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Through investigating botanicals used in native american sundry natural product and handicraft manufacture I had uncovered two small leads regarding the plants of interest that I am about to share with you. I don't claim to have uncovered anything or that this knowledge is unknown or rare, I simply wish to restore focus, interest, and attention on these botanicals.

Red Osier Dogwood and the extremely common Smooth Sumac. Now, what sparked my interest in these two particular plants is that I had found both living in perfect harmony in the landscape of a government building that I frequent. I noticed that the latin nomenclature for the Red Osier Dogwood may be a bit confusing as I have found it listed under many different names all in the genus Cornus. The most current and correct latin name for Red Osier Dogwood is:

Cornus sericea. Prior to C. sericea it was known as C. stolonifera . Along with one C. sericea, the trees inhabiting the landscape I was investigating were listed as C. baileyi. This was discouraging as I believed that I had been working with the wrong species the entire time but upon doing further research I had found that that was simply a synonym for both Cornus sericea 'Baileyi' and Cornus stolonifera "Baileyi" under the common name "Bailey Red Twig Dogwood". Cornus alba (aka C. alba stolonifera) may also be considered as "Red Osier Dogwood" and by what I understand, all species may be used as Red Osier dogwood interchangibly. You most likely will not encounter them listed under the name Thelycrania stolonifera, but if you do know that it is the correct species. I have seen the species of interest listed under the common names "Red Willow" or "Red Stem Willow", as well as the Chippewa name "KinnickKinnick" which literally translates to "That Which Is Mixed" and is used interchangibly with several species. It is known to the natives as midkwapimak.

The statement that really caught my eye about Red Osier Dogwood is that it was smoked by the Native Americans to produce effects similiar to Opium.. . .(just give you a minute to suck that information in). .. I uncovered this as I was compiling a list of Tobacco additives and Substitutes for my "Sundry Naturals" article. Apparently it is not practiced as frequently today as it was in the past. One N.A. explains the memories of his parents harvesting, preparing and smoking the Red Osier Dogwood both with and without tobacco from their peace pipe.

The method traditionally used was to use the Green Cambial Layer directly under the bark of the twigs. I had harvested this by taking several 6''-8'' twigs, carefully pealing the outer red bark off (which I saved to investigate later), then shaving strips of the white/green cambial tissue off of the stem with a knife. Allow this to dry until it is very brittle then it is to be rubbed against the palm of your hand to powder it. The natives roasted the strips of cambial tissue over a fire to speed up the drying process. The final product is what is to be smoked. When mixed with tobacco, it was to be mixed at a 3:1 ratio and is thought to make the tobacco much more smooth and better tasting.

The leaves may be smoked as well but it is not the traditional part used. The leaves can be a little harsh on the lungs when smoked. However, the dried cambial layer which I refer to as "midkwapimak"( the traditional name of Red Osier Dogwood) produces an excellent tasting smoke when smoked alone or with tobacco. Upon retaining a few lungfulls there is an obvious change in consciousness. Unfortuatelly due to my current mental state, each time I have smoked midkwapimak, a brief minor episode of anxiety would IMMEDIATELY result right after I blew out the 2nd or 3rd lungful of smoke. This should not change or dictate your understanding or expectations for the effects however as my mental state is not prime for bioassaying anything but I urged myself to do it for the sake of this essay. I am very anxious to smoke it again when I can take some time off work to relax and do so in a more traditional setting.

Red Osier Dogwood, when used as KinnickKinnick, had great spiritual and religious significance in older day. Nearly all of the Cornus species have medicinal properties , which I will not cover here. I have been doing more and more research on this species everyday so I hope to expand on this further, including information regarding any phytopharmacologicaly active compounds in the cornus genus, at a later date. I just placed an order for One Hundred, One Year Old, One Foot Tall Red Osier Dogwood (C. sericea) trees and will be growing them out over the next year. I may be able to supply (sell/trade) both the live plants and the dried material within the next 2-3 months. Contact if interested.. You may be able to find these at your local nursery however so look around.

Smooth Sumac is known as Rhus glabra. It is a very common and beautiful ornamental and native plant used in landscaping and found growing in the wild all across the midwest. It's often cultivated to provide food and shelter for wildlife and its color changing properties which produce brilliant shades of red. I found information on this plant compiling a list of botanicals that are smoked to treat Asthma as the leaves of smooth sumac are used for. The leaves are also smoked with tobacco as an additive and alone as a substitute. The berries are delicious and used to make a beverage resembling Pink Lemonaid. The berries produce an amazing tasting smoke that is possibly one of my favorite tasting KinnickKinnick candidates I have sampled so far.

I have encountered Smooth Sumac so many times in the past, I am suprised that I had not investigated it prior. So the leaves and berries can be smoked for a nice tasting smoke but here is whats going to get you hooked...

I was reading "Medicinal Plants of the Heartland" by connie Kaye and Neil Billington when I uncovered the following information regarding Rhus glabra and other species of sumac including Dwarf and Fragrant sumac.

"Many Indian tribes used sumac species interchangeably for many medicinal purposes. For peace pipe ceremonies, they used the dried berries or powdered bark mixed with tobacco. Some Overdosed and hallucinated, believeing they were flying through the air...... .. Millspaugh wrote about sumac: ".. OIl extracted from the seeds can be made into candles which burn brilliantly... During the summer of 1879 while botanizing I ate the refreshing berries on three successive nights, following this occurence I Flew! over new your with a graceful and delicious motion I would give several years of my life to experience in reality"...

Caution should be taken when eating the berries in large doses or over an extended period as Hallucinogenic effects have been reported. " (end excerpt from book)
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