THE SMALL BARK TEEPEE (TIPI) OR WIGWAM

OF COURSE, THE SMALL BARK TEEPEE, TIPI, WIGWAM, DEBRIS/WHATEVER HUT, DID NOT ORIGINATE IN ANY OF THE THREE AMERICAS AND IS, IN FACT,  PROBABLY, OF AFRICAN ORIGIN.

MODERN VARIATIONS OF THIS: HUT, TEEPEE (TIPI), OR WIGWAM, NOW USUALLY CONSTRUCTED FROM NYLON, ARE IN VERY COMMON USAGE TODAY. YOU FIND THESE TENTS IN ANY OUTDOOR CAMPING SUPPLY AND MOST SPORTING GOODS STORES. THEY REMAIN AN INTEGRAL PART OF ANY COMPLETE SURVIVAL KIT.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ojibwe_wiigiwaam_and_Dakota-style_tipis,_White_Earth_1928.jpg

Public Domain Photo
NOTE: none of the structures pictured are of bark construction.

Very similar to the beaver lodge; and several other disaster, emergency survival, or debris shelters; the small bark tipi evolved from the earlier dome-shaped birch-bark wigwam of mostly Woodland Cree people. This, or a similar, type of shelter was used by indigenous, clan/tribal, peoples on every continent-worldwide-they were not exclusive to; or originate in; any of the "Americas". Definitely they did not originate with any of the present "First Nations"or  Métis; who are not aboriginal or indigenous; but are, in fact  a very recently evolved; exclusively North American; hybrid people.

These are individual nuclear family homes. They are easier to insulate in winter. than the conical small tipi shape. In addition to the woven reed mats, wigwams were covered in winter with a thick layer of dirt and sod, braced up around the sides and over the roof, after the danger of late fall rains was past. These structures are small. Most cooking was done outside (there was a very small heating fire centrally within). They were built anew each season at each camping place, with fresh birch bark and new matting insulation. These were shelters for sleeping, and to wait out the storms. By contrast, the Southern Plains bison hide tipi, with its large diameter, its high and controllable smoke exit, a design permitting a larger inside fire, was a roomy, yet cosy place--if, and when, you had and managed to maintain a sufficient supply of wood or other fuel-otherwise, because of the minimal insulation quality and rapid heat loss, you would much more quickly; freeze to death.
The wigwam's dome construction might be of bent willow, or the flexible, tough dogwood, often called "Bear Berry"  Kinnikinnick (which actually means smoking mix; is not the name ofany berry, or plant.) or although I never ever heard it called such in Western Canada, apparently, for some strange, unknown, reason,"Red Willow"  by some people of partial Algonquin heritage and considered one of the 4 Anishinaabe sacred plants.

Bear Berry or Kinnikinnick
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Arctostaphylos-uva-ursi.JPG

PICTURED BELOW;
THE SHRUB OR TREE  USUALLY KNOWN TO WESTERN CANADIAN "CANADIANS"

 AS PUSSY

OR

RED WILLOW, 

AT LEAST IT'S A WILLOW,

 AND UNLIKE BEAR BERRY,
IT IS RED
IT'S FROM THIS
 RED OR PUSSY WILLOW 
THAT WE GET

SALICYLIC ACID-ASPIRIN

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Salix_discolor_(USDA).jpg

RED WILLOW-SALIX DISCOLOUR

Attribution:  User:Bosto    
IMAGE SOURCE      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PussyWillowBoston.jpg

©Al ( Alex, Alexander) D Girvan 2012 All rights Reserved

Mealberry-not Kinnikinnick-(Arctostaphylos uva ursi)-See Also the Small-Bark-Teepee-Tipi

Many people who are familiar with Alpine Bearberry (Arctostaphylos alpina, Common Bearberry (Arctostaphylos ulva-ursi), Red Bearberry (Arctostaphylos -rubra), bearberry as an ornamental ground cover; believe that they are also familiar with Kinnikinnick. Not so; when the word is used to describe a plant it is but another example of The United States of The Americas attempting to dictate to and/or dominate; in this case what were the ABORIGINAL, INDIGENOUS, or FIRST NATIONS of North America.  

The word kinnikinnick pronounced KINNY-KIN-ick, or Kinn_ICK-innick comes from the aboriginal-most scholars claim Algonquin-meaning "smoking mixture and is not the name of a plant.

Some authorities claim the term "kinnikinnick" derives from Unami Delaware /kələkːəˈnikːan/, "mixture" the Ojibwe giniginige "to mix something animate with something inanimate"),and  from Proto-Algonquian *kereken-"mix (it) with something different by hand". The actual preparation varies by locality and by Native American tribes.

Although whether or not there is any truth at  all is highly debatable; it has been claimed, by some, so called, authorities, that eastern tribes traditionally used Nicotiana rustica in their peace pipe; but, western tribes used kinnikinnick (remember, kinnikinnick,  is not a proper name, and means only, a mixture).

Nicotiana rustica, is known in South America as mapacho and in Vietnam as thuoc lao (thuốc lào), it is a rainforest plant in the Solanaceae family. It is a very potent variety of tobacco with high concentrations of nicotine in its leaves.

 Other ingredients that may have been used by other Native American tribes: leaves or bark of red osier dogwood, arrowroot, red sumac, laurel, ironwood, wahoo, squaw huckleberry, Indian tobacco, Jamestown weed, black birch, cherry bark, corn, mullein; along with muskrat glands or oil, and other animal oil or rendered fat.

Incorrectly, the name kinnikinnick was applied by hunters, traders, settlers and writers of “Western Fiction” in the United States of The Americas to various shrubs in which the bark or leaves are employed in the mixture, most often Bearberry and to lesser degree, Red Osier Dogwood) and Silky Cornel and even to Canadian Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), Evergreen Sumac (Rhus virens) and the Littleleaf Sumac (Rhus microphylla)

Although the plant was native here, it seems to have been been fur trader employees (Métis and métis and others of mixed blood) who brought the name west with them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Red_Osier_Dogwood.jpg

The shrub pictured above;  which around the Edmonton area at least, was most commonly known as " Dog Berry", while it will grow along side of; and even intermingle with; willow, obviously, it is not a willow; and so,can not --NOT POSSIBLE--be RED WILLOW as often claimed.. 

Known as cansasa in Lakota, the inner bark of the red osier dogwood was also used by the Lakota and other Native North Americans as "traditional tobacco", either by itself (Kinnikinnik or in a mixture with other plant materials

Among the Algonquian peoples such as the Ojibwa, the smoking mixtures, blended the inner bark with tobacco while more western tribes added it to the bearberry leaf to improve the taste.

In the wild, it commonly grows in areas of damp soil, such as wetlands. It is a medium to tall deciduous shrub, growing up to about six feet tall and about the same in width, spreading readily by underground stolon (shoots) to form dense thickets. The cultivated branches and twigs are usually dark red, although wild plants may lack this colouration especially in shaded areas or dense thickets.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Arctostaphylos-uva-ursi.JPG
Bear Berry or Mealberry (Arctostaphylos uva ursi)-

Now commonly grown as an ornamental shrub; the wild form grows in open, wooded areas in rocky, sandy ground.The flowers are white or pink tinged,on a low trailing shrub with firm lustrous leaves.The berries (ONLY) are red, with a large stone,consisting of several nutlets inside. The flesh is sparse, dry, and mealy. It can be made into a beverage by steeping the berries in boiling tea.

         

           Kinnikinnick(now the common name but incorrect usage)Tea

1. Pour a little hot tea (any kind) over berries (Bear, Dog,Meal,Red Osier) beat and mush to extract juice.

            2. Strain, and add more tea, or dilute with boiling water.

             Apparently, if the berries are cooked in grease over a slow fire, they will eventually pop,                   rather like wild rice or even popcorn.

Bearberry can be dried for storage.

Dried berries can be ground and cooked into a porridge or cereal

Like wild rice; bearberry can be popped when fried in grease over low flame.

Warning: may cause nausea or constipation if eaten in quantity and prolonged use may cause stomach and liver problems. Should be avoided, if possible by children and pregnant or breast feeding women.

           
SEE ALSO: THE REAL RED WILLOW-http://cookingforsurvival--yourdownbutnotout.blogspot.ca/2010/11/willow.html

©Al (Alex- Alexander) D. Girvan. All Rights reserved. 

Real Red Willow-not Dog-wood, Also the Source of Aspirin

While "Diamond" and Bull" willows may be and often are, referred to as"Pussy willow"; the image shown below, unlike  Bear-berry, Dogwood, Dog-berry (Kinnikinick/Red Osier); actually is a willow; and, the young shoots are usually red.  This is the plant that is known to most  Western Canadians as RED WILLOW

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Attribution: User:Boston

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PussyWillowBoston.jpg

Red Willow

Family Salicaceae (willow)

Salix laevigata

The true Red Willow is a medium-sized deciduous, native to Canada, which always grows near water (not necessarily visible water),often so thickly, in western regions-covering acres of land- that it is unable to grow to any more than shrub size and will almost look like tall red grass, turning the entire area to a lake of red. The bark of mature trees is dark and rough; young twigs may be red to yellow-brown. The long narrow leaves are green and shiny above, whitish below, and usually widest below the middle. Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants and appear soon after the leaves in early spring. The tiny seed produced by the female catkin (pussy willow) has a cottony “fluff” and may be carried a great distance by the wind. Because all willows root grow quickly, they have potential for holding soil on steep slopes (preventing erosion). Like reeds, flexible willow shoots were often used—world wide—to make baskets, boats, hats, and huts. It is the bark of Red Willow, NOT Bear-berry, Dog-berry, "Kinnikinick"(means smoking mix), mealberry, or Red Osier/DOGWOOD that contains salicin(from the family name Salicaceae-Salix laevigata), which our bodies  convert to salicylic acid the active pain relieving agent in aspirin.

Salicylic Acid (Aspirin) was not first discovered by any FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE, unless you want to include Neanderthal and possibly Cro-Magnon Man as First NATIONS.

The, so called, “father of modern medicine”, Hippocrates, who lived sometime between 460 B.C and 377 B.C. left historical records of pain relief treatments, including the use of powder made from the bark and leaves of the willow tree to help heal headaches, pains and fevers.

The young shoots are rich in Vitamin C and can be cooked as greens, but they are decidedly sour- AGAIN, it is from the bark and first leaves of THIS the real RED WILLOW that we get aspirin.

           

©Al  (Alex Alexander) D Girvan 2012. 

All rights reserved.