Harvesting Wiingish/Sweet Grass

In this episode, Mark teaches us about wiingish, or 'sweet grass'. Sweet grass is one of the four sacred medicines in Anishinawbe culture, along with tobacco, sage, and cedar, and traditionally it sits in the 'southern doorway'.  Often braided and used for smudging, sweet grass has a calming effect as an incense.  However, it can also be used in a tea, to help with stress and anxiety, and a variety of other uses.

Along with his dog Charming, he shows us how to identify which grass to pick, and when and how to pick it, as he shares stories with us from his youth, and how the whole community used to pick wiingish 'back in the day', to make crafts. Once again, he reminds us to be 'bear-wise' as well as to be careful while picking medicine in the hot July sun, to avoid heat stroke. Nahaaw, miigwetch!