October 11 is Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a holiday that celebrates and honors Native American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures.
As tea lovers, we appreciate the deep knowledge Native Americans developed around the medicinal properties of herbal teas. Native Americans appreciated herbs for their ability to alleviate constipation, lung problems, snakebites, burns, rheumatism, and more.
Early settlers to the Americas survived because herbal wisdom shared with them by Native Americans prevented starvation and disease.
Read on to learn more about the medicinal uses Native Americans developed, and help the Lakota people thrive with the non-profit Friends of the Lakota Nation. More details below.
Cayenne
According to Encyclopedia.com, “Native Americans have used cayenne as a food and as a medicine for stomach aches, cramping pains, gas, and disorders of the circulatory system for 9,000 years.”
Recommended Pepper herbal tea: Slightly spicy, slightly sweet, and full of flavor, South of the Border is a nod to the traditional enjoyment of cocoa in Mexico and Central America.
Nettles
Native Languages of the Americas states that “Stinging nettles… played a role in traditional Native American herbal medicine, particularly to treat skin ailments.” They were a source of dream power for the Kawaiisu tribe.
Recommended Nettle herbal tea: Our Restoring Harmony Herbal Blend Tea balances a subtle note of peppermint with the vegetal quality of dandelion and nettles.
Raspberry Leaf
A study on berry leaf benefits states, “…leaf extracts have often been used against several diseases, such as colds, inflammation of the urinary tract, diabetes, and ocular dysfunction by Native Americans…”
Recommended Raspberry Leaf herbal tea: Vital Balance Herbal Tea is slightly sweet and spicy with a hint of chocolate and a refreshing herbaceous note on the finish.
Licorice
Health Benefits Times states, “Native Americans used a liquid made from the [licorice] roots to treat stomachaches, sore throats, and coughs.” The Lakota also used it “…as a fever remedy for children.”
Recommended Licorice herbal tea: Organic Ginger and Sweet Orange Herbal Tea combines the warmth of ginger and the citrus of tangerine with the natural sweetness of licorice root.
Help Support the Lakota Legacy
We really love the work being done by the non-profit Friends of the Lakota Nation. 100% of monetary donations go directly to the organization and its charitable recipients.
Their current projects include building a crisis center for children to end unhealthy cycles and prevent suicide.
