Mohican/Pequot/Mohegans
first Village
SMUDGING!
On the old Tripod
website
Smudging
Who is Smudging and
why?
I am no judge, only
Creator can bless only Creator can judge.
I only wish to try
to set the records straight.
One must keep in
mind if you are about to be smudged.
"Is it by an
American Native Elder and if so in which part of Indian
Countries are you
about to be smudged?"
Please keep in mind
the fact is that indigenes people had to use
herbs from their own
particular area while performing each particular form of ceremony!
Is this smudging
being done for a sweat lodge, circle, home or just friendship?
Is this smudging
being done by a keeper of the circle, a shaman, witch, warlock,
or someone out of
this country like the lj Celtic lands Scottish, Irish, Welch and so on?
I have been asked
many times by new natives.
(People that just
found out that they have blood)
"If and how
soon can I get them into a sweat lodge?"
1st Sweat lodge
if you wish, I can talk to you of my
experiences after being invited to many sweat lodge ceremonies.
However, if you wish
to learn about a lodge you need to learn from an American native that does a
sweat lodge.
A Traditional
Eastern Woodland American Native
up until the time of
our first powwow
(powwow as explained
earlier)
did not do a sweat
lodge!
2nd
It is my
understanding that back in the early 1990’s
the British Isles
started
the lj Celtic lands ceremony,
again if you with to
learn about their ceremony you need to ask them!
3rd
Witches and
Warlocks,
this ceremony seems,
for reasons known only to them, to be a will guarded closed secret
and
once again
you need to go to
one of them to find out about their tradition!
One should be able
to see a pattern with the above groups of people, each of them is in some form
or another run by Shamanism.
Eastern Woodland
native people gatherings should not be!
I do not wish to
sound as though I am against Shamans, Sharman’s, witches, Warlocks, Celtic
beliefs or a Sweat lodge, because I am not.
I am however, very
unfamiliar with all of the above, because they have no place in A Traditional
Eastern Woodland American Native Gathering
or at least they
should not be.
Unfortunately now
are!
Why Should One
Smudge?
After almost a life
time of being involved with everything and anything to do with Paw-paus,
Pow-wows and Gatherings, except vending, with my people, it has been a great
pleasure to spend the last several years with a friend going throughout Indian
country joining in on other nations’ Pow-wows and Gatherings.
We are what you
would call retired, me because of cardiomyopathy (congestive heart failure) Her
because she just discovered her Shawnee bloodline and wishes to help others
that want to know about their ancestors.
Plus, she would like
to help bring back Native American Culture.
Because I am also a
Vietnam Veteran with a POW/MIA friend
(a Chiricahuas
Apache),
I go into their
Circle for Grand Entry to pray for my Apache friend, Timmy, to enjoy dancing
and friendship.
My Shawnee friend on
the other hand, feels more comfortable sitting back and watching.
She sells Native
books to help pay expenses.
She enjoys doing
this because she loves books and she gets to share her knowledge and her books
with the people that enter her tent.
Most people in her
line of work just sell books.
She, on the other
hand, teaches about her books.
One day I asked,
“Why don’t you go
into a Circle?”
Her answer,
“I do not feel
worthy."
Knowing her for
these last several years, I was taken aback with this answer.
She continued,
“I stand around my
tables inside our tent and I see people coming into the Powwow grounds with
dark hearts."
"Some are
fighting with each other; others are yelling at their children or using bad
language."
Some are dressed not
becoming someone who is about to go to church."
"They come from
their cars and walk right into that Circle as if everything was fine."
“If there is a
Supreme Being”
she said,
“one would wonder
why all people would not wish to cleanse themselves before going into that
presence.”
"If one goes
into a Circle with a bad heart, one could pollute those around them.”
She does not wish
any of their bad vibrations.
This is just one of
the many reasons for writing this chapter.
The ways to smudge
or clean your mind and area around you are many, and it mostly depends on which
area of Indian Country you are from.
I do not believe it
to be all that important as to a correct way to smudge as it is to make sure
your heart and mind are in the right place so that you feel the need to smudge.
If a person is
involved in an honest smudging ceremony, that person should act and feel
differently than before the ceremony.
An American native
should never allow smudging while people are taking pictures.
– N E V E R--
Smudging as a
ceremony between you, the one smudging and the Creator.
A Catholic would
never go into their church without first blessing themselves with their holy
water.
A person of the
Jewish religion would never go into their synagogue without first covering
their head.
We the American
natives of Indian Country should never go into our Circle without first getting
ourselves right with the Creator.
Smudging!
Some people believe
that a Smudging Ceremony should be done privately.
Because they believe
this.
For them, this is
correct.
Some people believe
that they must only be smudged by a medicine person.
Because they believe
this.
For them, this is
correct.
The only important
thing should be that you feel a cleansing of anything evil.
You should feel a
peace of mind and a need to fellowship while in your Circle.
My three favorite
words are
“Before first
contact.”
That would be a time
before our way was polluted by other than our
(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.
A trip to help do
land claims with another tribe.
I am not sure which
nation he was visiting at this time for I was very young.
At one of our
monthly meetings at the church (our meeting place), he was teaching our people
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.
Yes.
Sage grows
abundantly around our area and has always been added to Kinnick - Kinnick),
just not burned alone, until this time.
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,
our non-Native brothers and sisters tell us that we must have some kind of
meetings at least once a year, or we as a nation, we 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
People, that is the people who 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.
Smudging our Circle
The first thing we
must understand before going any further,
would be that only
the Creator can bless anyone or anything.
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.
This is not Show,
this is Sacred!
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 Sacred Fire, light the smudge bowl medicine from the
fire and start smudging the evil out of the Circle.
Unless one is
smudging with Kinnick - Kinnick, no need for a fire in the bowl.
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 direction (The Four
Corners), again for prayer and guidance.
Once back facing the
east gate,
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 at 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 at 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 and if it pleases, to remove all of the bad feelings
and come in to the Circle to bless it for our Gathering.
AHO!
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,
and 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 to the good path.
If one really wishes
to do smudging, you need to do it correctly.
Sachem Walkingfox A
Vietnam Vet
Mohican/Pequot/Mohegans
first Village.
Smudging
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Who is Smudging and
why?
I am no judge, only
Creator can bless only Creator can judge,
I only wish to try
to set the records straight if I may.
One must keep in
mind if you are about to be smudged, is it by an
American native
elder and if so in which part of Indian
Countries are you
about to be smudged?
Please keep in mind
the fact is that indigenes people had to use
herbs from their own
particular area while performing each particular form of ceremony!
Is this smudging
being done for a sweat lodge, circle, home or just friendship?
Is this smudging
being done by a keeper of the circle, a shaman, witch, warlock,
or someone out of
this country like the lj Celtic lands Scottish, Irish, Welch and so on?
I have been asked
many times by new natives.
(People that just
found out that they have blood)
If and how soon can
I get them into a sweat lodge?
1st Sweat lodge if
you wish, I can talk to you of my experiences after being invited to many sweat
lodge ceremonies however, if you wish to learn about a lodge you need to learn
from an American native that does a sweat lodge, a traditional eastern woodland
American native up until the time of our first powwow (powwow as explained
earlier) did not do a sweat lodge!
2nd It is my
understanding that back in the early 1990’s the British Isles started the lj
Celtic lands ceremony, again if you with to learn about their ceremony you need
to ask them!
3rd Witches and
Warlocks, this ceremony seems for reasons known only to them to be a will
guarded closed secret and once again you need to go to one of them to find out
about their tradition!
One should be able
to see a pattern with the above groups of people, each of them is in some form
or another run by Shamanism, eastern woodland native people gatherings should
not be!
I do not wish to
sound as though I am against Shamans, Sharman’s, witches, Warlocks, Celtic
beliefs or a Sweat lodge because I am not I am however very unfamiliar with all
of the above because they have no place in a traditional Eastern woodland
American native gathering or at least they should not be, unfortunately now
are!
Why Should One
Smudge?
After almost a life
time of being involved with everything and anything to do with Paw-paus,
Pow-wows and Gatherings, except vending, with my own people, it has been a
great pleasure to spend the last several years with a friend going throughout
Indian country joining in on other nations’ Pow-wows and Gatherings.
We are what you
would call retired, me because of cardiomyopathy (congestive heart failure) Her
because she just discovered her Shawnee/Cherokee bloodline and wishes to help
others that want to know about their ancestors. Plus, she would like to help
bring back Native American culture.
Because I am also a
Vietnam Veteran with a POW/MIA friend a Chiricahuas Apache,
I go into their
Circle for Grand Entry to pray for my Apache friend, Timmy, and to enjoy
dancing and friendship.
My Shawnee/Cherokee
friend on the other hand, feels more comfortable sitting back and watching.
She sells Native
books to help pay expenses. She enjoys doing this because she loves books and
she gets to share her knowledge and her books with the people that enter her
tent. Most people in her line of work just sell books. She, on the other hand,
teaches about her books.
One day I asked,
“Why don’t you go into a Circle?” “I do not feel worthy,” was her answer.
Knowing her for these last several years, I was taken aback with this answer.
She continued,
“I stand around my
tables inside our tent,” she told me, “and I see people coming into the Powwow
grounds with dark hearts.
Some are fighting
with each other; others are yelling at their children or using bad language.
Some are dressed not becoming someone who is about to go to church. They come
from their cars and walk right into that Circle as if everything was fine.
“If there is a
Supreme Being” she said, “one would wonder why all people would not wish to
cleanse themselves before going into that presence.” If one goes into a Circle
with a bad heart, one could pollute those around them.”
She does not wish
any of their bad vibrations. This is just one of the many reasons for writing
this chapter. The ways to smudge or clean your mind and area around you are
many, and it mostly depends on which area of Indian Country you are from. I do
not believe it to be all that important as to a correct way to smudge as it is
to make sure your heart and mind are in the right place so that you feel the
need to smudge.
If a person is
involved in an honest smudging ceremony, that person should act and feel
differently than before the ceremony. An American native should never allow
smudging while people are taking pictures – N E V E R--smudging as a ceremony
between you, the one smudging and the Creator.
A Catholic would
never go into their church without first blessing themselves with their holy
water. A person of the Jewish religion would never go into their synagogue
without first covering their head.
We the American
natives of Indian Country should never go into our Circle without first getting
ourselves right with the Creator.
Smudging!
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.
You should feel a
peace of mind and a need to fellowship while in your Circle. 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 -- a trip to help do land claims with another tribe. I am not sure
which nation he was visiting at this time for I was very young,
At one of our
monthly meetings at the church, he was teaching our people 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,
our non-Native brothers and sisters 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 that is the people who 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. Smudging
our Circle
The first thing we
must understand before going any further would be that only the Creator can
bless anyone or anything.
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.
AHO!
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, and 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 to
the good path. If one really wishes to do smudging, you need to do it
correctly.
Sachem Walkingfox A
Vietnam Vet
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