Kinnekinnik

Ever hear of that word? In the Algonquian Indian language, it meant 'that which is mixed'. The mixture referred to is Indian tobacco. Before the Indian tribes of our areas knew and began to raise their own tobacco as we know the plant today, they had to find their own ingredients to use in their pipes.

Tobacco seems to have been known first in the West Indies and Central America including Mexico. Each tribe here had its own way of mixing the various ingredients. Basically they included dried willow leaves, dried and shredded dogwood bark, sumac that grew on the hillsides and roots of certain other wild plants. Much to the surprise of our readers some tribes used the leaves of marijuana and peyote roots.

The aroma of smoking kinnekinnik had its own distinct pungent odor and was said to have a harsh taste to the smoker.

The pipe was a very important part of the life of the tribe. When they met with another tribe or with the whites, it was always customary to immediately sit down in a circle and light up a pipe or pipes. A puff of smoke was drawn and the smoke was blown upward to the great spirits. Each individual had to have at least one draw of smoke from the pipe. After the tobacco was burned out the business of the council was then stated. The most primitive pipe was a straight tube. Many have been found in aboriginal burial places from Mexico to the Great Lakes and from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans. They were made from reeds, hollow shin bones of an elk and wood. Through the process of evolution stone and clay came into use. The more elaborate are the most modern.

The metal pipe-tomahawk type was British make. It was made of steel. On one side was a sharp blade, the other side had a small hole drilled into which the smoker placed his kinnekinnik. The handle, made of wood, was drilled in its entire length. This instrument was used not only for ceremonies, but for cutting and killing in warfare. The original handles were made of soft wood and were easily broken. However, the Indian replaced the handle with hickory or ash on which they carved many figures and affixed leather thongs with hawk or eagle feathers. Many times mouth pieces were inserted in the wood. They were often bones from the bird wings.

Very few pipes are surface finds. Usually when a warrior or chief dica, his pipe was buried with him. A supply of tobacco was also included with his personal possessions. It was their opinion these items would be of use to him when he reached his happy hunting grounds. To my knowledge, only a few pipe bowls have been found here in Bedford County, I personally, have found thousands of artifacts but I have never had the pleasure of finding a pipe.

When Columbus first landed here, he found many of the natives held little lighted brands of herbs in their hands and inhaled the smoke. Some inserted the lighted ingredients in charred hollow pieces of wood and inhaled the smoke. Inhaling the smoke caused a drowsiness and a kind of intoxication. Other mixtures relieve them from feeling fatigued.

The Indian considered smoking most essential to their councils and ceremonial dances.

When reeds or pipes were not available they would insert the crushed mixture into rolled leaves. It is easy to recognize this as a forerunner of our modern cigar. However the centers of our cigars have been greatly modified.

The explorers of the many European countries carried back home the new plant and its use spread rapidly. One Italian writer in 1541 is credited with the following comment about 'tobacco'- "See what a pestiferous and wicked poison from the devil must be". When the Spaniards conquered the natives of Mexico they put the Indians to mining precious metals and the raising of tobacco. There was a constant and increasing demand for this plant.

Excavators in New Mexico found a small reed not over 2 1/2 inches long. Into this tobacco had been packed. A band of some type of fabric was bound around the tobacco and sewed into the reed. From this method we have our present cigarette. When the cigarette was smoked and inhaled it was thought to produce a hilarious spirit in the smoker.