Ok-kun-okin. Berry. Sarvis-Berry, June-Berry, Service-Berry, Shadbush,
May Cherry. Amelanchier oblongifolia. A tall shrub or small tree
growing on the prairies along side-hills and in river bottoms. The
berries ripen in midsummer generally about the middle of July. The
Blackfoot used them in great quantities with stews, soups, and meat.
They also dried them for winter use. Violent pains often followed the
eating of raw Sarvis-Berries.
Pukkeep. Chokecherry. Western Wild Cherry. Prunus demissa. The
Blackfoot say it does not ripen till later than the Sarvis-Berry,
generally September or even October. They were used for soups, eaten
raw and pounded up and mixed with meat. The bark was boiled and used
internally in combination with roots of the Western Sweet Cicely,
Northern Valerian, and Sixocasim (Indian Horehound).
Miss-is-a-misoi. Stink-Wood. Buffalo-Berry, Silver-Berry. Elaeagnus
argentea. The Blackfoot gave it the name of Stink-Wood because of the
bad smell of the smoke. In gathering firewood a person was ridiculed if
he brought in Stink-Wood. The berries were used for soup. The bark was
very tough and made strong rope for tying skins and parfleches when
rawhide was not at hand.
Im-a-toch-kot. Dog-Feet. Disporum trachycarpum. It bears yellow
berries, which are eaten raw.
Po-kint-somo. Wild Rhubarb. Cow Parsnip. Heracleum lanatum. In the
spring the stalks were eaten after roasting over hot coals. The
Blackfoot say the stalks are of two kinds, which they designate by
Napim (He) and Skim (She). They peeled and split the stalk of the Skim
before roasting but only peeled the Napim. A stalk of the Po-kint-somo
was placed on the altar of the Sun Dance ceremonial.
Pach-op-it-skinni. Lumpy-Head. Wild Potato, Spring-Beauty. Claytonia
lanceolata. The Wild Potato grew on the prairies and in the foothills
of the mountains. The Blackfoot dug them in spring for eating,
preparing them for eating by boiling.
Ek-sik-a-pato-api. Looks Back. Smartweed. Polygonum bistortoides. The
root was used in soups and stews.
Pesat-se-nekim. Funny Vine. Wild Onion. Allium recurvatum. Eaten raw
and also used for flavoring.
Kach-a-tan. Tender-Root. Carolina Milk Vetch. Astragalus carolinianus.
The root was gathered in the spring or fall and eaten raw or cooked by
boiling in water. It grows on the gravel bottoms or side-hills of the
prairies.
Exixix. White-Root. Bitter-Root, State Flower of Montana, Red-Head
Louisa. Lewisia rediviva. The Blackfoot believed it was healthy food.
They prepared it by boiling in water. It grows plentifully in the
mountains.
Sax-ika-kitsim. Quick Smell. American Wild Mint. Mentha canadensis. The
leaves were placed in parfleches to flavor dried meat. It was also used
to make tea.
Mass. Wild Turnip. Elk Food. Lithospermum linearifolium. The roots were
prepared for eating by boiling or roasting. It grows on the prairies.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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