English
subalpine fir
Scientific Name
Abies bifolia; possibly other Abies spp
Arapaho
hiibóooti’, nii’íbóooti’
Translation of the Arapaho
‘it smells, it smells good’
Subalpine Fir and the Arapaho
Drug: unspecified. Arapahos report simply that Abies bifolia is used medicinally.
Other: ceremonial incense. Contemporary Arapahos note that these plants are still widely used in smudging. The identity of the Arapaho name with Abies bifolia and Picea engelmannii has been confirmed in the field. Branches which are brown and infected with a form of fungus, but with the needles still on the branch, are primarily sought, and this condition seems more important than the particular species of the tree. Kroeber 1983:32 (<niibaantou>) identifies this name with “hemlock leaves” and says the plant was used in incense mixtures used in connection with the sacred medicine bags.
hiiboooti’, hiibou’oo’, hiibootou' are all recorded as alternate names, meaning ‘it smells.’
This name may be a variant of the previous name, or may refer to some more specific part of the trees, to one specific species, or to the smudging process with them. Toll and Kroeber both give the first and second main names above. Kroeber identifies the first name as “fir needles,” and says the plant was used for incense in a medicine ceremony. Thus this name seems to be closely identified specifically with Abies bifolia, and perhaps specifically with the needles.
A forest dominated by Subalpine Fir and Englemann Spruce in northern Colorado