Labrador tea - tall
Gwichya Gwich'in Name:
lidii maskeg/maskig
Latin Name:
Ledum groenlandicum
Uses:
As medicine
All of the above ground parts of the Labrador (muskeg) tea plant are used to make a relaxant tea. The dwarf labrador plant, with its smaller leaves, is more aromatic than the tall labrador plant as a tea. Labrador tea is used as a medicine to treat colds, either for drinking, gargling, or for steaming. Ruth Welsh cautioned however that
You don't make it too strong by boiling it too long." Ruth added that, "Our people always made a tea out of Labrador tea, both the low and the tall [plants] and drink that for their colds as soon as they have a cold coming on.
Source: Andre, Alestine, Nan t'aih nakwits'inahtsìh (The Land Gives Us Strength) (2006)
