Much of our herbal knowledge about skunk cabbage comes from traditional uses by Indigenous peoples of eastern North America. Unfortunately, the available information is often incomplete, does not mention particular tribes, and was recorded by non-Indigenous authors. Some Woodland tribes of the Upper Midwest ate skunk cabbage as a food, adding the dried leaf to stews and soups, and grinding the dried rhizome into a flour. The root of skunk cabbage has traditionally been used by tribes such as the Winnebago and Dakota as an antispasmodic and expectorant for bronchitis and asthmatic conditions.

This indication is even followed today, with herbalist David Winston using skunk cabbage root to ease spasms of the lungs, diaphragm, and back muscles. Herbalist David Hoffmann also finds the root useful in cases of asthma, bronchitis, and whooping cough. Additionally, Hoffmann finds its diaphoretic action supportive of the body during fever, which supports Physiomedicalist Dr. William Cook’s usage of this plant to promote perspiration and to ease the agitation that comes with fevers.