What is
our pipe ceremony?
The
ceremonial use of the pipe is a simple ritual.
The
Friendship pipe is loaded with native tobacco of the New England Area Tribes
called Kinnick - Kinnick, a mixture of commonly found herbs.
While it
may still be true after everything that has happen to the Red Man in our past
by Europeans and Hollywood, some of the western tribes might still make a Peace
pipe.
We do
not!
Calumet
(Pipestone) peace pipes are Plains Indian pipes!
INDIAN
CALUMET: The Pipe of Peace
By
Christopher Nyerges
We do
however make a friendship pipe.
We also
make our own type of sacred pipe.
We have
been to Pipestone.
Pipestone
National Monument.
However,
as a Traditional Eastern Woodland American Native, I never touched the stone
until after leaving when gifted.
I would
be a little beside myself if the people from the great nation of the Split Rock
Creek Dakota came to my prayer rock
and
started mining, of course as traditionalist they never would.
No form
of mind-altering substance is condoned by American Natives traditionalists. We
do not need or use hallucinating substances.
The pipe
ceremony begins with herbs, a natural substance, into a pipe and then
acknowledging the four directions.
Mother
Earth, point stem towards earth, and Father Sky; point stem towards the sky, it
culminates with the final offering to the Great Spirit.
The pipe
is held firmly by the bowl in the palm of the hand with the stem pointed
outward. The last step of the pipe offering is the holding up of the pipe with
its stem pointed straight upward, out into the center of the universe. Although
we admit that Creator is everywhere, in ceremony it is easier to think of
Creator as above.
A
preference is starting in the east, because the sun rises in the east, and it
is the beginning of a new day for each of us.
The
following description begins with an east-facing celebrant, besides this is how
we have been taught by each and every one of my elders, while teaching me that
Creator always arrives from the east at our gatherings, good enough for my
ancestors good enough for me!
The pipe
holder stands to face the east, holding the pipe with its stem pointed eastward
in one hand, a pinch of herbs ( Kinnick, Kinnick ) in the other, and sprinkles
some herbs on the ground before inserting the herbs in the bowl of the pipe.
By
sprinkling a portion on the ground, the pipe holder is acknowledging that we
must always give back to Mother Earth the first part of what we have taken.
The
sprinkling also demonstrates to the on looking spirit world that a portion of
the herbs is for the powers from the east.
The pipe
holder may ask the on lookers, please also face east while the pipe is loaded
in such a manner.
Red is
the east; It is where the daybreak star, the star of knowledge appears.
Red is
the rising sun bringing us a new day we thank you, Great Spirit, for each new
day that we are allowed to live upon Mother Earth.
From
knowledge springs wisdom and goodness and we are thankful, for the morning sun
that rises in the east.
Knowledge
shall become the beginning of peace throughout this world.
The pipe
holder turns to the south and points the pipe stem in that direction. A new
pinch of herbs is held slightly above eye level in a southerly direction, on
lookers should be also facing south.
The
south is yellow. Mother Earth gives us growth, gives us all that sustains us,
and herbs that heal us.
She
brings forth the bounty of warm south wind and the yellow so that we think of
strength, growth and physical healing and a time for planting.
Another
pinch of herbs is put into the pipe bowl.
The pipe
holder and all on lookers then face west.
Black is
the color of the west where the sun goes down.
Black is
darkness, release, spirit protection.
In the
darkness, the spirit beings come to us.
The
spirit beings warn us and protect us.
Black is
the water; the life-giving rains come from the west,
where
the thunder beings live Water is life.
Black
stands for the spirit world where we shall all enter someday.
What we
do or do not do upon this earth, we shall carry with us over into that spirit
world.
We shall
all join together and either be ashamed or proud of how we treated one another,
how we respected or disrespected our Mother Earth,
How we
respected or disrespected all living things made by the Great Creator.
We will
see each other and know each other in the spirit world. Those we have harmed
will remind us for eternity. The west is where our spiritual wisdom comes from
If we
care to seek it.
The pipe
holder sprinkles some herbs upon Mother Earth and puts some herbs into the pipe
bowl.
Every
time the pipe holder faces a direction, all onlookers face that direction and
listen to the speakers words intently.
The last
of the four directions is the north.
White is
for the north power strength, endurance, purity, truth stands for the north.
The
north covers our Mother Earth with the white blanket of cleansing snow the snow
prevents many sicknesses.
Courage
and endurance these strengths we seek and wish to be blessed with as we stand
here facing north.
The
herbs is sprinkled to the north and then inserted into the bowl.
Green is
the color for Mother Earth
every
particle of us comes from her through the food we take from her daily.
We all
start out as tiny seeds we have grown to our present state and status through
what she provides she is truly our mother and must be acknowledged and
respected.
Kinnick~Kinnick
is sprinkled upon Mother Earth and the pipe is loaded.
The pipe
is then pointed at an angle to the sky. We usually point our pipe towards the
sun; if it is evening, we point it towards the moon, to acknowledge Father Sky.
Father
Sky gives us energy from the sun.
Father
Sky provides the fire that
Fuels
our homes and our lodges
And the
energy that moves our bodies.
Father
Sky has daily communion with our mother.
Together,
they are our true parents.
Some
herbs is sprinkled on the ground, and the major portion is loaded into the
pipe.
The pipe
receives a portion` of Kinnick~Kinnick one last time, and then the pipe is held
almost straight up into the sky.
Great
Spirit, Creator of us all Creator of the four directions,
Creator
of our Mother Earth and Father Sky and all things, we offer this pipe.
If there
is still some unburned herbs remaining in the bowl after the pipe has made its
journey around the circle, the ashes will be cleaned from the pipe and
sprinkled upon Mother Earth. The pipe ceremony is then finished.
A pipe
is never lit or loaded indoors;
a pipe
is loaded and lit outside then brought in.
A Tribal
mother will usually serve as acceptor for the Kinnick~Kinnick that is normally
sprinkled on Mother Earth.
The
woman will take the herbs offered to the four directions, Mother Earth, Father
Sky, and the Great Spirit outside at some later time and sprinkle the herbs
upon the earth.
My
grandfather~ Sachem Chief Tallfox’s (Mgisse) friendship pipe, was awakened for
him by his grandfather (Ahtchwechteed) William Thomas Storey married to Mary
Tracy fielding in 1859, the pipe was blessed by Creator in 1898 at their
eastern paw paus that summer!
How did
native Americans clean peace pipes?
If this
is at an Eastern Woodland American Native Ceremony, the pipe is never cleaned
as a European would clean a pipe, a pipe keeper will either take the pipe out
or pass it to a trusted student of the pipe, to Mother Earth and by way of our
sacred ceremony, give the tobacco (Kinnick~ Kinnick) back to her, Mother Earth.
