Sage

There are many sage varieties.  It is important to know the difference between Artemisia ludoviciana and Salvia officinalis.  Both are very useful.  The one of ceremonial significance for Indigenous peoples is Artemisia ludoviciana.  The one many people cook with is Salvia officinalis.

Artemisia ludoviciana (prairie sage, white sage) is native to North America.  It grows and spreads quickly.  It is a perennial and gives small yellow-grey flowers.  It grows well in poor, dry soil with full sun and requires good drainage.  It grows to be between two and three feet tall.  Sage can survive hot weather, drought, and cold weather (to -20 degrees Celcius).  It attracts butterflies, and resists deer and rabbits (Gardenia, n.d.).  It is important to be thoughtful when planting any of the four sacred medicines: they should be grown organically, away from pollutants, and away from heavy traffic. 

Salvia officinalis– the kitchen and culinary variety of sage – is related to mint.  It is perennial and evergreen; its stems are woody, and its leaves are grey-green.  Its flowers are blue or purple. The designation “officinalis” is an indication that the plant is recognized for its medicinal and culinary utility and ubiquity. 

Like prairie sage, other members of the Aster family include Black-Eyed Susan, Chamomile, Coneflower, Fringed Aster, Goldenrod, Smooth Aster, and Yarrow.

Sage has been labelled as "a medicine to cure all ills" (Six Nations, n.d.).  When steeped in a tea, sage guides women towards their moon time; therefore, it should not be consumed as a tea during pregnancy, or when breast feeding (it could interfere with milk production). It may be used to reduce symptoms of menopause (hot flashes).

If you wait too long to harvest the leaves for tea, they will be bitter.  Young sage leaves make less bitter tea.

Sage leaves can be applied to wounds and has antiseptic properties; it can be chewed to relieve sores in the mouth, and can be effective against sore throats, colds, and flu. Cheyenne people crushed leaves to use as a snuff to relief sinus trouble, nosebleeds, and for headaches; Crow people mixed crushed sage with fat to apply as a salve on sores (White Sage, n.d.).

The name 'wormwood' comes from the use of sage to expel worms by drinking the sage in a warm tea.  It may also help improve appetite and digestion. (Gray, p. 151-2)

Sage can be used for digestive issues (lack of appetite, gas, bloating, stomach pain, diarrhea), for high cholesterol, and for mental health issues (depression, loss of memory, Alzheimer’s) (WebMD, n.d.).

To reduce scars as burns are healing, one can use a poultice of boiled sage leaves (Cree Elderin Marles et al, p. 122).

When hiking, relieve sore feet by lining the bottom of your shoes with wild sage leaves.  When you get home, add the leaves to a hot bath or massage oil to relieve tension in sore muscles (Gray, p. 152).

Caution: contains thujone, which can cause seizures if taken in high amounts.

Sage is one of the four sacred medicines, along with tobacco, cedar, and sweetgrass.  Sage smudge is used for the spiritual cleansing of people, places, things and is often used during ceremony (including Sun / Thirst Dance): it is a good treatment for removing negative spirit and making room for positive spirit.  Before lighting the sage, a window or door should be opened to give the negative energy a way to move on.  If a flame results when the sage is lit, one can wave it out with the hand or a feather; one should not blow out the flame with one’s breath.  The smoking sage can be put in a fireproof and natural vessel (abalone shell, a curved rock, or pottery).  One “washes” with sage smoke: the smoke is moved over the person, place, or thing being cleansed.  When smudging the body with sage smoke, the person focuses on cleansing the mind making room for good thoughts, cleansing the eyes for clearer sight, cleansing the ears for clearer hearing, cleansing the mouth for kinder speech, and the body to move through the world in a better way (Smudging Protocol and Guidelines, 2018). After smudging, the ashes should be placed outside on the ground in a quiet place (Smudging 101, 2013).  Anishanaabe teachings tell us that this is woman’s medicine, and can be handled by women whether menstruating or not (whereas other medicines, like tobacco, are restricted during women’s moon time).  It is understood by Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe to be in the western door, but the placement may differ from community to community (The Medicines, n.d.)  One can smudge daily with sage smoke, but smudging should always be practiced with respect and in a good way (Four Sacred Plants, 2011). 

Harvesting should be done with great respect for the plant, following Indigenous protocols.  One should offer tobacco, gratitude, prayers, and an explanation to the plant before picking sage for ceremonial use.  One should be careful to take only what is needed, and not too much from a single plant. One should also be careful not to damage any other part of the plant while harvesting.  According to Elder Wilfred Buck (Opaskwayak Cree Nation), one can take the whole plant, but leave the root so more will grow there (Vitality TV, 2010).  Sage should be picked before flowering, as this is when the medicine is strongest.  If picking whole plants, a few can be tied together and hung to dry in a place where they will not be disturbed.  Dried leaves should be stored up off the ground in a respectful way, and can be carried in a medicine bag.

It has been said that in a patch of prairie sage, the tall plants with more seeds are the masculine plants, and the shorter plants with buds are feminine plants. 

The female plants don't have any leaves, mainly seeds, and grow in a circle.

 

 

The leaves of salvia officinialis are rich in vitamins and minerals, particularly calcium, potassium, vitamin B1, and zinc. (WebMD, n.d.)

You can add the leaves to salads or stuffing with wild cranberries (Gray, p. 153).

For insect repellant, rub the leaves on your skin (Cree Elder, Métis Elder in Marles et al., p. 122).  Sage smoke can also repel mosquitoes.  Métis people would burn a smudge fire near the place where horses are tied up to keep the bugs off (Plants Growing Along teh Riber, Fringed sage, Pasture sage).

It can be used as a deodorant when taken as a tea, or applied to the skin as a tincture.

To freshen breath, the leaves can be chewed (Cree Elder, in Marles et al., p. 122).

Pasture sage is one of the ingredients of a smoking mixture called kinnikinnick which is also made with bearberry and Labrador tea (Gray, p. 151).