Nothing on this site is placed here for teaching one how to do ceremonies.
Ceremonies are sacred, and can not be taught on a internet website.
The information here, is only to share with you what has been written and recorded.
~ American Indian Commandments ~
Sacred Instruction,,,
Given By The Creator To Native People At The Time Of Creation
Treat the Earth and all that dwell thereon with respect.
Remain close to the Great Spirit.
Show great respect for your fellow beings.
Work together for the benefit of all Mankind.
Give assistance and kindness wherever needed.
Do what you know to be right.
Look after the well being of mind and body.
Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good.
Be truthful and honest at all times.
Take full responsibility for your actions.
~ Native Code of Ethics ~
1. Each morning upon rising, and each evening before sleeping, give thanks for the life within you and for all life, for the good things the Creator has given you and for the opportunity to grow a little more each day.
Consider your thoughts and actions of the past day and seek for the courage and strength to be a better person. Seek for the things that will benefit others (everyone).
2. Respect: Respect means "To feel or show honor or esteem for someone or something; to consider the well being of, or to treat someone or something with deference or courtesy". Showing respect is a basic law of life. Treat every person from the tiniest child to the oldest elder with respect at all times.
Special respect should be given to Elders, Parents, Teachers, and Community Leaders.
No person should be made to feel "put down" by you;
avoid hurting other hearts as you would avoid a deadly poison.
Touch nothing that belongs to someone else (especially Sacred Objects) without permission, or an understanding between you. Respect the privacy of every person, never intrude on a person's quiet moment or personal space. Never walk between people that are conversing. Never interrupt people who are conversing. Speak in a soft voice, especially when you are in the presence of Elders, strangers or others to whom special respect is due. Do not speak unless invited to do so at gatherings where Elders are present (except to ask what is expected of you, should you be in doubt).
Never speak about others in a negative way, whether they are present or not.
Treat the earth and all of her aspects as your mother. Show deep respect for the mineral world, the plant world, and the animal world. Do nothing to pollute our Mother, rise up with wisdom to defend her. Show deep respect for the beliefs and religion of others.
Listen with courtesy to what others say, even if you feel that what they are saying is worthless.
Listen with your heart. Respect the wisdom of the people in council. Once you give an idea to a council meeting it no longer belongs to you. It belongs to the people. Respect demands that you listen intently to the ideas of others in council and that you do not insist that your idea prevail. Indeed you should freely support the ideas of others if they are true and good, even if those ideas are quite different from the ones you have contributed. The clash of ideas brings forth the Spark of Truth.
3. Once a council has decided something in unity, respect demands that no one speak secretly against what has been decided. If the council has made an error, that error will become apparent to everyone
in its own time.
4. Be truthful at all times, and under all conditions.
5. Always treat your guests with honor and consideration. Give of your best food, your best blankets,
the best part of your house, and your best service to your guests.
6. The hurt of one is the hurt of all, the honor of one is the honor of all.
7. Receive strangers and outsiders with a loving heart and as members of the human family.
8. All the races and tribes in the world are like the different colored flowers of one meadow.
All are beautiful. As children of the Creator they must all be respected.
9. To serve others, to be of some use to family, community, nation, and the world is one of the main purposes for which human beings have been created. Do not fill yourself with your own affairs and forget your most important talks. True happiness comes only to those who dedicate their lives to the service of others.
10. Observe moderation and balance in all things.
11. Know those things that lead to your well-being, and those things that lead to your destruction.
12. Listen to and follow the guidance given to your heart. Expect guidance to come in many forms; in prayer, in dreams, in times of quiet solitude, and in the words and deeds of wise Elders and friends.
Sweetgrass
Sweetgrass is the hair of our Mother; separately, each strand is not as strong
as the strands are, when braided together. ~ quote by Mary Ritchie
Sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata) has a sweet, long-lasting aroma that is even stronger when the grass has been harvested and dried and is then moistened or burned. In the Great Lakes region, Sweetgrass was historically referred to with the Latin name Torresia odorata (Densmore 1974). There is also a western species of Sweetgrass (Hierochloe occedentalis) that grows in redwood areas. Other common names for Sweetgrass are Holy Grass (or Mary's Grass), Vanilla Grass, Bluejoint, Buffalo Grass, and Zebrovka.
Sweetgrass is a circumboreal plant which is common above 40 degrees north latitude in Asia, Europe, and North America (Walsh 1994). In North America this fragrant grass grows regionally from Labrador to Alaska, and south to New Jersy, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, South Dakota, Arizona and Washington (Larson 1993). Sweetgrass can be found growing wild in wet meadows, low prairies, the edges of sloughs and marshes, bogs, shaded streambanks, lakeshores, and cool mountain canyons. Sweetgrass rhizomes and roots form a dense mat beneath the soil surface (Walsh 1994).
Sweetgrass flowers from June through August and is easily identified by the sweet vanilla-like fragrance of it’s leaves, its 3-flowered spikelets about 1/4 inch long, and its hairy lemmas. The stems of the grass are upright and hollow, growing up to 2 feet tall, without hairs. The leaves are elongated, narrow and flat (up to ¼ inch wide, and are also hairless. The Sweetgrass flowers are borne in 3-flowered spikelets, which are arranged in a panicle up to 4 inches long. The spikelets themselves are about 1/4 inch long (the lower 2 flowers are male only, while the upper flower has both stamens and pistils (USDA n.d.).
Sweetgrass usually grows among other grasses or shrubs; it is seldom found in pure stands. Dried Sweetgrass foliage is fragrant because of its coumarin content (Walsh 1994). Sweetgrass is traditionally harvested in late June or early July. Sweetgrass harvested after exposure to frost has little sent. Care should be taken to cut Sweetgrass leaves and not to pull the grass up by its roots so it can grow again the next year. Weeding Sweetgrass areas lessens competition from other plants.
Uses for Sweetgrass in Medicine & Ceremony
Many Native tribes in North America use sweetgrass in prayer, smudging or purifying ceremonies and consider it a sacred plant. It is usually braided, dried, and burned. Sweetgrass braids smolder and doesn't produce an open flame when burned. Just as the sweet scent of this natural grass is attractive and pleasing to people, so is it attractive to good spirits. Sweetgrass is often burned at the beginning of a prayer or ceremony to attract positive energies.
Densmore (1974) describes that among the Chippewa (Ojibwa), "young people, chiefly young men, carried a braid of sweet grass and cut off 2 or 3 inches of it and burned it for perfume. Young men wore two braids of sweet grass around their necks, the braids being joined in the back and falling on either side of the neck like braids of hair."
Sweetgrass is used to "smudge"; the smoke from burning sweetgrass is fanned on people, objects or areas. Individuals smudge themselves with the smoke, washing the eyes, ears, heart and body. Mi'kmaq have long used sweetgrass as a smudging ingredient, often mixed with other botanicals. Sweetgrass is one of the four medicines which comprise a group of healing plants used by the people in Anishinabe, Bode'wad mi, and Odawa societies. The other three are tobacco, cedar, and sage (Mary Ritchie 1995).
Among the Chippewa wicko'bimucko'si (sweetgrass) is braided and used in pipe-smoking mixtures along will red willow and bearberry, when it is burned, prayers, thoughts and wishes rise with the smoke to the creator who will hear them. Densmore (1974) describes the story of "a hunting incident in which a party of men placed sweet grass on the fire when the camp was in danger of starving and they were going again to hunt. Medicine men kept sweet grass in the bag with their medicinal roots and herbs".
A tea is brewed by Native Americans for coughs, sore throats, chafing and venereal infections. It is also used by women to stop vaginal bleeding and to expel afterbirth. It is warned that because the roots contain coumarin, that sweetgrass tea may be considered a carcinogenic. (Foster & Duke 1990)
Uses for Sweetgrass in Baskets & Crafts
Trudie Lamb Richmond, Schaghticoke, spoke to a Mohawk basket-maker not long ago and asked her how she felt about weaving sweetgrass into her baskets. Sweetgrass is used by her people in their ceremonies and like tobacco is believed to have great power. It was used long ago in the ceremonial baskets and continued to be important even in those times when basket making became more material and less spiritual. She told me she had thought about this meaning and that was why she always talked to her baskets as she made them. She said that she asked forgiveness for having to sell the baskets, but that she needed the money to survive. Using the sweetgrass would keep the baskets strong and alive, and she hoped that the people who bought them would appreciate their significance. The basket weaver explained that she never picked the grass without making a tobacco offering. Her people believe that you have to give something for everything you take; even a tobacco offering is an acknowledgment. That is the old way, our way. (McMullen & Handsman 1987)
Ojibwe' on Manitoulin Island (among other places) make boxes from white birch bark, which is bound on the edges with sweetgrass and decorated with quills. My great grandfather, Chuhquat, made sweetgrass baskets for his granddaughters (Mary Ritchie 1995).
Frances Densmore (1974) explains that Among the Chippewa (Ojibwa), "strands of sweet grass were made into "coiled basketry" by means of cotton thread. This took the form of bowls, oval and round, and of flat mats. Birch bark was sometimes used as the center of such articles, the coils of sweet grass being sewed around it." Mi'kmaq tend to use sweetgrass as a decorative accent in basket-work, very rarely will you find baskets made entirely of sweetgrass and if you do, they are usually quite small (3-4" in diameter), have a cover and are often used for small sewing notions such as buttons, etc. (Capucine Plourde 1995).
All of the Waban'Aki or Dawnland People used sweetgrass in making their baskets. The sweetgrass would be braided into small braids and then woven into the ash baskets. The Waban-aki are made up of the Abenaki, Mi'kmaq, Maliseet, Penobscot and Passamaquoddy, all of the northeast. An Abenaki friend of mine living in Portland Maine has a basket that his mother made probably 70 or 80 years ago that is made completely of sweetgrass and holds a sewing thimble like a glove (Louis Annance 1995)
~ SMUDGE ~ SMUDGING ~
Smudge is a blending of physical and spiritual together, to create a “bonded prayer”
that is sent to the Creator of all from our spirits to His spirit.
The smoke from the blended herbs and ingredients and prayers are fanned with their hands towards them, to help to be breathed in by an individual and to fan the smoke all around them to help Physically and Spiritually put the person(s) into a “focused prayerful frame of mind” Removing any and all evil or negativity from around them and inside them.
SAGE : The leaves of this herb is burned to create a smoke, that symbolically rises to the heavens with our prayers to the Creator of All.
Medically, this herb is used to heal the inward body as well as the outward. Spiritually, it helps the soul to heal from evil toxins that we have a great tendency to collect in our everyday lives, from ourselves first, then people and situations around us.
CEDAR : Physically, this wood is well known to deter all “Wood Eating” bugs and insects from harming it. Spiritually, Represents Life and Strength and Protection from harm or evil.
TOBACCO : Medically this plant (just to name a very few) has been used for a great many salves, poultices and cure for internal worms of both human and animals, smoking it for pleasure, the list goes on and on...
Spiritually, this plant represents “Truth” or "Speaker of Truth" to us as Natives. Whether smoked, or burned as part of the smudge for purification, or given in wrapped cloth to someone in Respect and Honor. It speaks only truth.
Natives believe, if one smokes the blessed smoking pipe called in the Tsalagi (Cherokee Language) “ga nv no wa” pronounced phonically in English: (gah-nuh-no-wah) with the sacred Tobacco, one can only speak truth among one another.
SWEET GRASS : Is a wild prairie field grass that is gathered and braided together while it is still green and fresh. Then is hung up to dry to a brown color, then it can be lit and burned to create a
“Sweet Smelling Smoke”. It is used Spiritually, to give respect and honor to all our Good Ancestors who have walked on this Earth before us. This helps in teaching us what we need to know in life, through our visions and dreams. When we burn this Sweet Grass, the smoke is to “Spiritually” call them around us to participate in what ever sacred ceremony we are conducting at the time.
It is stressed very highly , that when praying for the Ancestors to come and be around you and others, you ALWAYS BE SPECIFIC in requesting the “GOOD ANCESTORS AND GOOD ANCESTORS ONLY)”!
By doing this simple thing, you or anyone else will not invite “just any” Ancestor to come visiting.
Prayer is a good and very powerful tool when used in the right way, but it can be twisted into something else if we do not follow certain protocol.
Now, with all the ingredients that have been listed, you have what most Natives use to start a ceremony. Usually, it is the Holy Person (Male or Female) also called by other names: Medicine People, Spirit People, Elder, or by the (Central American Term) Shaman.
Note : Older Traditionalists, do not use the word Shaman.
The Holy Person, Medicine Person, Spirit Person, or Elder, conducts the smudging of each person involved in the ceremony, by taking a container (either a turtle shell or abalone sea shell) that has the blended ingredients of sage, cedar, tobacco and sweet grass. They light the mixture so that it starts to burn, then lightly blow the flame out so it will just smoke. They usually have a fan that is of a left wing (Heart-Side) of a Eagle, Hawk or Pheasant or whatever winged one they use for a “Prayer Fan,” to “Fan” the smoke toward an individual to purify them (inside and out).
Ceremonies are sacred, and can not be taught on a internet website.
The information here, is only to share with you what has been written and recorded.
~ American Indian Commandments ~
Sacred Instruction,,,
Given By The Creator To Native People At The Time Of Creation
Treat the Earth and all that dwell thereon with respect.
Remain close to the Great Spirit.
Show great respect for your fellow beings.
Work together for the benefit of all Mankind.
Give assistance and kindness wherever needed.
Do what you know to be right.
Look after the well being of mind and body.
Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good.
Be truthful and honest at all times.
Take full responsibility for your actions.
~ Native Code of Ethics ~
1. Each morning upon rising, and each evening before sleeping, give thanks for the life within you and for all life, for the good things the Creator has given you and for the opportunity to grow a little more each day.
Consider your thoughts and actions of the past day and seek for the courage and strength to be a better person. Seek for the things that will benefit others (everyone).
2. Respect: Respect means "To feel or show honor or esteem for someone or something; to consider the well being of, or to treat someone or something with deference or courtesy". Showing respect is a basic law of life. Treat every person from the tiniest child to the oldest elder with respect at all times.
Special respect should be given to Elders, Parents, Teachers, and Community Leaders.
No person should be made to feel "put down" by you;
avoid hurting other hearts as you would avoid a deadly poison.
Touch nothing that belongs to someone else (especially Sacred Objects) without permission, or an understanding between you. Respect the privacy of every person, never intrude on a person's quiet moment or personal space. Never walk between people that are conversing. Never interrupt people who are conversing. Speak in a soft voice, especially when you are in the presence of Elders, strangers or others to whom special respect is due. Do not speak unless invited to do so at gatherings where Elders are present (except to ask what is expected of you, should you be in doubt).
Never speak about others in a negative way, whether they are present or not.
Treat the earth and all of her aspects as your mother. Show deep respect for the mineral world, the plant world, and the animal world. Do nothing to pollute our Mother, rise up with wisdom to defend her. Show deep respect for the beliefs and religion of others.
Listen with courtesy to what others say, even if you feel that what they are saying is worthless.
Listen with your heart. Respect the wisdom of the people in council. Once you give an idea to a council meeting it no longer belongs to you. It belongs to the people. Respect demands that you listen intently to the ideas of others in council and that you do not insist that your idea prevail. Indeed you should freely support the ideas of others if they are true and good, even if those ideas are quite different from the ones you have contributed. The clash of ideas brings forth the Spark of Truth.
3. Once a council has decided something in unity, respect demands that no one speak secretly against what has been decided. If the council has made an error, that error will become apparent to everyone
in its own time.
4. Be truthful at all times, and under all conditions.
5. Always treat your guests with honor and consideration. Give of your best food, your best blankets,
the best part of your house, and your best service to your guests.
6. The hurt of one is the hurt of all, the honor of one is the honor of all.
7. Receive strangers and outsiders with a loving heart and as members of the human family.
8. All the races and tribes in the world are like the different colored flowers of one meadow.
All are beautiful. As children of the Creator they must all be respected.
9. To serve others, to be of some use to family, community, nation, and the world is one of the main purposes for which human beings have been created. Do not fill yourself with your own affairs and forget your most important talks. True happiness comes only to those who dedicate their lives to the service of others.
10. Observe moderation and balance in all things.
11. Know those things that lead to your well-being, and those things that lead to your destruction.
12. Listen to and follow the guidance given to your heart. Expect guidance to come in many forms; in prayer, in dreams, in times of quiet solitude, and in the words and deeds of wise Elders and friends.
Sweetgrass
Sweetgrass is the hair of our Mother; separately, each strand is not as strong
as the strands are, when braided together. ~ quote by Mary Ritchie
Sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata) has a sweet, long-lasting aroma that is even stronger when the grass has been harvested and dried and is then moistened or burned. In the Great Lakes region, Sweetgrass was historically referred to with the Latin name Torresia odorata (Densmore 1974). There is also a western species of Sweetgrass (Hierochloe occedentalis) that grows in redwood areas. Other common names for Sweetgrass are Holy Grass (or Mary's Grass), Vanilla Grass, Bluejoint, Buffalo Grass, and Zebrovka.
Sweetgrass is a circumboreal plant which is common above 40 degrees north latitude in Asia, Europe, and North America (Walsh 1994). In North America this fragrant grass grows regionally from Labrador to Alaska, and south to New Jersy, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, South Dakota, Arizona and Washington (Larson 1993). Sweetgrass can be found growing wild in wet meadows, low prairies, the edges of sloughs and marshes, bogs, shaded streambanks, lakeshores, and cool mountain canyons. Sweetgrass rhizomes and roots form a dense mat beneath the soil surface (Walsh 1994).
Sweetgrass flowers from June through August and is easily identified by the sweet vanilla-like fragrance of it’s leaves, its 3-flowered spikelets about 1/4 inch long, and its hairy lemmas. The stems of the grass are upright and hollow, growing up to 2 feet tall, without hairs. The leaves are elongated, narrow and flat (up to ¼ inch wide, and are also hairless. The Sweetgrass flowers are borne in 3-flowered spikelets, which are arranged in a panicle up to 4 inches long. The spikelets themselves are about 1/4 inch long (the lower 2 flowers are male only, while the upper flower has both stamens and pistils (USDA n.d.).
Sweetgrass usually grows among other grasses or shrubs; it is seldom found in pure stands. Dried Sweetgrass foliage is fragrant because of its coumarin content (Walsh 1994). Sweetgrass is traditionally harvested in late June or early July. Sweetgrass harvested after exposure to frost has little sent. Care should be taken to cut Sweetgrass leaves and not to pull the grass up by its roots so it can grow again the next year. Weeding Sweetgrass areas lessens competition from other plants.
Uses for Sweetgrass in Medicine & Ceremony
Many Native tribes in North America use sweetgrass in prayer, smudging or purifying ceremonies and consider it a sacred plant. It is usually braided, dried, and burned. Sweetgrass braids smolder and doesn't produce an open flame when burned. Just as the sweet scent of this natural grass is attractive and pleasing to people, so is it attractive to good spirits. Sweetgrass is often burned at the beginning of a prayer or ceremony to attract positive energies.
Densmore (1974) describes that among the Chippewa (Ojibwa), "young people, chiefly young men, carried a braid of sweet grass and cut off 2 or 3 inches of it and burned it for perfume. Young men wore two braids of sweet grass around their necks, the braids being joined in the back and falling on either side of the neck like braids of hair."
Sweetgrass is used to "smudge"; the smoke from burning sweetgrass is fanned on people, objects or areas. Individuals smudge themselves with the smoke, washing the eyes, ears, heart and body. Mi'kmaq have long used sweetgrass as a smudging ingredient, often mixed with other botanicals. Sweetgrass is one of the four medicines which comprise a group of healing plants used by the people in Anishinabe, Bode'wad mi, and Odawa societies. The other three are tobacco, cedar, and sage (Mary Ritchie 1995).
Among the Chippewa wicko'bimucko'si (sweetgrass) is braided and used in pipe-smoking mixtures along will red willow and bearberry, when it is burned, prayers, thoughts and wishes rise with the smoke to the creator who will hear them. Densmore (1974) describes the story of "a hunting incident in which a party of men placed sweet grass on the fire when the camp was in danger of starving and they were going again to hunt. Medicine men kept sweet grass in the bag with their medicinal roots and herbs".
A tea is brewed by Native Americans for coughs, sore throats, chafing and venereal infections. It is also used by women to stop vaginal bleeding and to expel afterbirth. It is warned that because the roots contain coumarin, that sweetgrass tea may be considered a carcinogenic. (Foster & Duke 1990)
Uses for Sweetgrass in Baskets & Crafts
Trudie Lamb Richmond, Schaghticoke, spoke to a Mohawk basket-maker not long ago and asked her how she felt about weaving sweetgrass into her baskets. Sweetgrass is used by her people in their ceremonies and like tobacco is believed to have great power. It was used long ago in the ceremonial baskets and continued to be important even in those times when basket making became more material and less spiritual. She told me she had thought about this meaning and that was why she always talked to her baskets as she made them. She said that she asked forgiveness for having to sell the baskets, but that she needed the money to survive. Using the sweetgrass would keep the baskets strong and alive, and she hoped that the people who bought them would appreciate their significance. The basket weaver explained that she never picked the grass without making a tobacco offering. Her people believe that you have to give something for everything you take; even a tobacco offering is an acknowledgment. That is the old way, our way. (McMullen & Handsman 1987)
Ojibwe' on Manitoulin Island (among other places) make boxes from white birch bark, which is bound on the edges with sweetgrass and decorated with quills. My great grandfather, Chuhquat, made sweetgrass baskets for his granddaughters (Mary Ritchie 1995).
Frances Densmore (1974) explains that Among the Chippewa (Ojibwa), "strands of sweet grass were made into "coiled basketry" by means of cotton thread. This took the form of bowls, oval and round, and of flat mats. Birch bark was sometimes used as the center of such articles, the coils of sweet grass being sewed around it." Mi'kmaq tend to use sweetgrass as a decorative accent in basket-work, very rarely will you find baskets made entirely of sweetgrass and if you do, they are usually quite small (3-4" in diameter), have a cover and are often used for small sewing notions such as buttons, etc. (Capucine Plourde 1995).
All of the Waban'Aki or Dawnland People used sweetgrass in making their baskets. The sweetgrass would be braided into small braids and then woven into the ash baskets. The Waban-aki are made up of the Abenaki, Mi'kmaq, Maliseet, Penobscot and Passamaquoddy, all of the northeast. An Abenaki friend of mine living in Portland Maine has a basket that his mother made probably 70 or 80 years ago that is made completely of sweetgrass and holds a sewing thimble like a glove (Louis Annance 1995)
~ SMUDGE ~ SMUDGING ~
Smudge is a blending of physical and spiritual together, to create a “bonded prayer”
that is sent to the Creator of all from our spirits to His spirit.
The smoke from the blended herbs and ingredients and prayers are fanned with their hands towards them, to help to be breathed in by an individual and to fan the smoke all around them to help Physically and Spiritually put the person(s) into a “focused prayerful frame of mind” Removing any and all evil or negativity from around them and inside them.
SAGE : The leaves of this herb is burned to create a smoke, that symbolically rises to the heavens with our prayers to the Creator of All.
Medically, this herb is used to heal the inward body as well as the outward. Spiritually, it helps the soul to heal from evil toxins that we have a great tendency to collect in our everyday lives, from ourselves first, then people and situations around us.
CEDAR : Physically, this wood is well known to deter all “Wood Eating” bugs and insects from harming it. Spiritually, Represents Life and Strength and Protection from harm or evil.
TOBACCO : Medically this plant (just to name a very few) has been used for a great many salves, poultices and cure for internal worms of both human and animals, smoking it for pleasure, the list goes on and on...
Spiritually, this plant represents “Truth” or "Speaker of Truth" to us as Natives. Whether smoked, or burned as part of the smudge for purification, or given in wrapped cloth to someone in Respect and Honor. It speaks only truth.
Natives believe, if one smokes the blessed smoking pipe called in the Tsalagi (Cherokee Language) “ga nv no wa” pronounced phonically in English: (gah-nuh-no-wah) with the sacred Tobacco, one can only speak truth among one another.
SWEET GRASS : Is a wild prairie field grass that is gathered and braided together while it is still green and fresh. Then is hung up to dry to a brown color, then it can be lit and burned to create a
“Sweet Smelling Smoke”. It is used Spiritually, to give respect and honor to all our Good Ancestors who have walked on this Earth before us. This helps in teaching us what we need to know in life, through our visions and dreams. When we burn this Sweet Grass, the smoke is to “Spiritually” call them around us to participate in what ever sacred ceremony we are conducting at the time.
It is stressed very highly , that when praying for the Ancestors to come and be around you and others, you ALWAYS BE SPECIFIC in requesting the “GOOD ANCESTORS AND GOOD ANCESTORS ONLY)”!
By doing this simple thing, you or anyone else will not invite “just any” Ancestor to come visiting.
Prayer is a good and very powerful tool when used in the right way, but it can be twisted into something else if we do not follow certain protocol.
Now, with all the ingredients that have been listed, you have what most Natives use to start a ceremony. Usually, it is the Holy Person (Male or Female) also called by other names: Medicine People, Spirit People, Elder, or by the (Central American Term) Shaman.
Note : Older Traditionalists, do not use the word Shaman.
The Holy Person, Medicine Person, Spirit Person, or Elder, conducts the smudging of each person involved in the ceremony, by taking a container (either a turtle shell or abalone sea shell) that has the blended ingredients of sage, cedar, tobacco and sweet grass. They light the mixture so that it starts to burn, then lightly blow the flame out so it will just smoke. They usually have a fan that is of a left wing (Heart-Side) of a Eagle, Hawk or Pheasant or whatever winged one they use for a “Prayer Fan,” to “Fan” the smoke toward an individual to purify them (inside and out).
~ Mending The Hoop: Peace In Our Time ~
Most religions are an outgrowth of culture, reflecting what different people believe based on their experiences and understandings. They share certain universal and unifying truths that are at the core of all spiritual experience.
Indigenous cultures throughout the world have a wealth of experience that will be helpful to the progress of all humanity. The First People, our ancestors, were a very spiritual and peaceful people. They walked the Good Red Road by following the Path of the Heart.
If all people started from a peaceful existence, it is true that we can return to that same condition. When we follow the ways of the heart, anything is possible.
Creator gave us everything we need. We make choices based on our understandings, and we know that Love comes from the Spirit. When we have certain desires, then we can also develop the means to reach our goals. It all starts with our vision for the future.
Our mistakes or darkest times are only steps toward the realization of something much greater - bringing us closer to realizing our dreams. It is all a journey for every one of us.
Peace encompasses a tremendous amount of positive spiritual energy. The colors of the four
directions represent the different races of humanity. We are all part of the Great Circle of Life. As we reach that understanding, we can begin to Mend the Hoop. From this form of social healing, peace is possible in our time.
Love is at the center of the Circle. It radiates outwardly from us, and touches us inwardly. As we act in a peaceful manner, we grow closer to each other with a new understanding. We soon discover that the world can be changed by our actions - for the better. It can lead us to join with others to work for the common good of all. It is the basis of our collective growth.
Let us work together to add to the peace that exists in the world - in whatever way that we can. Let us keep focused on the unifying principle of Love, and the Peace that comes from it.
We pray that our actions themselves become our prayers, and that our lives become examples of what we seek.
May you walk in peace
~ CrowTalker ~
The Way of the Circle
The Traditional Belief System
In the search for order and then to sustain that order, the Cherokee of old devised a belief system that, while appearing at first to be complex, is actually quite simple. Many of the elements of the original system remain in place with traditional Cherokee today. Although some of these elements have evolved or otherwise been modified, this belief system is an integral part of day-to-day life for many. Certain numbers play an important role in the ceremonies of the Cherokee. The numbers four and seven repeatedly occur in myths, stories and ceremonies. The number four represents all the familiar forces, also represented in the four cardinal directions. These directions are east, west, north and south. Certain colors are also associated with these directions. The number seven represents the seven clans of the Cherokee, and are also associated with directions. In addition to the four cardinal directions, three others exist. Up (the Upper World), down (the Lower World) and center (where we live and where you always are). The number seven also represents the height of purity and sacredness, a difficult level to attain. In olden times it was believed that only the owl and cougar had attained this level and thus have always had a special meaning to the Cherokee. The pine, cedar, spruce, holly and laurel also attained this level and play a very important role in Cherokee ceremonies. Cedar is the most sacred of all, and the distinguishing colors of red and white set it off from all others. The wood from the tree is considered very sacred, and in ancient days it was used to carry the honored dead. Because of these early beliefs, the traditional Cherokee have a special regard for the owl and cougar. They are honored in some versions of the Creation story because they were the only two animals who were able to stay awake for the seven nights of Creation, the others having fallen asleep. Today, because of this, they are nocturnal in their habits and both have exceptional night vision. The owl is seemingly different from other birds, resembling an old man as he walks. Sometimes the owl can be mistaken for a cat with his feather tufts and the silhouette of his head. This resemblance honors his nocturnal brother, the cougar. The owls eyes are quite large and are set directly in front like humans, and he can close one eye independently of the other. The cougar screams resemble those of a woman; further, he is an animal possessing secretive and unpredictable habits. Cedar, pine, spruce, laurel and holly trees carry leaves all year long. These plants, too, stayed awake seven nights during the Creation. Because of this they were given special power and they are among the most important plants in Cherokee medicine and ceremonies. Traditionally the Cherokee are deeply concerned with keeping things separated and in the proper classification or category. For example, when sacred items are not in use they are wrapped in deerskin or white cloth, and kept in a special box or other place. The circle is another symbol familiar to traditional Cherokee. The Stomp Dance and other ceremonies involve movements in a circular pattern. In ancient times, the fire in the council house was built by arranging the wood in a continuous "X" so that the fire would burn in a circular path. The river, or "Long Man," was always believed to be sacred, and the practice of going to water for purification and other ceremonies was at one time very common. Today the river or any other body of moving water, such as a creek, is considered a sacred site and going to water is still a respected practice by some Cherokees. The everyday cultural world of the Cherokee includes spiritual beings. Even though the beings are different from people and animals, they are not considered "supernatural", but are very much a part of the natural, real world. Most Cherokee at some point in their lives will relate having had an experience with these spiritual beings. A group of spiritual beings still spoken of by many Cherokee is the Little People. They cannot be seen by man unless they wish it. When they allow themselves to be seen, they appear very much like any other Cherokee, except they are very small, and have long hair, sometimes reaching all the way to the ground. The Little People live in various places; rocky shelters, caves in the mountains or laurel thickets. They like drumming and dancing and they often help children who appear to be lost. Not just those geographically lost, but children who appear saddened and confused. They are also known to be quite mischievous at times. The Little People should be dealt with carefully, and it is necessary to observe some traditional rules regarding them. They don't like being disturbed and may cause a person who continually bothers them to become "puzzled" throughout life. Because of this, traditional Cherokees will not investigate or look when they believe they hear Little People. If one of the Little People is accidentally seen, or if he or she chooses to show himself, it is not to be discussed or told of for at least seven years. It is common practice to not speak about the Little People after nightfall. Traditional Cherokees also believe that after a person dies, his soul often continues to live on as a ghost. Ghosts are believed to have the ability to materialize where some, but not all people, can see them. Very basic to the Cherokee belief system is the premise that good is rewarded and evil is punished. Even though the Cherokee have a strict belief in this type of justice, there are times when things happen that the system just does not explain. It is often believed that these events are caused by someone using medicine for evil purposes. Witchcraft among the Cherokee does not resemble that of non-Indian cultures. To understand and respect the beliefs of traditional Cherokee about using medicine, conjuring, and witchcraft you must first consider early Indian societies and consider how this has remained an integral part of Cherokee culture even up to the present day. There are ordinary witches and then there are killer witches. Ordinary witches are actually considered the more dangerous since a person can never be sure he is dealing with one and they are more difficult to counteract. They may even deceive a medicine person and cause them to prescribe the wrong cure if not they aren't careful. One killer witch still spoken of often by traditionalists today is the Raven Mocker. Today, although many Cherokee still consult with medicine people regarding problems, both mental and physical, some will not see a medicine man for any reason and refuse to acknowledge their powers. Some believe in using both Cherokee medicine and licensed medical doctors and the health care systems. The knowledge held by the medicine men or women is very broad. They work and study for years committing to memory the syllabary manuscripts passed on by the ones who taught them. Many formulas have been documented in Cherokee syllabary writing in books ranging from small notebooks to full-blown ledgers. If the words are not spoken or sung in the Cherokee language, they have no affect. Until the words have been memorized the medicine person may refer to his book. This does not compromise his abilities, after all; modern medical practitioners often refer back to their medical texts and other reference books as well. The writings in these traditional books are strictly guarded and anyone who is not "in training" is forbidden to study or even read the books. The spoken words are usually accompanied by some physical procedure, such as the use of a specially prepared tobacco, or drink. Medicine people themselves must be, and remain in perfect health for their powers to be at peak.
Most religions are an outgrowth of culture, reflecting what different people believe based on their experiences and understandings. They share certain universal and unifying truths that are at the core of all spiritual experience.
Indigenous cultures throughout the world have a wealth of experience that will be helpful to the progress of all humanity. The First People, our ancestors, were a very spiritual and peaceful people. They walked the Good Red Road by following the Path of the Heart.
If all people started from a peaceful existence, it is true that we can return to that same condition. When we follow the ways of the heart, anything is possible.
Creator gave us everything we need. We make choices based on our understandings, and we know that Love comes from the Spirit. When we have certain desires, then we can also develop the means to reach our goals. It all starts with our vision for the future.
Our mistakes or darkest times are only steps toward the realization of something much greater - bringing us closer to realizing our dreams. It is all a journey for every one of us.
Peace encompasses a tremendous amount of positive spiritual energy. The colors of the four
directions represent the different races of humanity. We are all part of the Great Circle of Life. As we reach that understanding, we can begin to Mend the Hoop. From this form of social healing, peace is possible in our time.
Love is at the center of the Circle. It radiates outwardly from us, and touches us inwardly. As we act in a peaceful manner, we grow closer to each other with a new understanding. We soon discover that the world can be changed by our actions - for the better. It can lead us to join with others to work for the common good of all. It is the basis of our collective growth.
Let us work together to add to the peace that exists in the world - in whatever way that we can. Let us keep focused on the unifying principle of Love, and the Peace that comes from it.
We pray that our actions themselves become our prayers, and that our lives become examples of what we seek.
May you walk in peace
~ CrowTalker ~
The Way of the Circle
- When you first arise in the morning, give thanks to the Creator, to the four directions, to Mother Earth, to Father Sky, and to all of our relations, for the life within you and for all life around you
- Remember that all things are connected
- All things have purpose, everything has its place
- Honor others by treating them with kindness and consideration
- If you have more than you need for yourself and your family, consider performing a "giveaway" by distributing your possessions to others who are in need
- You are bound by your word, which cannot be broken except by permission of those who the promise was given to
- Seek harmony and balance in all things
- It is always important to remember where you are in relation to everything else, and to contribute to the Circle in whatever way you can by being a "helper" and protector of life
- Sharing is the best part of receiving
- Practice silence and patience in all things as a reflection of self-control, endurance, dignity, reverence, and inner calm
- Practice modesty in all things, by avoiding boasting and loud behavior that attracts attention to yourself
- Know the things that contribute to your well-being, and those things that lead to your destruction
- Always ask permission, and give something for everything that is received, including giving thanks for, and honoring all living things
- Be aware of what is around you, what is inside of you, and always show respect
- Treat every person from the tiniest child to the oldest elder with respect
- Do not stare at others; drop your eyes as a sign of respect, especially in the presence of Elders, teachers, or other honored persons
- Always give a sign of greeting when passing a friend or stranger
- Never criticize or talk about someone in a harmful, negative way
- Never touch something that belongs to someone else without permission
- Respect the privacy of every person, making sure to never intrude upon someone's quiet moments or personal space
- Never interfere in the affairs of another by asking questions or offering advice
- Never interrupt others
- In another persons home, follow his or her customs rather than your own
- Treat with respect all things held sacred to others whether you understand these things or not
- Treat Earth as your mother; give to her, protect her, honor her; show deep respect for those in the animal world, plant world, and mineral world
- Listen to guidance offered by all of your surroundings; expect this guidance to come in the form of prayer, dreams, quiet solitude, and in the words and deeds of wise Elders, and friends
- Listen with your heart
- Learn from your experiences, and always be open to new ones
- Always remember that a smile is something sacred, to be shared
- Live each day as it comes
The Traditional Belief System
In the search for order and then to sustain that order, the Cherokee of old devised a belief system that, while appearing at first to be complex, is actually quite simple. Many of the elements of the original system remain in place with traditional Cherokee today. Although some of these elements have evolved or otherwise been modified, this belief system is an integral part of day-to-day life for many. Certain numbers play an important role in the ceremonies of the Cherokee. The numbers four and seven repeatedly occur in myths, stories and ceremonies. The number four represents all the familiar forces, also represented in the four cardinal directions. These directions are east, west, north and south. Certain colors are also associated with these directions. The number seven represents the seven clans of the Cherokee, and are also associated with directions. In addition to the four cardinal directions, three others exist. Up (the Upper World), down (the Lower World) and center (where we live and where you always are). The number seven also represents the height of purity and sacredness, a difficult level to attain. In olden times it was believed that only the owl and cougar had attained this level and thus have always had a special meaning to the Cherokee. The pine, cedar, spruce, holly and laurel also attained this level and play a very important role in Cherokee ceremonies. Cedar is the most sacred of all, and the distinguishing colors of red and white set it off from all others. The wood from the tree is considered very sacred, and in ancient days it was used to carry the honored dead. Because of these early beliefs, the traditional Cherokee have a special regard for the owl and cougar. They are honored in some versions of the Creation story because they were the only two animals who were able to stay awake for the seven nights of Creation, the others having fallen asleep. Today, because of this, they are nocturnal in their habits and both have exceptional night vision. The owl is seemingly different from other birds, resembling an old man as he walks. Sometimes the owl can be mistaken for a cat with his feather tufts and the silhouette of his head. This resemblance honors his nocturnal brother, the cougar. The owls eyes are quite large and are set directly in front like humans, and he can close one eye independently of the other. The cougar screams resemble those of a woman; further, he is an animal possessing secretive and unpredictable habits. Cedar, pine, spruce, laurel and holly trees carry leaves all year long. These plants, too, stayed awake seven nights during the Creation. Because of this they were given special power and they are among the most important plants in Cherokee medicine and ceremonies. Traditionally the Cherokee are deeply concerned with keeping things separated and in the proper classification or category. For example, when sacred items are not in use they are wrapped in deerskin or white cloth, and kept in a special box or other place. The circle is another symbol familiar to traditional Cherokee. The Stomp Dance and other ceremonies involve movements in a circular pattern. In ancient times, the fire in the council house was built by arranging the wood in a continuous "X" so that the fire would burn in a circular path. The river, or "Long Man," was always believed to be sacred, and the practice of going to water for purification and other ceremonies was at one time very common. Today the river or any other body of moving water, such as a creek, is considered a sacred site and going to water is still a respected practice by some Cherokees. The everyday cultural world of the Cherokee includes spiritual beings. Even though the beings are different from people and animals, they are not considered "supernatural", but are very much a part of the natural, real world. Most Cherokee at some point in their lives will relate having had an experience with these spiritual beings. A group of spiritual beings still spoken of by many Cherokee is the Little People. They cannot be seen by man unless they wish it. When they allow themselves to be seen, they appear very much like any other Cherokee, except they are very small, and have long hair, sometimes reaching all the way to the ground. The Little People live in various places; rocky shelters, caves in the mountains or laurel thickets. They like drumming and dancing and they often help children who appear to be lost. Not just those geographically lost, but children who appear saddened and confused. They are also known to be quite mischievous at times. The Little People should be dealt with carefully, and it is necessary to observe some traditional rules regarding them. They don't like being disturbed and may cause a person who continually bothers them to become "puzzled" throughout life. Because of this, traditional Cherokees will not investigate or look when they believe they hear Little People. If one of the Little People is accidentally seen, or if he or she chooses to show himself, it is not to be discussed or told of for at least seven years. It is common practice to not speak about the Little People after nightfall. Traditional Cherokees also believe that after a person dies, his soul often continues to live on as a ghost. Ghosts are believed to have the ability to materialize where some, but not all people, can see them. Very basic to the Cherokee belief system is the premise that good is rewarded and evil is punished. Even though the Cherokee have a strict belief in this type of justice, there are times when things happen that the system just does not explain. It is often believed that these events are caused by someone using medicine for evil purposes. Witchcraft among the Cherokee does not resemble that of non-Indian cultures. To understand and respect the beliefs of traditional Cherokee about using medicine, conjuring, and witchcraft you must first consider early Indian societies and consider how this has remained an integral part of Cherokee culture even up to the present day. There are ordinary witches and then there are killer witches. Ordinary witches are actually considered the more dangerous since a person can never be sure he is dealing with one and they are more difficult to counteract. They may even deceive a medicine person and cause them to prescribe the wrong cure if not they aren't careful. One killer witch still spoken of often by traditionalists today is the Raven Mocker. Today, although many Cherokee still consult with medicine people regarding problems, both mental and physical, some will not see a medicine man for any reason and refuse to acknowledge their powers. Some believe in using both Cherokee medicine and licensed medical doctors and the health care systems. The knowledge held by the medicine men or women is very broad. They work and study for years committing to memory the syllabary manuscripts passed on by the ones who taught them. Many formulas have been documented in Cherokee syllabary writing in books ranging from small notebooks to full-blown ledgers. If the words are not spoken or sung in the Cherokee language, they have no affect. Until the words have been memorized the medicine person may refer to his book. This does not compromise his abilities, after all; modern medical practitioners often refer back to their medical texts and other reference books as well. The writings in these traditional books are strictly guarded and anyone who is not "in training" is forbidden to study or even read the books. The spoken words are usually accompanied by some physical procedure, such as the use of a specially prepared tobacco, or drink. Medicine people themselves must be, and remain in perfect health for their powers to be at peak.