In A Sacred Way

Using Tabacco in a Good Way
By
Josephine Fire Lame Deer
with
Cretia

One of the most frequent uses of herb in a sacred way is the Chanupa (sacred pipe).  Because the herb we put in the pipe is not for just smoking it is a good thing to think carefully about what is used.  Some folks might choose to put tabacco alone in their pipe.  This can be okay, but it should be all natural tabacco without any chemicals.  You can get American Spirit in the pouch.  It is a all natural ... totally organic.  I might choose to put that in for use in ceremony.  Even better would be to know someone who grows organic tobacco and they gifted it to you.

Usually however, I do not use tobacco alone in the pipe.  I mix in a bunch of stuff.  Of course I use kinikinik.  It is good to use both red and yellow when possible.  It is not red willow.  Don't let anyone give you red willow to put in your pipe.  That stuff will give you a headache, burn your throat, and make you queasy.  Kinikinik comes from the Mohawk language.  The Lakota People call it cha sha sha.  I do not know the English word for this herb.  Some folks have said that dogwood is kinikinik, but when they point out dogwood, I can see that is not it.  There are two different colors.  The yellow is much harder to find.   Red is fairly easy because for a long time they have been using it as a decorative shrub in landscaping.  The attraction for use in landscaping is the brilliant red bark the plant produces in the winter time.  Even when the leaves fall off it is a gorgeous plant.  Now, if you do succeed in finding both the red and yellow I mix in half of both.

If you harvest the kinikinik in the spring there is another step to take in preparing it for the pipe.  If you get it in the spring the plant has a lot of water in it.  You need to shave the outer bark.  It is important to separate the outer bark from the cambium (inner bark).  Dry them separately and then mix them together when dry.  If you get it in the wintertime when all the sap is out of the twigs then you can scrape it off all at one time.  You will be using the outer and inner bark.  Do not use the inner wood.  The outer layer is paper thin.  The inner cambium is green.

It is now time to take the kinikinik and mix it with and equal amount of tabacco.  This mallows it out in a good way.

While loading the pipe, we burn sweet grass.  When you are burning the sweet grass it's aroma, which is sweet and delicious, is attractive to negative and positive spirits.  As you pray, with the Chanupa, you are vulnerable.  But know, the little negatives ... the little supernaturals ... that come to you while you are praying and asking for them (through burning the sweet grass) come in a good way because you are asking for them in a good way.

Since you are asking for the positives and negatives to come ot you in a good way, with prayer and song, you need not fear any harm.  Even the negatives will bring good if you conduct yourself respectfully and prayerfully.  Now, if you are praying for bad things, if you have bad thought in your head they will teach you lessons.  It is important, before you even take out the pipe and begin to load it, that you are clear on what is motivating you to pray.  Bring out the pipe for good reasons, with a good heart.  Then the little supernaturals will be there to bring only good.

While you are praying and smoking your pipe, the little supernaturals are there with you.  When the ceremony is complete and everyone has shared a little water, take the ashes from the pipe outside and put them under a tree or a sage bush.  Now it is time to cleanse the space and send the supernaturals away in a good way.  Burn a little sage in the place where you have held the ceremony.  They will leave in a peaceful way.

In this way the pipe ceremony is complete.

Even the smoking of a cigarette can be conducted as ceremony to bring good to the people.  Often you will see me go outside when I smoke a cigarette.  When I do this, it is because I am smoking i a sacred way.  When I stay inside with folks and sit and talk, I consciously tell myself,'this is not in a sacred way, it is just something to do.'

when I am outside, I will take a puff.  I go inside myself and seek to touch Creator.  I will say a prayer.  The butt end of the cigarette and the ashes of the cigarette become offerings.  They contain a prayer.  It is important that they be disposed of in a sacred way to complete the prayer.  My Grampa did the same thing.  He has told me this is why he never became addicted to cigarettes.  He had a respect for the herb.  You know, obviously he did not always do that (it would be a lot of trouble to run around with a little baggie everywhere to put tobacco butts and ashes in all the time).  But, he did it when ever possible.  He was able to stop smoking at any time.

The key here is respect.  Creator has put us here to live our life in a balanced way.  When we are respectful, we take our time and do things in a good way.  We are not greedy.  When making choices, we look to the needs of all our relations.  Whether one carries a pipe or not, as a child of the Creator, it behooves us to be humble and thankful for all the good things in our lives.  These includes the sacred herbs.  Next time you light a cigarette or smoke your Chanupa, remember, the smoke has the potential of carrying your prayers into the center of Creator's heart.

Josephine Fire Lame Deer is Win Wakan, Holy Woman, for her People the Lakota Sioux.
The people of Southern California are fortunate to have her living in our region at this time.
 

 

In the paper edition of the Spring issue of Sweat Gazette,
there are two articles.
The one you just read and the Full Circle Rainforest.

I have decided not to reproduce the Rainforest article here because
it has it's own site and would be redundant.

If you would like to visit the Rainforest
we would love to have you,
but be warned!
The Full Circle Rainforest pages take forever to load
as they are graphic heavy!!
Kids will love these pages
and I have even received mail from a teacher
telling me she is using our site as an online teaching tool!!
~ Miranda ~
 

EDITORIAL ON TRUE GOVERNMENT

by
Bill Brady

For 222 years, we have been waiting for those governing the American people to show real leadership.  By "we", I mean those of us whose memories go back to the original Human Beings.  We carry memories of a time when our leaders looked to benefit all people.  Leadership meant consulting with All the People on every important issue.

It is my personal opinion, that the leaders of the United States government have never considered everyone.

If they did, there would certainly be an equal number of women in positions of leadership.

They would also have the ones who can hear the Earth.  In this way, we would consider the needs of the Earth Mother.

They would provide the teaching tools to help maintain balance and harmony.

They would not pit one faction against another.  War would not be waged without sincerely listening to the peace chiefs input.

They would give the least of us the very shirt off their back.

If the above stated criteria were met, we would then be safe within the hoop.  Real leadership will only become existent when the values of the Real People are again honored in the land.

I believe, the Work of practicing true democracy (among All the People in the Hoop) will be led by those who follow what Mother Earth taught us a long, long time ago. We will once again learn that we are just a small part of the ecosystem. I believe that what presently passes for Leadership is parasitic, greedy and false.

So ... Celebrate … that there are those among us who have not forgotten how to live in a good way! Be vigilant, looking to the day we reconstitute the leadership's fires of good council.

This beautiful set is From
Moyra's Web Jewels
If you would like to use it
please go to the Mine
and
download your own set.
Then write to Moyra and let her know you
have used her work.
Any image on this page is her sole property
and is under strict copyright.
Thank you...

Page layout
by
~ Miranda ~

All content is the sole property of the Sweat Gazette
and
the Author's.
Please respect their rights!

©SweatGazetteOnline