Iroquois Medical Botany (The Iroquois and Their Neighbors)

This is the first book to provide a guide to understanding the use of herbal medicines in traditional Iroquois culture. The world view of the Iroquois League or Confederacy - the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora nations - is based on a strong cosmological belief system. This is evident, especially in their medical practices, which connect man to nature and the powerful forces in the supernatural realm. This book relates Iroquois cosmology to cultural themes by showing the inherent spiritual power of plants and how the Iroquois traditionally have used and continue to use plants as remedies.