Wormwood
Teetł’it Gwich’in Name::
gyùu tsanh
Latin Name:
Artemisia tilesii
Uses:
As medicine
The wormwood plant is used to treat a congested chest and to clear a stuffy head or stuffy nose. The plant is very aromatic. For steaming purposes, the whole above ground wormwood plant is crushed and put into a pot of water to boil. Once the water starts to steam the pot is taken off the stove and set aside to cool. Ruth said,
Then I cover my head over the bowl with a towel and start doing my deep breathing exercise to get the medicines from this into my lungs. It seems to clear my lungs and open all my breathing passages.
The leaves of the wormwood plant can be dried for use during the winter. Also in the winter when there are no wormwood plants available, use spruce boughs, inner spruce bark, or spruce gum can be used to make a similar steam to treat congestion.
Source: Andre, Alestine, Nan t'aih nakwits'inahtsìh (The Land Gives Us Strength) (2006)
As insect repellent
According to Mary Kendi of Aklavik and Tony Andre of Tsiigehtchic, wormwood can be put on a fire to make a strong smelling smudge that repels mosquitoes.
Source: Andre, Alestine and Alan Fehr, Gwich'in Ethnobotany, 2nd ed. (2002)
