# Survival > Foraging & Wild Edibles >  Smokin' Kinnikinnick (Uva usri)

## DonnerParty

So..... Im young and restless, and every book tells me you CAN smoke kinnikinnick. My question is if anyone here actually HAS smoked it. I would to   know if anyone here has personal experience with smoking the plant, besides historical counts of Native Americans.....?

----------


## grizzlyadam

I haven't either actually, but I'd also really like to hear some feedback on this one. Either way, I plan on givin' it a try at some point through my adventures. I might add though that I did read somewhere that traditionally they used to smoke a mix of kinnikinnick and some other various herbs and/or bark. Which ones I can't remember, however it can also be smoked by itself. I beleive it was the miners there was a historical quote about in wikipedia, of it being smoked by itself? Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong anyone.

----------


## hunter63

For what its worth...no haven't tried it.
Quote>
The term "kinnikinnick" derives from Unami Delaware /kələkːəˈnikːan/, "mixture" (c.f. Ojibwe giniginige "to mix together something animate with something inanimate"),[1] from Proto-Algonquian *kereken-, "mix (it) with something different by hand".[2]Quote<

Quote>
Eastern tribes traditionally used Nicotiana rustica in their peace pipe but western tribes used kinnikinick.[4] Cutler cites Edward S. Rutsch study of the Iroquois, listing ingredients used by other Native American tribes: leaves or bark of red osier dogwood, arrowroot, red sumac, laurel, ironwood, wahoo, squaw huckleberry, Indian tobacco, Jamestown weed, black birch, cherry bark, corn, mullein; along with muskrat glands or oil, and other animal oil or rendered fat.[4]< qoute

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinnikinnick

----------


## Kortoso

So this is just the manzanita (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) that I find in the SF Bay Area?
I can do a good ID of the plants on my next hike and bring home a few leaves for experimentation.

----------


## Rick

I quite smoking in '89. I don't need that crap in my system.

----------


## grizzlyadam

Good job Rick I plan on quitting smoking Benzene when I go on that quest  :Wink: 
Kinninkinnick here I come! LOL

----------


## Winter

Yeah Rick, why look for something to smoke?

----------


## gryffynklm

Always have a positive ID on any plant you plan to consume or smoke in this case. 
Kinnikinnick can be smoked alone. With that in mind, Tobacco was not always smoked casually like it is today.

Like Hunter said, the Kinnikinnick I am familiar with is a blend of herbs and plants that may include Uva usri as well as the plants Hunter lists. Kinnikinnick was often mixed for healing or ceremony. For instance Mullen and cherry bark smoked with a tobacco can be good for respiratory health. I have smoked a tobacco mullein mix to help clear a cough by toning the muscles of mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and soothes the lungs reducing cough spasms, I couldn't tell you if it was the mullein or the tobacco but it definitely helped my  cough.

A decent link to herbal smoking mixes http://home.teleport.com/~howieb/smoking/smoke3.html

The ceremonial mix I am familiar with contains Salvia Alpina or white sage and cedar leaves, mullein, bear berry and red willow are usually mixed with tobacco.
This is the mix we use usually after a sweat, the smoke purifies the body and caries prayers to the creator. the plants are chosen for purification like cedar and sage, the mullein takes the bite out of the smoke. The smoke is not always inhaled, often its just drawn into the mouth, even by the regular smokers I know. It can be harsh depending on the mix. The plant choices can very depending on the traditions each tribe and purpose of the mix. Its a personal choice and changes in the mix depend on the purpose of the sweat. 

Just my limited experience....

----------


## DonnerParty

> So this is just the manzanita (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) that I find in the SF Bay Area?
> I can do a good ID of the plants on my next hike and bring home a few leaves for experimentation.


Ya I am pretty sure it is the same thing! Stuff is everywhere in the bay, also up here in Oregon. Tell me how it goes haha

----------


## DonnerParty

This goes along with most of the research ive done. I am very curious to see how it tastes. Not looking to abuse it, I love Native American history and how connected they were to the earth.

----------


## pete lynch

Why smoke anything? Save your lungs- you're going to need them. Just ask somebody with COPD or asthma. 
I quit in 1996 and that means quit. Everything.
I'm told I can be an anti-smoking a-hole. I don't care.

----------


## randyt

godbless you guys that quit, it had to been a tough challenge. In my opinion this needs to be put in perspective. Modern man has a habit of going overboard on their bad habits lol. I highly doubt a smoke of kinnikinnick once in awhile is going be detrimental to ones health. I highly doubt that the indians carried a big poke of tobacco and chained smoked it.

----------


## Rick

Randy - I really don't know one way or the other. You may well be right. It's an argument I've heard quite a bit from smokers of other plants. As I said in another thread, I'm a member of the "better safe than sorry" clan. If I don't smoke wild weeds I know for a fact that it can't harm me. On the other hand, even if I smoked it occasionally it might. That sounds a lot like Russian Roulette to me.

----------


## Kortoso

> This goes along with most of the research ive done. I am very curious to see how it tastes. Not looking to abuse it, I love Native American history and how connected they were to the earth.


Exactly where I am with this.  :Smile:

----------


## randyt

> Randy - I really don't know one way or the other. You may well be right. It's an argument I've heard quite a bit from smokers of other plants. As I said in another thread, I'm a member of the "better safe than sorry" clan. If I don't smoke wild weeds I know for a fact that it can't harm me. On the other hand, even if I smoked it occasionally it might. That sounds a lot like Russian Roulette to me.


what the heck Rick, do ya want to live forever?????LOL. Life is meant to be rode hard, put up wet and at the very end be skidding in screaming geronimooooooooo

----------


## hunter63

Weeds?....Weeds...somebody say weeds?....Far out, man

----------


## Rick

I tried that once playing baseball. My slide stopped about 3 feet from third base. I learned my lesson.

----------


## wholsomback

Save your lungs,I just got done 6 months back having a lung removed and I will tell you it HURTS.And am just now getting my breath back.

----------


## Kortoso

I think that we can do without any lectures here.  :Smile:  This is NOT tobacco we're discussing.

Last weekend, I harvested a couple dozen leaves. I got a feeling that the drying process will be very slow. Maybe I should chop them up to speed the process?

----------


## Kortoso

004 (640x427).jpg001 (640x426).jpg
Some shots of A. uva-ursi in N Cal.

----------


## DonnerParty

Haha, I dont think they realize I asked if anyone HAD smoked it, not havn't. Anyway, who in the world "abuses" kinnikinnick haha. Nice pictures, ours up here in Oregon arent flowering, i think its too cold yet. Im excited to see how it is. I wouldn't crush and dry though, you will lose flavor if it's not dried whole-leaf.



> Attachment 7457Attachment 7458
> Some shots of A. uva-ursi in N Cal.

----------


## DonnerParty

So this isn't the same as everyday manzanita right? Like the big trees?

----------


## Kortoso

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manzanita
I wouldn't call it a big tree, Donner.

The leaves I was drying weren't drying very quickly. Manzanita seems to be protected against drought, so I cut up the leaves to speed up the process. Should have dried leaves by this weekend.

----------


## Thaddius Bickerton

I have used it at some cherokee powwows I have been invited to attend sharing a pipe with the father of the family that invited me.

I believe it is a blend of things but knickknick was included in the mixture as told to me.  No deep knowledge of it though.  I will attempt to remember to ask my friend next time we meet in the woods or by the camp fire.

----------


## RayLongfeather

Hi guys. I had to join here because I wanted to explain some things that are misconceived about Kinni-Kinnick. First and foremost these different blends of herbs and tobacco are ONLY used for special occasions. They were also ONLY used in special pipes that are blessed and holy to the People (Native Americans) who use them. These blends were also held in reserve as Holy. Many Native Americans even sing special songs as the Kinni-Kinnick is loaded into the pipes. The Kinni-Kinnick itself is held in special boxes or pouches that have also been blessed. 

Real Kinni-Kinnick is something that you have to know someone who makes it to be able to get it. It is also not cheap, about $250 a pound. 

Since it is used for religious purposes there are also many fake places out there who will sell you their junk. 

I apologize for making this my first posting, but knowledge is something taught. Wisdom is passing on that knowledge to others.  

Now I will tel you who I am. Rev. Marlin Ray Taylor... a Native American Pagan Minister

----------


## hunter63

Thanks for adding insight to this discussion, and welcome aboard.
Lots of mis-information and lack of reverance by the non-Native Americans

----------


## gryffynklm

Welcome and thanks for posting Ray, like you said there is a lot of misinformation and internet $haman$ out there.

----------


## kyratshooter

Let's not go too far fellas, we are right there on the religious fringe area. 

This topic is no different than discussing transubstantiation, predestination or reserection of the dead.

If we get this started we will have folks forcing us to wipe our butts with our left hands and we might have to give up bacon!

----------


## White-Bread

I have smoked kinnikinnick, my personal experience was it was good, I don't smoke cigarets or anything like that but I was up in Clinton and I made a traditional hand carved peace pipe from Antler and wood and decided to smoke what the Natives smoked as well. I went and talked to a native elder I know and asked where I could find what they smoked. I once tried to inhale smoke from a cigar and could not do so at all, I have never been good around cigars or cigarettes but when I smoked kinnikinnick I had no problem inhaling it was very smooth and I had a very Interesting talk with my the Indian elder who smoked it with me. It was pretty awesome, he went the hole nine-yards where we smoked in a Tee-Pee with a small fire going in the middle.  I still bring it with me when ever I head to Clinton so I can sit and smoke with the elder.

----------

