Katrina Rosales
Native American scents and perfumes are derived from plants, trees, and fruits. These natural perfumes are often used during Pow Wows, where dancers and guests use scented sachets or oils as a natural perfume to stay fresh. Some common scents used include sweetgrass, cedar, sage, and lavender. Native American-owned companies such as Native Scents and Native Naturals offer organic and sustainably crafted smudge sticks, incense, and perfumes. Additionally, indigenous perfumes are available on Etsy, with unique fragrances like pumpkin cider, vanilla musk, and sweet grass oil.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Scents | Sweetgrass, Cedar, Sage, Patchouli, Lavender, Mint, Chokecherry, Pumpkin Cider, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Arabian Vanilla, Musk, Silken Tent, Chrysanthemum, Nardo, Jasmine-scented rice pudding, Blonde caramel, Golden amber |
| Source | Plants, Leaves, Roots, Berries, Fruits, Flowers, Herbs, Essential Oils |
| Use | Medicinal, Food, Fragrance, Perfume, Cologne, Technological |
| Availability | Etsy, Prairie Edge, Native Naturals, Alkemia, Fragrantica |
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What You'll Learn
Natural scents and essential oils
The use of natural scents and essential oils has been intertwined with Native American traditions for centuries. These scents are often used during Pow Wows, where dancers and guests use them personally or as scented sachets to "stay fresh". Here are some commonly used natural scents and essential oils in Native American culture:
Sweetgrass
Sweetgrass oil has a fresh cut grass and clover scent with a slight undertone of wisteria. It is produced using a distillation process that infuses natural oils. This light, earthy scent is often used in places where burning sweetgrass is not possible. Sweetgrass is also intertwined with many Native American traditions, where it is used as a personal smudge to dedicate oneself to prayer or dance.
Lavender
Common Lavender (Lavendula spp.) is a Euroasian herb with a long history of use in the Old World. It has a sweet, earthy, calming, and cleansing scent. It is often used as a scented sachet to infuse clothing with its aroma.
Cedar
Cedar chips, often purchased at local hardware stores, are used for packing and preserving regalia while adding a woodsy scent to clothing. It also helps keep insects away. The preferred type of cedar to burn as a purifying incense is Thuja occidentalis Flat Cedar (known as hante blaska in Lakota). Cedarwood oil has a warm, woodsy aroma that promotes feelings of wellness and can even help create a sense of vitality.
Patchouli
Patchouli is a mysterious, woodsy scent that originated in India. It is popular among Powwow dancers who use it to scent themselves and their regalia. A little goes a long way with this potent scent.
Sage
Essential oils derived from the sage plant have a warm, camphoraceous, and menthol-like odour. Sage is a sacred herb in Native American traditions and is used personally by dancers and guests during Pow Wows.
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Sweetgrass and smoked cedar
Sweetgrass is a fragrant grass with a scent reminiscent of freshly cut grass and clover, with slight undertones of wisteria. It is often braided and used in smudging ceremonies, where it is burned to dedicate oneself to prayer or dance. Sweetgrass is also used to make essential oils and perfumes, either on its own or combined with other scents.
Cedar is a type of wood with a warm, woodsy aroma that promotes feelings of wellness. It is commonly used in the form of cedarwood oil, which can be burned as incense or used in a diffuser. Cedar chips are also used for packing and preserving regalia, adding a pleasant scent to clothing and helping to keep bugs away.
One example of a perfume that combines sweetgrass and smoked cedar is Providence Perfume Sedona Sweetgrass, which features notes of mossy, fresh ivy and trefoil, sunbathed lavender flowers, bergamot, and sweet grass, surrounded by delicate botanical musk, vetiver, patchouli, and precious woods. The sweet grassy scent is said to linger for a long time, evoking the image of walking along a trail between a grassy field and a forest.
Another option is Grisiau Parfums' Sedona fragrance, which includes sweet grass along with hints of fruity sweetness, herbal sage, suede, and soft pine. This perfume has been described as smelling like the desert in the evening when the desert blooms have opened, with a hint of coolness.
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Traditional stories and songs
Traditional American Indian perfume, or 'attar', is an oil-based, alcohol-free fragrance in a concentrated form. It is made by distilling aromatic flowers, herbs, or spices. The purest attars are distilled using the deg-bhapka method, which requires specific traditional equipment. Raw aromatics are distilled onto a wood base, such as sandalwood, and aged for up to 10 years.
The Indian town of Kannauj, the country's attar capital, is known for its unique processes and eccentric artisans. The ancient Indian text, Brihatsamhita (500 AD), describes thirty-seven verses dealing with the term 'gandhayukti', meaning blending of perfumes. The word 'sugandhi', meaning well-perfumed, is also mentioned in the Rig Veda. Ancient Indian perfume technologists have prescribed six chemical processes for the production of cosmetic substances.
Indian roses are small but have an intense scent with a double row of petals. Rose water (gulab jal) has ritualistic and culinary significance, while Ruh Gulab (pure rose extract) and Attar gulab (distilled rose over sandalwood oil) are evergreen Indian perfumes. Krishan Mohan, one of India's senior-most living traditional perfumers, creates blends with dominant rose notes paired with amber, oud, and musk.
The use of perfumes in Native American communities is also influenced by traditional stories and songs. For example, one user on Reddit mentions that they create products inspired by their Lakota/Dakota homelands and their traditional stories and songs. Similarly, another user mentions that they incorporate their Lakota and Dakota traditional plant knowledge and beliefs into their herbal products.
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Popular fragrances
Native Americans have a rich history of using natural scents and essential oils, with many plants and herbs holding cultural and spiritual significance. Here are some of the popular fragrances used in Native American traditions:
Sage and Sweetgrass
Sage and sweetgrass are two sacred herbs that are deeply intertwined with Native American culture. Sage has a warm, camphoraceous, and menthol-like aroma, while sweetgrass is known for its light, earthy scent with hints of fresh-cut grass, clover, and wisteria. These herbs are often burned as a smudge during prayers or dances, with the smoke purifying and dedicating oneself to the spiritual practice.
Lavender
Lavender, or Lavendula spp., is a Euroasian herb that has been naturalized in the New World. It has a sweet, earthy, and wholesome aroma with calming and cleansing properties. Lavender is commonly used in scented sachets, packed with clothing to infuse it with its pleasant fragrance.
Patchouli
Patchouli is a popular fragrance among Powwow dancers, who use it to scent both their skin and regalia. This mysterious, woodsy scent originates from India and is known for its potency, requiring only a small amount to make a significant impact.
Cedar
Cedar, specifically Thuja occidentalis Flat Cedar (known as hante blaska in Lakota), is a preferred type of cedar for burning as incense among Native Americans. It has a sweet aroma and is used for purification rituals. Cedarwood oil, derived from cedar, has a warm, woodsy fragrance that promotes a sense of wellness, repels insects, and can even enhance workouts.
Copal Resin
Copal resin has a sweetly coniferous scent and has been used in rituals in the Americas for millennia. It was once favoured by the Maya and Aztec people and later adopted by the Roman Catholic Church in Central and South America as incense.
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Natural ingredients
The natural scents used by Native Americans are often derived from plants, trees, or fruits. These scents are used in the form of essential oils, scented sachets, incense, or natural perfumes.
Native Americans have a deep understanding of plants and their specific uses. They believe that plants are a gift from the earth and have their own needs, which is key to their relationship with plants. Plants are used for medicinal purposes, as a food source, in cosmetics, dyes, and ritual use.
Some plants are recognised for their fragrant properties, such as sweetgrass, sage, cedar, and lavender. Sweetgrass oil has the scent of fresh-cut grass and clover, with a slight undertone of wisteria. Cedar, specifically Thuja occidentalis Flat Cedar (known as hante blaska in Lakota), is burned as a purifying incense and has a sweet aroma. It is also used to pack and preserve regalia, adding a woodsy scent to clothing and helping to keep bugs away. Sage is another sacred herb used by Native Americans, often for prayer or dance rituals. Lavender, a plant native to Europe, has a calming and cleansing effect and is used in scented sachets.
Other plants are used for their medicinal properties, such as goldenrod, ground pine, Indian tobacco, and witch hazel. Goldenrod tea is used to cure urinary illnesses and intestinal problems, while ground pine is used to relieve joint stiffness. Indian tobacco is believed to relieve lung problems like asthma and can act as a stimulant or relaxant depending on dosage. Witch hazel has multiple medicinal uses, including as an astringent and an eye wash.
Some plants have multiple uses, such as the Indian cucumber root, which is a food source and can also be used to make flour from its roots. The sap from the plant can be used to thicken soups, while the shoots are edible and can be eaten raw or boiled. Burdock is another example, with its greens used as a food source, leaves sewn together to make hats, and the plant itself used as a medicine for coughs.
Native Americans also use plants for ceremonial purposes, such as the chokecherry, which is used in rituals, and the partridge berry, whose leaves are turned into a lotion for sore breasts by mothers.
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Frequently asked questions
American Indian perfume is inspired by traditional stories, songs, and the natural scents of the land.
Native Scents, Inc. and Native Naturals are two brands that offer perfumes and scented products rooted in American Indian traditions.
Common notes include sweetgrass, cedar, sage, lavender, patchouli, and vanilla. These scents are often used in the form of essential oils or incense.
You can find American Indian perfumes and fragrance products on websites like Etsy, which features independent and handmade items.
Yes, some popular perfume oils include sweetgrass oil, cedarwood oil, and vanilla musk oil. These oils are often used for their aromatic and therapeutic properties.
