Hi Chris,

It is sacred to Native Americans and used in traditional rituals to assist in attaining altered mental states. Some 28 years ago I was an apprentice to a native American medicine man; we used it in every ritual in small amounts. It is an ingredient in a specific medicine kinniknick mixture along with tobacco, sage, willow bark and a few other secret ingredients.

In the Native American sense, the term "medicine" is not used as in our colloquial sense of, "a substance used to treat a physical malady", but means more specifically nearly anything that may have a spiritual/psychological context to it. Within this context a pebble, feather, twig, picture/symbol, action or personal ritual could be considered medicine.