and Dorothy I.D. Kennedy 1980 Ethnobotany
of the Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington.
Victoria. British Columbia Provincial Museum (p. 89)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Abnaki Fiber (Basketry)
Bark used to make baskets.
Rousseau, Jacques 1947 Ethnobotanique Abenakise. Archives de Folklore
11:145-182 (p. 156)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Abnaki Fiber (Canoe Material)
Bark used to make canoes.
Rousseau, Jacques 1947 Ethnobotanique Abenakise. Archives de Folklore
11:145-182 (p. 164)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Algonquin, Tete-de-Boule Fiber (Basketry)
Bark used to make baskets and containers.
Raymond, Marcel. 1945 Notes Ethnobotaniques Sur Les Tete-De-Boule De
Manouan. Contributions de l'Institut botanique l'Universite de Montreal
55:113-134 (p. 119)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Algonquin, Tete-de-Boule Fiber (Building Material)
Plant used to make houses, tents and shelters.
Raymond, Marcel. 1945 Notes Ethnobotaniques Sur Les Tete-De-Boule De
Manouan. Contributions de l'Institut botanique l'Universite de Montreal
55:113-134 (p. 119)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Algonquin, Tete-de-Boule Fiber (Canoe Material)
Bark used to make canoes.
Raymond, Marcel. 1945 Notes Ethnobotaniques Sur Les Tete-De-Boule De
Manouan. Contributions de l'Institut botanique l'Universite de Montreal
55:113-134 (p. 119)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Anticosti Fiber (Snow Gear)
Used to make snowshoes.
Rousseau, Jacques 1946 Notes Sur L'ethnobotanique D'anticosti. Archives
de Folklore 1:60-71 (p. 65)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Bella Coola Fiber (Basketry)
Bark occasionally used to make baskets.
Turner, Nancy J. 1973 The Ethnobotany of the Bella Coola Indians of
British Columbia. Syesis 6:193-220 (p. 202)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Bella Coola Fiber (Canoe Material)
Bark occasionally used to make canoes.
Turner, Nancy J. 1973 The Ethnobotany of the Bella Coola Indians of
British Columbia. Syesis 6:193-220 (p. 202)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Carrier Fiber (Basketry)
Inner bark used to make baskets.
Carrier Linguistic Committee 1973 Plants of Carrier Country. Fort St.
James, BC. Carrier Linguistic Committee (p. 67)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Carrier Fiber (Canoe Material)
Wood used to make canoes.
Carrier Linguistic Committee 1973 Plants of Carrier Country. Fort St.
James, BC. Carrier Linguistic Committee (p. 67)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Carrier Fiber (Sewing Material)
Roots used with spruce roots to sew things together.
Carrier Linguistic Committee 1973 Plants of Carrier Country. Fort St.
James, BC. Carrier Linguistic Committee (p. 67)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Carrier Fiber (Snow Gear)
Wood used to make toboggans.
Carrier Linguistic Committee 1973 Plants of Carrier Country. Fort St.
James, BC. Carrier Linguistic Committee (p. 67)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Chippewa Fiber (Building Material)
Used as coverings for dwellings.
Densmore, Frances 1928 Uses of Plants by the Chippewa Indians. SI-BAE
Annual Report #44:273-379 (p. 377)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Fiber (Basketry)
Bark used to make baskets for food storage and berry collection.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Fiber (Building Material)
Bark used to make bath tubs.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Fiber (Building Material)
Bark used to cover a tipi.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Fiber (Building Material)
Wood used as poles to frame a tipi.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Fiber (Canoe Material)
Bark used to make canoes.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Fiber (Canoe Material)
Wood used to make canoe paddles.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Fiber (Snow Gear)
Wood used to make toboggans and snowshoes.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Gitksan Fiber (Basketry)
Bark used to make baskets.
Gottesfeld, Leslie M. J. 1992 The Importance of Bark Products in the
Aboriginal Economies of Northwestern British Columbia, Canada. Economic
Botany 46(2):148-157 (p. 154)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Koyukon Fiber (Basketry)
Bark used to make baskets and food storage containers.
Nelson, Richard K. 1983 Make Prayers to the Raven--A Koyukon View of
the Northern Forest. Chicago. The University of Chicago Press (p. 53)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Koyukon Fiber (Canoe Material)
Wood used to make canoe ribs.
Nelson, Richard K. 1983 Make Prayers to the Raven--A Koyukon View of
the Northern Forest. Chicago. The University of Chicago Press (p. 53)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Koyukon Fiber (Snow Gear)
Wood used to make sleds and snowshoe frames.
Nelson, Richard K. 1983 Make Prayers to the Raven--A Koyukon View of
the Northern Forest. Chicago. The University of Chicago Press (p. 53)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Malecite Fiber (Canoe Material)
Bark used for canoes.
Speck, Frank G. and R.W. Dexter 1952 Utilization of Animals and Plants
by the Malecite Indians of New Brunswick. Journal of the Washington
Academy of Sciences 42:1-7 (p. 6)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Meskwaki Fiber (Building Material)
Bark strips used as the waterproof, top coverings of wigwams.
Smith, Huron H. 1928 Ethnobotany of the Meskwaki Indians. Bulletin of
the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee 4:175-326 (p. 267)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Meskwaki Fiber (Canoe Material)
Paper birch used to make canoes.
Smith, Huron H. 1928 Ethnobotany of the Meskwaki Indians. Bulletin of
the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee 4:175-326 (p. 267)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Micmac Fiber (Basketry)
Bark used to make baskets.
Speck, Frank G. and R.W. Dexter 1951 Utilization of Animals and Plants
by the Micmac Indians of New Brunswick. Journal of the Washington
Academy of Sciences 41:250-259 (p. 258)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Micmac Fiber (Building Material)
Bark used to make house coverings.
Speck, Frank G. and R.W. Dexter 1951 Utilization of Animals and Plants
by the Micmac Indians of New Brunswick. Journal of the Washington
Academy of Sciences 41:250-259 (p. 258)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Micmac Fiber (Canoe Material)
Bark used to make canoes.
Rousseau, Jacques 1948 Ethnobotanique Et Ethnozoologie Gaspesiennes.
Archives de Folklore 3:51-64 (p. 56)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Montana Indian Fiber (Canoe Material)
Bark used to make canoes.
Blankinship, J. W. 1905 Native Economic Plants of Montana. Bozeman.
Montana Agricultural College Experimental Station, Bulletin 56 (p. 8)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Fiber (Basketry)
Bark used for buckets and baskets.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 413)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Fiber (Basketry)
Bark stripped and used to make emergency trays or buckets in the woods.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 416)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Fiber (Basketry)
Baskets made for gathering and storing berries, maple sugar, dried
fish, meat or any food.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 416)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Fiber (Building Material)
Bark used for wigwam coverings.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 413)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Fiber (Building Material)
Sheets of bark sewn together, made into rolls and used as waterproof
roofing for wigwams.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 416)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Fiber (Building Material)
Bark used to build dwellings and lodges.
Reagan, Albert B. 1928 Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa)
Indians of Minnesota. Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248 (p. 241)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Fiber (Canoe Material)
Bark used for canoes.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 413)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Fiber (Canoe Material)
Heavy pieces of bark used to make very durable canoes.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 414)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Fiber (Canoe Material)
Bark used to make birch bark canoes.
Reagan, Albert B. 1928 Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa)
Indians of Minnesota. Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248 (p. 241)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Okanagan-Colville Fiber (Basketry)
Bark used to make baskets.
Turner, Nancy J., R. Bouchard and Dorothy I.D. Kennedy 1980 Ethnobotany
of the Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington.
Victoria. British Columbia Provincial Museum (p. 89)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Okanagan-Colville Fiber (Canoe Material)
Bark used to make canoes.
Turner, Nancy J., R. Bouchard and Dorothy I.D. Kennedy 1980 Ethnobotany
of the Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington.
Victoria. British Columbia Provincial Museum (p. 89)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Okanagan-Colville Fiber (Furniture)
Bark used to make cradles.
Turner, Nancy J., R. Bouchard and Dorothy I.D. Kennedy 1980 Ethnobotany
of the Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington.
Victoria. British Columbia Provincial Museum (p. 89)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Potawatomi Fiber (Building Material)
Bark furnished a waterproof cover for the top of the wigwam.
Smith, Huron H. 1933 Ethnobotany of the Forest Potawatomi Indians.
Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee 7:1-230 (p. 112)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Potawatomi Fiber (Canoe Material)
Bark furnished the outside cover of the birch bark canoe.
Smith, Huron H. 1933 Ethnobotany of the Forest Potawatomi Indians.
Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee 7:1-230 (p. 112)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Shuswap Fiber (Basketry)
Gray colored bark used to make baskets.
Palmer, Gary 1975 Shuswap Indian Ethnobotany. Syesis 8:29-51 (p. 60)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Fiber (Basketry)
Bark used to make baskets.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Fiber (Basketry)
Bark used to make containers for cooking.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Fiber (Building Material)
Bark used as roofing material.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Fiber (Building Material)
Bark used in the construction of some buildings.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Fiber (Canoe Material)
Bark used to make canoes.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Fiber (Clothing)
Bark used to make hats.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Fiber (Furniture)
Bark used to make baby cradles.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Fiber (Snow Gear)
Wood used to make bowls, spoons, wedges, tool handles, drums, toboggans
and snowshoes.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Fiber (Snow Gear)
Wood used to make snowshoes, toboggans, drums, bowls, spoons and wedges.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Thompson Fiber (Basketry)
Tough, waterproof bark used as material for baskets.
Turner, Nancy J., Laurence C. Thompson and M. Terry Thompson et al.
1990 Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the
Thompson Indians of British Columbia. Victoria. Royal British Columbia
Museum (p. 189)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Thompson Fiber (Building Material)
Tough, waterproof bark used as material for walls and roofing.
Turner, Nancy J., Laurence C. Thompson and M. Terry Thompson et al.
1990 Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the
Thompson Indians of British Columbia. Victoria. Royal British Columbia
Museum (p. 189)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Thompson Fiber (Canoe Material)
Tough, waterproof bark used as material for canoes.
Turner, Nancy J., Laurence C. Thompson and M. Terry Thompson et al.
1990 Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the
Thompson Indians of British Columbia. Victoria. Royal British Columbia
Museum (p. 189)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Thompson Fiber (Furniture)
Tough, waterproof bark used as material for cradles.
Turner, Nancy J., Laurence C. Thompson and M. Terry Thompson et al.
1990 Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the
Thompson Indians of British Columbia. Victoria. Royal British Columbia
Museum (p. 189)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Abnaki Other (Containers)
Bark used to wrap and store wood for a year.
Rousseau, Jacques 1947 Ethnobotanique Abenakise. Archives de Folklore
11:145-182 (p. 164)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Algonquin, Tete-de-Boule Other (Containers)
Bark used to make canoes, baskets and containers.
Raymond, Marcel. 1945 Notes Ethnobotaniques Sur Les Tete-De-Boule De
Manouan. Contributions de l'Institut botanique l'Universite de Montreal
55:113-134 (p. 119)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Algonquin, Tete-de-Boule Other (Designs)
Bark folded, edges chewed and resulting design transferred to baskets
and moccasins.
Raymond, Marcel. 1945 Notes Ethnobotaniques Sur Les Tete-De-Boule De
Manouan. Contributions de l'Institut botanique l'Universite de Montreal
55:113-134 (p. 119)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Blackfoot Other (Cooking Tools)
Wood used to make bowls.
Johnston, Alex 1987 Plants and the Blackfoot. Lethbridge, Alberta.
Lethbridge Historical Society (p. 33)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Carrier Other (Cooking Tools)
Inner bark made into dishes and used for processing fish, picking
berries and to eat with.
Carrier Linguistic Committee 1973 Plants of Carrier Country. Fort St.
James, BC. Carrier Linguistic Committee (p. 67)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Chippewa Other (Cooking Tools)
Used for utensils.
Densmore, Frances 1928 Uses of Plants by the Chippewa Indians. SI-BAE
Annual Report #44:273-379 (p. 377)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Chippewa Other (Designs)
Used as patterns for work in decorative art.
Densmore, Frances 1928 Uses of Plants by the Chippewa Indians. SI-BAE
Annual Report #44:273-379 (p. 377)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Other (Containers)
Bark used to make baskets for food storage and berry collection.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Other (Containers)
Bark used to make dishes to collect birch sap and fresh cambium.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Other (Cooking Tools)
Bark used to make dippers for water, funnels and cups.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Other (Cooking Tools)
Wood used to make wooden spoons, stoppers for sturgeon skin jars and
hammers to pound fish eggs.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Other (Cooking Tools)
Wood used for upright supports and cross bars of the smoke curing rack.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Other (Fuel)
Bark fragments ignited from coals or smoldering tinder and used to
start a fire.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Other (Hunting & Fishing Item)
Bark used to make moose calls.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Woodlands Other (Hide Preparation)
Dried rotten wood with other rotten woods used to smoke tan hides.
Leighton, Anna L. 1985 Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of
East-Central Saskatchewan. Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury
Series (p. 32)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Dakota Other (Containers)
Fine, shredded bark used as vessels to catch sap from trees in sugar
making-time.
Gilmore, Melvin R. 1919 Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri
River Region. SI-BAE Annual Report #33 (p. 75)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Dakota Other (Cooking Tools)
Fine, shredded bark used as household utensils.
Gilmore, Melvin R. 1919 Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri
River Region. SI-BAE Annual Report #33 (p. 75)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Dakota Other (Lighting)
Fine, shredded bark bound into bundles and used for torches.
Gilmore, Melvin R. 1919 Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri
River Region. SI-BAE Annual Report #33 (p. 75)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Dakota Other (Toys & Games)
Papery bark chewed to a pulp and used for popgun wads.
Gilmore, Melvin R. 1919 Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri
River Region. SI-BAE Annual Report #33 (p. 116)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Flathead Other (Containers)
Bark used to line sacks and stiffen them into baskets.
Blankinship, J. W. 1905 Native Economic Plants of Montana. Bozeman.
Montana Agricultural College Experimental Station, Bulletin 56 (p. 8)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Gitksan Other (Containers)
Bark used to make containers and waterproof wrappings.
Gottesfeld, Leslie M. J. 1992 The Importance of Bark Products in the
Aboriginal Economies of Northwestern British Columbia, Canada. Economic
Botany 46(2):148-157 (p. 154)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Gitksan Other (Lighting)
Used to make torches.
Gottesfeld, Leslie M. J. 1992 The Importance of Bark Products in the
Aboriginal Economies of Northwestern British Columbia, Canada. Economic
Botany 46(2):148-157 (p. 154)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Koyukon Other (Containers)
Bark used to make baskets and food storage containers.
Nelson, Richard K. 1983 Make Prayers to the Raven--A Koyukon View of
the Northern Forest. Chicago. The University of Chicago Press (p. 53)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Koyukon Other (Fuel)
Wood used for firewood.
Nelson, Richard K. 1983 Make Prayers to the Raven--A Koyukon View of
the Northern Forest. Chicago. The University of Chicago Press (p. 53)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Koyukon Other (Fuel)
Bark used to start campfires or light the stove at home.
Nelson, Richard K. 1983 Make Prayers to the Raven--A Koyukon View of
the Northern Forest. Chicago. The University of Chicago Press (p. 53)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Koyukon Other (Hunting & Fishing Item)
Wood used to make fish traps.
Nelson, Richard K. 1983 Make Prayers to the Raven--A Koyukon View of
the Northern Forest. Chicago. The University of Chicago Press (p. 53)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Malecite Other (Containers)
Bark used for boxes and other containers.
Speck, Frank G. and R.W. Dexter 1952 Utilization of Animals and Plants
by the Malecite Indians of New Brunswick. Journal of the Washington
Academy of Sciences 42:1-7 (p. 6)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Micmac Other (Containers)
Bark used to make boxes, coffins and other containers.
Speck, Frank G. and R.W. Dexter 1951 Utilization of Animals and Plants
by the Micmac Indians of New Brunswick. Journal of the Washington
Academy of Sciences 41:250-259 (p. 258)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Micmac Other (Cooking Tools)
Bark used to make dishes and cooking utensils.
Speck, Frank G. and R.W. Dexter 1951 Utilization of Animals and Plants
by the Micmac Indians of New Brunswick. Journal of the Washington
Academy of Sciences 41:250-259 (p. 258)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Ceremonial Items)
Bark placed on the coffins when burying the dead.
Reagan, Albert B. 1928 Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa)
Indians of Minnesota. Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248 (p. 241)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Containers)
Bark used to make small vessels, pails and trays.
Reagan, Albert B. 1928 Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa)
Indians of Minnesota. Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248 (p. 241)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Containers)
Bark used to make storage containers, sap dishes, rice baskets,
buckets, trays and winnowing dishes.
Reagan, Albert B. 1928 Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa)
Indians of Minnesota. Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248 (p. 241)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Cooking Tools)
Nearly any kitchen utensil common to the white man, could be duplicated
in birch bark by the Ojibwe.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 416)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Cooking Tools)
Bark used to make funnels for pouring hot lard.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 416)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Cooking Tools)
Bark used to make all sorts of drying trays.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 416)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Cooking Tools)
Bark used to make shallow trays for winnowing wild rice.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 416)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Cooking Tools)
Bark used to make dishes.
Reagan, Albert B. 1928 Plants Used by the Bois Fort Chippewa (Ojibwa)
Indians of Minnesota. Wisconsin Archeologist 7(4):230-248 (p. 241)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Fuel)
After stripping a felled tree of its bark, it was salvaged for firewood.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 416)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Fuel)
Scraps of bark used by women to kindle or light fires.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 416)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Lighting)
Bark rolled into a handy, burn all night torch.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 416)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Paper)
Patterns for decorative art made upon the bark.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 413)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Paper)
Records of medicine lodge rituals kept on its virgin surface.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 414)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Paper)
There were many layers of bark ranging from the thinnest paper to quite
heavy pieces.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 414)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Preservative)
Wood had the property of protecting articles stored in it from decay.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 414)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Protection)
Ojibwe claim that birch was never struck by lightning, hence offered a
safe harbor in thunderstorms.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 414)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Sacred Items)
Paper birch and cedar form the two most sacred trees of the Ojibwe,
both of which were very useful.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 414)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Sacred Items)
The Ojibwe regard the bark as a distinct "contribution from Winabojo."
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 414)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Other (Sacred Items)
No birch was gathered by the Ojibwe without due offering of tobacco to
Winabojo & Grandmother Earth.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 414)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Omaha Other (Toys & Games)
Papery bark chewed to a pulp and used for popgun wads.
Gilmore, Melvin R. 1919 Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri
River Region. SI-BAE Annual Report #33 (p. 116)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Pawnee Other (Toys & Games)
Papery bark chewed to a pulp and used for popgun wads.
Gilmore, Melvin R. 1919 Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri
River Region. SI-BAE Annual Report #33 (p. 116)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Ponca Other (Toys & Games)
Papery bark chewed to a pulp and used for popgun wads.
Gilmore, Melvin R. 1919 Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri
River Region. SI-BAE Annual Report #33 (p. 116)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Potawatomi Other (Cooking Tools)
Bark used to make many of the household utensils, storage vessels and
containers.
Smith, Huron H. 1933 Ethnobotany of the Forest Potawatomi Indians.
Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee 7:1-230 (p. 112)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Other (Containers)
Bark used to make containers for storing food and picking berries.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Other (Containers)
Bark used as lining in food storage pits.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Other (Containers)
Bark used as lining in storage pits.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Other (Cooking Tools)
Bark used to make containers for storing food, picking berries and
cooking.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Other (Cooking Tools)
Wood used to make bowls and spoons.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Other (Cooking Tools)
Wood used to make bowls and spoons.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Other (Fuel)
Wood used for firewood.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Other (Fuel)
Black colored stem growth used as tinder for kindling fires with a fire
drill.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Other (Fuel)
Black stem growth used as tinder for starting fires with a fire drill.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Other (Hunting & Fishing Item)
Wood used to make spears for hunting bears and bows for hunting both
large and small game.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Other (Musical Instrument)
Wood used to make drums.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Other (Musical Instrument)
Wood used to make drumss.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Other (Protection)
Bark made into broad rimmed hats used by young, menstruating girls to
restrict their vision.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Other (Tools)
Wood used to make wedges and tool handles.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Other (Tools)
Wood used to make the bow of the fire drill.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Tanana, Upper Other (Tools)
Wood used to make wedges.
Kari, Priscilla Russe 1985 Upper Tanana Ethnobotany. Anchorage. Alaska
Historical Commission (p. 5)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Thompson Other (Containers)
Tough, waterproof bark used as a material for lining storage caches.
Turner, Nancy J., Laurence C. Thompson and M. Terry Thompson et al.
1990 Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the
Thompson Indians of British Columbia. Victoria. Royal British Columbia
Museum (p. 189)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Thompson Other (Cooking Tools)
Tough, waterproof bark used as a material for wrapping food.
Turner, Nancy J., Laurence C. Thompson and M. Terry Thompson et al.
1990 Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the
Thompson Indians of British Columbia. Victoria. Royal British Columbia
Museum (p. 189)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Thompson Other (Decorations)
Bark used for decorations.
Turner, Nancy J., Laurence C. Thompson and M. Terry Thompson et al.
1990 Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the
Thompson Indians of British Columbia. Victoria. Royal British Columbia
Museum (p. 189)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Thompson Other (Paper)
Bark used for paper and cards.
Turner, Nancy J., Laurence C. Thompson and M. Terry Thompson et al.
1990 Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the
Thompson Indians of British Columbia. Victoria. Royal British Columbia
Museum (p. 189)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Wet'suwet'en Other (Containers)
Bark used to make containers and waterproof wrappings.
Gottesfeld, Leslie M. J. 1992 The Importance of Bark Products in the
Aboriginal Economies of Northwestern British Columbia, Canada. Economic
Botany 46(2):148-157 (p. 154)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Wet'suwet'en Other (Lighting)
Used to make torches.
Gottesfeld, Leslie M. J. 1992 The Importance of Bark Products in the
Aboriginal Economies of Northwestern British Columbia, Canada. Economic
Botany 46(2):148-157 (p. 154)
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Winnebago Other (Toys & Games)
Papery bark chewed to a pulp and used for popgun wads.
Gilmore, Melvin R. 1919 Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri
River Region. SI-BAE Annual Report #33 (p. 116)
Betula papyrifera var. papyrifera
Paper Birch; Betulaceae
Haisla and Hanaksiala Other (Decorations)
Wood used for carving.
Compton, Brian Douglas 1993 Upper North Wakashan and Southern Tsimshian
Ethnobotany: The Knowledge and Usage of Plants.... Ph.D. Dissertation,
University of British Columbia (p. 226)
Betula populifolia Marsh.
Gray Birch; Betulaceae
Iroquois Drug (Hemorrhoid Remedy)
Decoction of bark taken for bleeding piles.
Herrick, James William 1977 Iroquois Medical Botany. State University
of New York, Albany, PhD Thesis (p. 300)
Betula populifolia Marsh.
Gray Birch; Betulaceae
Malecite Drug (Dermatological Aid)
Inner bark scrapings used for swelling in infected cuts.
Mechling, W.H. 1959 The Malecite Indians With Notes on the Micmacs.
Anthropologica 8:239-263 (p. 245)
Betula populifolia Marsh.
Gray Birch; Betulaceae
Micmac Drug (Dermatological Aid)
Inner bark used for infected cuts.
Chandler, R. Frank, Lois Freeman and Shirley N. Hooper 1979 Herbal
Remedies of the Maritime Indians. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 1:49-68
(p. 55)
Betula populifolia Marsh.
Gray Birch; Betulaceae
Micmac Drug (Emetic)
Inner bark used as an emetic.
Chandler, R. Frank, Lois Freeman and Shirley N. Hooper 1979 Herbal
Remedies of the Maritime Indians. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 1:49-68
(p. 55)
Betula pubescens ssp. pubescens
Downy Birch; Betulaceae
Cree, Hudson Bay Drug (Dermatological Aid)
Boiled, powdered wood applied to chafed skin.
Holmes, E.M. 1884 Medicinal Plants Used by Cree Indians, Hudson's Bay
Territory. The Pharmaceutical Journal and Transactions 15:302-304 (p.
303)
Betula pubescens ssp. pubescens
Downy Birch; Betulaceae
Potawatomi Drug (Adjuvant)
Infusion of twigs used as a seasoner for medicines.
Smith, Huron H. 1933 Ethnobotany of the Forest Potawatomi Indians.
Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee 7:1-230 (p. 43,
44)
Betula pubescens ssp. pubescens
Downy Birch; Betulaceae
Chippewa Fiber (Canoe Material)
Bark used in boat building.
Gilmore, Melvin R. 1933 Some Chippewa Uses of Plants. Ann Arbor.
University of Michigan Press (p. 128)
Betula pumila var. glandulifera Regel
Glandulose Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Drug (Gynecological Aid)
Infusion of cones taken during menses and for strength after childbirth.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 358)
Betula pumila var. glandulifera Regel
Glandulose Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Drug (Respiratory Aid)
Smoke of cones inhaled for catarrh.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 358)
Betula pumila var. glandulifera Regel
Glandulose Birch; Betulaceae
Ojibwa Fiber (Basketry)
Twigs of this dwarf birch used for the ribs of baskets.
Smith, Huron H. 1932 Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the
Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 417)
Betula sp.
White Birch; Betulaceae
Creek Drug (Tuberculosis Remedy)
Bark used in medicine taken for pulmonary tuberculosis.
Swanton, John R 1928 Religious Beliefs and Medical Practices of the
Creek Indians. SI-BAE Annual Report #42:473-672 (p. 659)
Betula sp.
; Betulaceae
Creek Drug (Tuberculosis Remedy)
Decoction of bark taken for pulmonary tuberculosis.
Taylor, Linda Averill 1940 Plants Used As Curatives by Certain
Southeastern Tribes. Cambridge, MA. Botanical Museum of Harvard
University (p. 15)
Betula sp.
Birch; Betulaceae
Malecite Drug (Unspecified)
Wood heated and used like a hot-water bottle.
Speck, Frank G. and R.W. Dexter 1952 Utilization of Animals and Plants
by the Malecite Indians of New Brunswick. Journal of the Washington
Academy of Sciences 42:1-7 (p. 6)
Betula sp.
Yellow Birch; Betulaceae
Malecite Food (Beverage)
Bark used to make tea.
Speck, Frank G. and R.W. Dexter 1952 Utilization of Animals and Plants
by the Malecite Indians of New Brunswick. Journal of the Washington
Academy of Sciences 42:1-7 (p. 6)
Betula sp.
Birch; Betulaceae
Eskimo, Inuktitut Fiber (Snow Gear)
Wood used to make snowshoes.
Wilson, Michael R. 1978 Notes on Ethnobotany in Inuktitut. The Western
Canadian Journal of Anthropology 8:180-196 (p. 192)
Betula sp.
Birch; Betulaceae
Malecite Fiber (Brushes & Brooms)
Used to make brooms.
Speck, Frank G. and R.W. Dexter 1952 Utilization of Animals and Plants
by the Malecite Indians of New Brunswick. Journal of the Washington
Academy of Sciences 42:1-7 (p. 6)
Betula sp.
Birch; Betulaceae
Malecite Fiber (Snow Gear)
Used to make sled and toboggan runners.
Speck, Frank G. and R.W. Dexter 1952 Utilization of Animals and Plants
by the Malecite Indians of New Brunswick. Journal of the Washington
Academy of Sciences 42:1-7 (p. 6)
Betula sp.
Birch; Betulaceae
Eskimo, Inuktitut Other (Containers)
Wood used to make containers.
Wilson, Michael R. 1978 Notes on Ethnobotany in Inuktitut. The Western
Canadian Journal of Anthropology 8:180-196 (p. 192)
Betula sp.
Birch; Betulaceae
Eskimo, Inuktitut Other (Fuel)
Bark used for tinder.
Wilson, Michael R. 1978 Notes on Ethnobotany in Inuktitut. The Western
Canadian Journal of Anthropology 8:180-196 (p. 192)
Betula sp.
Birch; Betulaceae
Eskimo, Inuktitut Other (Hunting & Fishing Item)
Bark used to make muskrat callers.
Wilson, Michael R. 1978 Notes on Ethnobotany in Inuktitut. The Western
Canadian Journal of Anthropology 8:180-196 (p. 192)
Betula sp.
Birch; Betulaceae
Micmac Other (Hunting & Fishing Item)
Bark used to make trumpets for calling game.
Speck, Frank G. and R.W. Dexter 1951 Utilization of Animals and Plants
by the Micmac Indians of New Brunswick. Journal of the Washington
Academy of Sciences 41:250-259 (p. 258)
Betula sp.
Birch; Betulaceae
Micmac Other (Lighting)
Bark used to make torches for night fishing.
Speck, Frank G. and R.W. Dexter 1951 Utilization of Animals and Plants
by the Micmac Indians of New Brunswick. Journal of the Washington
Academy of Sciences 41:250-259 (p. 258)
