Traditionally, bitterbrush had many medicinal uses among
Native Americans. An infusion of the
root was taken for lung problems and coughs. In Montana the dry, ripe fruits were used as an emetic. Some tribes chewed the leaves to bring good luck during hunting. The Shoshone, Sacagawea's people, used bitterbrush as a poultice for skin problems, as a general tonic, and as a cure for gonorrhea. Others used the outer seed coat to produce a purple dye used to stain items made of
wood and the Navajo made arrows from bitterbrush wood.-montana state gov't website