Which Coast Salish Peoples historically chewed salal leaves to create a moist poultice applied directly onto burns and sores?

Answer

Klallam, Bella Coola, and Quileute people

The topical application of salal leaves has a significant historical precedent among several Indigenous groups inhabiting the coastal regions of North America. When preparing a remedy for immediate application onto wounds like burns and sores, the traditional method involved chewing the fresh leaves to create a moist poultice. This poultice was then applied directly to the affected area. The specific groups cited for this traditional practice of chewing and applying the leaves include the Klallam, the Bella Coola, and the Quileute people, leveraging both the plant's cooling energy and its tissue-contracting astringent properties for immediate relief and healing initiation.

Which Coast Salish Peoples historically chewed salal leaves to create a moist poultice applied directly onto burns and sores?
plantmedicinepropertysalal