Tobacco

In Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden, tobacco in her tribe was cultivated only by old men. Young men did not smoke much; a few did, but most used little tobacco or almost none because they were taught that smoking would injure their lungs and make them shot-winded so that they would be poor runners. When a man reached about sixty years of age, it was thought right for him to smoke as much as he liked because his war days and hunting were over. The first harvest was of the blossoms, reckoned the best part of the plant for smoking, and just before frost the rest of the plants were gathered, including the stems and leaves.

North Dakota · United States