Grand Entry (our church).

Grand Entry

The Circle is the oldest symbol of the world.

Back before first contact we the American Natives from the Eastern woodland tribes had what we called a PAW-PAUS (church).

Because of first contact (threats of assimilation) and the lack of non native understanding our
ancestors changed the gathering and the name to Pow-Wow (meaning the wicked ones) which now allowed non natives into the circle!

Understand that Eastern woodland American natives wish for the same respect when it involves our Grand entry, and a precious few other dances?

No traditional elder wishes to be mean we have explained that most of our people attending this entry do so with many sacred medicines and or possessions some believe should
NOT  be recorded!

Please come and enjoy a traditional american gathering we, the elders, would love to teach and guide you through-out and will ever enjoy a dance or two with you.

To some native peoples of northeastern North America, a 'powwow' was originally a man with special abilities to cure or offer advice from the spirit world, a wizard, witch, and magician as explained earlier. Now everyone is welcome at Powwows!

At times there is an entry fee or donation to help pay for the drum, electricity, insurance and so on and you will often find a wide variety of American native crafts, trade goods and food for sale; even demonstrations and storytelling as well, most tribes are very poor.

It's a great place for your entire family to spend the day.

Drugs and alcohol are not permitted; pets must be on a leash at all times, like at a Paw-paus some powwows invite pets into a circle because Grandfather (Creator) is Creator of all!

The spiritual center or heart of a Powwow is THE CIRCLE; a place to be respected and honored, it is a sacred place that is blessed BY CREATOR through a spiritual leader.

The circle is entered only from the East (the opening) and dancers travel in the same direction as the sun.

The singing is a gift and prayer to the Creator; and the drum is the heartbeat of our People. The singers and drummers together are called THE DRUM.

Ceremonies start with a "Grand Entry" of the dancers to pay respects to our Creator and to greet one another. Honoring songs, and dances for veterans and our ancestors and a prayer follows. You will be asked to stand and remove your hat for these ceremonies if you can.

Please don't take photos or videos if you're asked not to do so; and please don't touch the clothing (Regalia) or personal belongings of anyone in American native dress.

Much of what is worn is sacred, expensive and irreplaceable, but do feel free to ask if you want to take individual pictures, or if you have a question about a particular item that someone is wearing.

Most traditional Native People will be pleased to assist you if they're asked first.

You will see many types of dances at a Powwow. When you hear a 'Round Dance' or sometimes it is called a friendship dance announced, EVERYONE will be invited to

participate, so proceed to the East of the circle and join in.

A Round (Friendship) dance is easy to learn and fun to do. AHO!

Naming Ceremony Protocol

Why do we have a naming ceremony?

Our naming ceremonies are our way to introduce a person to Creator, if accepted, Creator will name this person, and this is why all of our ceremonies are so sacred!

First and the most important thing would be to make sure that you are an American native, to find this out ask an elder.

The traditional way to make a request to receive your American Native name is to give a gift of tobacco (Kicnic-kicnic), as the request is made, to the person you are requesting the name from.

You and your family should also plan a meal or "feast" to celebrate after the ceremony is completed.

 If  others are receiving their names, the covered dishes will be shared.

Present a gift of herbs from your left hand to the left hand of the individual you are wishing to receive a name from, this means heart to heart.

This person should be a person you respect and should be someone who is an American Native elder from the nation that you are requesting a name.

Personally ask if you may make a request of this person, either in person, by phone or e-mail.

Receive this individual's consent to allow you to make a request.

Honor a male and a female with this herb and request that they stand with you as sponsors at the ceremony.

These should be individuals who have made a significant impact in your life and are familiar with that American Native Tribe.

Naming ceremony is held in a prayer circle with a fire, both of which must be properly prepared. (Honor the prayer circle with appropriate attire and attitudes.

Regalia should be worn if available.

 Give thanks to the Creator and all the sponsors.  One should NEVER have to pay for any American Native gift; if you do the gift will be void, and so will the ceremony!

Remember, our Creator gave the gifts freely and so should we, a gift like herbs or something native is permitted, and any gift can be permitted as long as it is freely given!

My first encounter with people that worship another god. At a naming ceremony or any other Traditional Eastern Woodland Ceremony for that matter, a Spiritual leader will ask the couple if they wish a Sacred Paw~paus Creator included ceremony.

If, after explaining, the couple say yes, from that point on preparations are being made for this type of a ceremony.

It no longer matters where or when, it is a sacred ceremony that will be blessed by Creator!

When it comes time for the couple to pick their four corners ( four tribal clan mothers) and all other members of the gathering, the Spiritual leader will remind and explain to all that this is a Sacred Eastern Woodland Paw~paus ceremony.

Because of this it does not matter how a Witch, Warlock, Sorcerer, powwow, or any tribe performs a ceremony, this is a Paw~paus, if you have a problem please help the couple find your replacement.

If after the ceremony one 0r more of the corners walk away, they then show their true beliefs in their (God).

I have stated many times before in blogs and websites that I have nothing for or against any religion, this includes Witchcraft, I have many good friends in most of these religions that is until that religion tries to change our culture and/or our ceremonies, if this is tried it becomes personal!

Tobacco (Herbs) should only be used as a gift

Eastern Woodland American Native Tobacco as a gift offering to Creator in prayer.

How and when to present a gift of tobacco to a Traditional American native?

Any and every time that one wishes to speak with an elder and/or honor an elder it should be by American native tobacco (Kinnick-Kinnick) gift.

Yes, Kinnick- Kinnick in our Friendship pipes is a gift from Creator!

Please remember, there is nothing sacred about any chemical, they are all poison so, what you would be saying if gifting tobacco to this person is, I poison you!

How much is enough tobacco to present as a gift?

How much is not as important as how one gives the gift.

First make sure that the tobacco is Eastern Woodland herb, Kinnick-Kinnick, and then remind the receiver that this gift came from Mother Earth.

Because it did come from Mother Earth it would be nice if it were wrapped in red, why red? Pouch.

Red represents women or Pouch as Mother Earth.

What is American Native Kinnick-Kinnick?

Kinnick-Kinnick is herbs collected from Mother Earth with prayer of thanks to Creator and Mother Earth!

If no Spiritual blessing herbs may be bought and sold, once it has gone through its sacred ceremony, it is a free gift!

My ancestors were simple common sense people.

Their tobacco was grown without chemicals, the ancestors did not need them!

Today our elders know that cigarettes cause cancer, even if they smoke, someone that they know and love has died a horrible death from this cancer.

Please do not insult them by an offering of a cancer causing cigarette.

Will you please use Kinnick~ Kinnick (herbs)?

Smudging one's home.

Smudging one's home, house or other buildings.

This is information about the Eastern Woodland American Native people only, I do not write about other tribe’s ceremonies unless I have been involved personally, and have their permission!

Some people believe that a Smudging Ceremony should be done privately, for them this is correct. Some people believe that they must only be smudged by a medicine person, for them this is correct. The only important thing should be that you feel a cleansing of anything evil.

Smudging your home or other property, to take a smudge bowl home and smudge a building takes a lot of concentration on the part of the person doing the smudging. The first thing that must be talked about is that many people wish to smudge their home to help get rid of spirits.

I can see that no one should want the Trickster (coyote) running around your home causing trouble; however, remember good spirits are around you also, these good spirits can and
will help you if you will let them.

We also have a third spirit around a home once in a while.

This spirit is one that became a spirit because of something very traumatic while in this life. This tragedy more than likely was not the fault of that spirit, and the spirit is lost and confused. This spirit only wishes to get help to cross on the good path. If one really wishes to do smudging, you need to do it correctly.

If you find that your good spirit is the last one that I spoke about you must go to a Traditional American Native tribe (please check this very carefully for a correct smudging) you will not be sorry, this has and should always be a blessing from Creator!

If you have the time please give this post a try?

Does smudging get rid of good spirits also?

7/17/2018

 http://mysmudgingblog.blogspot.com/2018/07/chico-california.html

Thank-you

Smudging the correct way.

The only thing important to remember when dealing with Tribal culture and ceremonies is, every ceremony in our culture must be as a prayer.

Please keep this in mind while teaching, learning and doing ceremonies, you can do nothing without the spirit of Creator working through you.

Smudging, as with anything in life, is only a way to get you into a prayer mood.

Praying is for Creator to come bless the reason for your smudging.

If anyone is smudging so that they can clean or clear anything or anyone, run from that smoke as fast as you can, it is not tribal it is from the Occult!

First let's find out if the circle is for a Paw~ paus or a powwow?

If it is for a Paw~paus the smudging is with tobacco (Kinnick~ Kinnick).

If the circle is for a powwow other than a Sacred Eastern Woodland American Native gathering powwow, one can use the herbs from the Plains Indians known as Sweet grass and/or Sage or Kinnick~ Kinnick!

Only Creator can bless, blessings come down to Mother Earth,

never up from her!

If the smudging of the circle is done correctly you should feel a peace of mind and a need to fellowship while in your circle.

The first thing we must understand before going any further would be that only the Creator can bless anyone or anything, I cannot say this enough times!

After the Circle has been marked off and the Fire Keeper does what the Fire Keeper needs to do, the Keeper of the Circle can start cleaning and clearing the Circle and the area around the Circle. There is no set limit of how many people go about clearing this area; it is up to the Keeper of the Circle as to how many help.

Once the Keeper is sure the area is safe for the dancers and clean of any unsightly mess, the Keeper should start the smudging of the area that is as long as it is being done long before any of the public starts arriving.

Again, there is no limit to the number of people helping, this is up to the Keeper of the Circle.

The Keeper of the Circle should start at the fire, light the smudge bowl medicine from the fire and start smudging the evil out of the Circle. First, the Keeper, while still facing the fire, starts smudging, stopping at each gate for prayer and guidance. Now when the Fire Keeper gets back around to the east, the Keeper should turn and face the east. The Keeper of the Circle usually starts smudging once again, while still standing at the fire, working around the Circle four times, stopping at each corner again for prayer and guidance. Once back facing the east, the Keeper should take one large step toward the east and start around the Circle again four times. This needs to be done until the Circle is completely cleansed and you can step out of the east. At the time just before Grand Entry, while the Keeper of the Circle is smudging dancers and flags with a talking feather in the left hand, the Keeper asks for a chance to speak to the dancers. It is at this time that the Keeper of the Circle asks everyone if they would place all of their bad feelings, gossiping, and bitterness on the ground outside of the east before entering through to dance.

Usually just before the prayer and before the Veterans Dance, the Creator will be asked to come to the east to please remove all of the bad feelings and come in to the Circle to bless it for our Gathering.

My three favorite words are “Before first contact.”

That would be a time before our way was polluted by other than our own Native culture. The West Coast Indians (the Siouan-speaking language) used sage because sage grows plentifully around that area. The Plains Indians (the Siouan/Abenaki-speaking language) used sweet grass, a tall sweet smelling grass that grows in area that the buffalo should still be roaming around in, and they also use some sage.

The East Coast Indians (Algonquian-speaking language) used
tobacco (Kinnick-Kinnick), cedar, and other herbs, (no need for a fire).

I can remember a time once, when I was very young, my grandfather, Sachem Tallfox, returned from a meeting out West (sometime in the early 40' )

a trip to help do land claims with another tribe. I am not sure which nation he was visiting at this time, I was very young.

At one of our monthly meetings at the church in Uncasvillage while he was teaching he talked about the ways of our brothers and sisters over west of the Mississippi River, and how they do their smudging.

It was at that time that we in our area included sage and sweet grass, along with our herbs while smudging, as my grandfather explained, our brothers and sisters out West and the Natives here in the East can now spend more time in prayer by using all of the things provided by our mother, Mother Earth.

The Christians go to a church and pray, Jews go to a synagogue to pray and Muslims go to a mosque and pray, the Siouan-speaking nations have what they call a Sun Dance that they go to for prayer; therefore, they do not get all that involved with smudging a Circle.

After first contact, the non-Natives tell us that we must have some kind of meetings at least once a year, or we as a nation cannot be recognized as a people.

So the Siouan-speaking people have a Gathering once a year that they can invite others to and enjoy a weekend. An East Coast nation the people that live within an area from the Atlantic to the Mississippi River, and from Canada to Mexico, do what was called a Pau-paus (Gathering of the People),

today it is known as a Pow-wow. This is our church; we do consider this to be very sacred.

Creator can bless, blessings come down to Mother Earth,
never up from her!

If the smudging of the circle is done correctly you should
feel a peace of mind and a need to fellowship while in your circle.

The first thing we must understand before going any further would be that only the Creator can bless anyone or anything, I cannot say this enough times!

After the Circle has been marked off and the Fire Keeper
does what the Fire Keeper needs to do, the Keeper of the Circle can start
cleaning and clearing the Circle and the area around the Circle. There is no
set limit of how many people go about clearing this area; it is up to the
Keeper of the Circle as to how many help.

Once the Keeper is sure the area is safe for the dancers and
clean of any unsightly mess, the Keeper should start the smudging of the area
that is as long as it is being done long before any of the public starts
arriving.

Again, there is no limit to the number of people helping --
this is up to the Keeper of the Circle. The Keeper of the Circle should start
at the fire, light the smudge bowl medicine from the fire and start smudging
the evil out of the Circle. First, the Keeper, while still facing the fire,
starts smudging, stopping at each gate for prayer and guidance. Now when the
Fire Keeper gets back around to the east, the Keeper should turn and face the
east gate. The Keeper of the Circle usually starts smudging once again, while
still standing at the fire, working around the Circle four times, stopping at
each gate again for prayer and guidance. Once back facing the east gate, the
Keeper should take one large step toward the east gate and start around the
Circle again four times. This needs to be done until the Circle is completely
cleansed and you can step out of the east gate. At the time just before Grand
Entry, while the Keeper of the Circle is smudging dancers and flags with a
talking feather in the left hand, the Keeper asks for a chance to speak to the
dancers. It is at this time that the Keeper of the Circle asks everyone if they

would place all of their bad feelings, gossiping, and bitterness on the ground
outside of the east gate before entering through to dance.

Usually just before the prayer and before the Veterans’
Dance, the Creator will be asked to come to the east gate to please remove all
of the bad feelings and come in to the Circle to bless it for our Gathering.

My three favorite words are “Before first contact.”

That would be a time before our way was polluted by other
than Native culture. The West Coast Indians (the Siouan-speaking language) used
sage because sage grows plentifully around that area. The Plains Indians (the
Siouan/Abenaki-speaking language) used sweet grass, a tall sweet smelling grass
that grows in area that the buffalo should still be roaming around in, and they
also use some sage.

The East Coast Indians (Algonquian-speaking language) used
tobacco, cedar, and other herbs, such as kinnick / kinnick -- (no need for a fire).

 I can remember a time once, when I was very young, my grandfather, Sachem Tallfox, returned from a meeting out West (sometime in the early 40' )-- a trip to help do land claims
with another tribe. I am not sure which nation he was visiting at this time, I was very young.

At one of our monthly meetings at the church in Uncasvillage while he was teaching he talked about our ways of our brothers and sisters over west of the Mississippi River and how they do their smudging.

It was at that time that we in our area included sage and sweet grass, along with our herbs while smudging, as my grandfather explained, our brothers and sisters out West and
the Natives here in the East can now spend more time in prayer by using all of
the things provided by our mother, Mother Earth.

The Christians go to a church and pray Jews go to a
synagogue to pray and Muslims go to a mosque and pray, the Siouan-speaking nations have what they call a Sun Dance that they go to for prayer; therefore, they do not get all that involved with smudging a Circle.

After first contact, the non-Natives tell us that we must have some kind of meetings at least once a year, or we as a nation cannot be recognized as a people.

So the Siouan-speaking people have a Gathering once a year
that they can invite others to and enjoy a weekend. An East Coast nation the
people that live within an area from the Atlantic to the Mississippi River, and
from Canada to Mexico, do what was called a Pau-waus (Gathering of the People)
today it is known as a Pow-wow. This is our church; we do consider this to be
very sacred.