Native Americans typically smoked tobacco in peace pipes, often mixed with other local plants or herbs depending on the tribe and region. Common additions included willow bark, sumac leaves, manzanita, cedar shavings, white sage, and sometimes sweetgrass or kinnickinnick, which could soften the smoke and change the flavor.

What the pipe meant

The pipe was usually ceremonial , not just for recreation. It was used in prayers, alliances, treaties, marriages, and other solemn gatherings, so the smoke had spiritual and social meaning.

Important nuance

“Peace pipe” is a simplified outside label; many Indigenous communities used these pipes for broader sacred purposes, including truth-telling and ritual agreement, not only peace-making. The exact plant mix varied a lot by tribe and place.

Simple answer

If you want the shortest version: they usually smoked tobacco, sometimes blended with native herbs.