As it can be inferred, the matrilineal and matriarchal nature of the
Iroquois can be reflected in considering these plants as special gifts from the
Great Spirit. In ancient times, when these plants were cultivated together on a
single hill, they served as a representation of protection and unity. This was
also an example of sustainable agriculture because the corn provides the beans
with needed help, the beans expel nitrogen from the air and bring it into the
soil to benefit all three, as the beans grow through the squash vines and work
their way through the corn cobs, they hold each other together (see Figure 1). (Mercedes
Pérez Agustín, “The Importance of Plants in Native American Oral Tradition,” in
Revista Canaria de Estudios Ingleses, ed. Juan Ignacio Oliva [San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain: University of La Laguna, 2025], 99)
The therapeutic properties of medicinal plants have been linked to the
bear clan, as recounted in the narrative titled “The Gift of the Great Spirit”.
Iroquois elders share this tale with younger generations to instill a sense of
respect and compassion for their ancestors. As the story goes, long ago, an
unfamiliar elder arrived in a small Iroquois village, clad in tattered garments
and exhibiting signs of weariness and distress. In his quest for sustenance and
shelter, he first approached the turtle clan, only to be denied assistance. He
then sought help from the clans of the Duck, the Wolf, the Otter, the Deer, the
Eel, the Heron, and the Eagle, but was met with refusal from each other.
Ultimately, weary and disheartened, he reached the dwelling of the Bear clan,
where an elderly woman, observing his state, extended an offer of rest and
nourishment. The following day, the old man was afflicted with a severe fever
and requested that the woman venture into the forest to find a particular
plant. He instructed her on the preparation of the plant, which facilitated his
recovery (93). (Ibid., 103-4)
Image from ibid., 104:
The cedar is used in physical healing rituals and spiritual
purification. The ritual consists of lighting the cedar inside a shell and
shaking the smoke with a feather. You must direct the smoke towards you, first
to the head, then to the heart, and finally to the rest of the body. Once you
are purified, you will speak with your heart free of impure thoughts, and you
will be in contact with the Great Spirit. In the story “The Buffalo Bull and
the Cedar Tree” by the Osage, the great Bull Buffalo rolled on the ground, and
there, healing plants grew. He told his people, “Use them and you will see old
age as you travel the path of life” (Liebert 1987, 84). (Ibid., 105-6)
Consequently, she decided to end her life. Seeking guidance from an
elderly sorceress on how to die, she aspired to ascend to the heavens to be
with her beloved star. The sorceress responded, “You must embrace the life
bestowed upon you by the Great Spirit, but I can transform you into a being
that will allow you to inhabit the desert beneath the gentle gaze of the young
star” (31). (Ibid., 108)
Lastly is tobacco, which is used for spiritual healing and to
establish a connection with the Great Spirit through the smoke that is
released. In the Anthology of Traditional Tobacco Stories (1992), it is
noted that among the Delaware people, when an herbalist collects leaves or
roots from the forest, it is customary to sprinkle tobacco at the base of the
tree or around the plant as a tribute to the spirit realm. This act serves
multiple purposes, including calming destructive winds, attracting favorable
outcomes during hunts, safeguarding travelers, and providing solace to those in
distress. The Seneca people permitted the tobacco plant to grow to a length
that was twice the span of their outstretched thumbs and forefingers, and it
was only harvested when a storm was imminent; otherwise, the quality of the
tobacco would be deemed inferior (5) (Ibid., 109)
Certain plants possess a power that goes beyond the physical realm,
serving as a unique medium to connect with the Great Spirit, as exemplified by
tobacco. Additionally, some of these plants are endowed with healing properties
and play a significant role during the most profound moments in human
existence: birth, life, and death. (Ibid., 110-11)
