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Sweetgrass is considered to be sacred by many North American Indians; this dried herb is rolled into tight braids which to not burn, but rather smolder like incense. In fact, the burning of sweetgrass braids is done at the opening of many traditional Native American and indigenous Canadian prayer ceremonies in order to attract good spirits and positive energies, much the same way that incense is used in rituals of Buddhism, Hinduism and the Roman Catholic Church.

The Ojibwa Indians of present-day Michigan and Ontario have a name in their Algonquian language for the natural herbs used in sweetgrass braids: wika’bimuka’si. This is sometimes mixed with red willow and barberry and smoked in a pipe at certain ceremonies. According to Ojibwa tradition, when the sweetgrass braids are burned, the prayers of those present are carried to the Great Spirit.

Sweetgrass braids have little in the way of medicinal value, although it is reported that an infusion made with the organic herbs used in sweetgrass braids were used by the Ojibwa and others to relieve the symptoms of the common cold as well as venereal disease and the aftermath of childbirth. This is not recommended however, as sweetgrass braids contain a naturally-occuring compound called coumarin, which may be harmful when ingested in large amounts.

As a form of incense however, sweetgrass braids are completely safe, as are most pure bulk herbs available through Starwest Botanicals.

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