only suppose the 2 1973 anthros from British Columbia, who lay the same trip on the uses of
kinikinnik leaves by NWC tribespeople were either influenced by that guy's writings or don't have
any sense themselves, either.Early settlers noted that kinikinnik was widely used as part of a smoking mix that usually
included wild (uncured) tobacco and sometimes red willow or other herbs. When tobacco was
not available -- it didn't grow everywhere -- kinkinnik might be smoked alone or with other
bark/leaf mixtures. In some tribla cultures, it may have a sacred meaning, but I was told its main
use was to cut the harsh taste and feel of uncured wild tobacco -- which I've had in Pipe
ceremonies, and it would be harsh if being smoked for relaxation and pleasure. In any event,
kinikinnik (dried bearberry leaves, often steamed before drying) do not contain any narcotics,
and the reports by ethnobotanists, all of whom made these reports in the 20th century when
scientifically they should have known better, appear racist to me. That's especially true of the
Canadians, writing in the early '70's, who probably thought if Indians smoked it, it must be like
marijuana.TOP
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