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Sweetgrass is widely used by native peoples,
especially in groups of the great plains, as incense in holy ceremonies.
It is braided and lit or placed on hot coals and burned as an offering
during many gatherings and activities. It is used for purification.
When participants in a ceremony undertook a prolonged fast, sweetgrass
could be chewed to prolong their endurance. Sweetgrass is
mixed with tobacco and smoked during some ceremonies.
Sweetgrass is also used as medicine, because
it is considered holy. Sweetgrass tea is used to help relieve
coughing, vomiting, sore throats and bleeding, and to help a woman expel
afterbirth. Externally, it can be used to treat sore eyes, saddle
sores and chapped skin, to keep hair from falling out, and to purify a
woman after she gave birth. The smoke of burning sweetgrass is inhaled
to stop nosebleeds and to relieve colds. The sweet smell of this
grass comes from coumarin, a chemical that also acts as a potent anticoagulant.
In homes, the sweetgrass is sewn into clothing or placed with stored items
as a natural sachet. Because of its long spreading rhizomes, sweetgrass
stabilizes loose soil on slopes. Often it is found on roadsides and
in other disturbed areas of our area.
Traditional Sweetgrass Ceremony
The Traditional Sweet Grass Ceremony begins when the Sweet Grass or Smudge is lit. First the Sweet Grass is offered to the Creator, then to the Spirit Keeper of the East, then the South, West and North. It is offered to Mother Earth and finally to Father Sky. After the area has been cleansed each individual present is then smudged. Each person is to fan the Sweet Grass smoke first to their heart, second to their mind, third around their body and lastly return the smoke to their heart. Sweet Grass is a sacred herb which has the property to bring the positive energies of love. A Traditional Sweet Grass Ceremony is a cleansing, purification and healing process. The Ceremony serves as an opening for prayer circles, gatherings and other higher ceremonies. The Sweet Grass Ceremony is over when all the people have been smudged. Once the area has been cleansed a sacred place now exists for any events to follow.
Sweet Grass (Weengush)
Weengush, or Sweet grass is used to cleanse the mind, body and spirit. It is considered sacred because it is symbolic of purification. It represents the Northern direction and the body. The elders tell us that scent of these natural herbs is pleasing to the creator and will incline him to hear the ceremony with favor. The smoke is considered distasteful to all evil beings and thwarts their powers. This plant plays an important part in ceremonies of spiritual significance. When Weengush is used in ceremony, each person is to fan the sweet grass smoke, first to their heart, second to their mind, third around their body and lastly, return the smoke to their heart. The prayer said during this process is: "Great Mystery, please cleanse me of my negativity and fill me with the positive energies of love, so that, as I am healed so may I work for the healing of our Earth Mother."
Because it signifies the hair of Nokimis Akiin (Our Grandmother the Earth) it is usually braided. Each of the three sections that go into the braid have a specific meaning, being mind, body and spirit. Because the Anishnaabe people live life in a very sacred manner, when taking something from the Earth, they always explain to the spirit of the plant why it is being done and offer some tobacco in return for the generosity and help of the plant which shared itself so freely.
Many sacred and cultural objects re made with Weengush. The Men’s grass dance outfits are symbolic of the sacred plant. A braid of sweet grass was traditionally tied to the dancers' belts. The colorful yarn or fringe that sways from their regalia symbolizes sweet grass swaying in the wind. Weengush is also used to make coiled baskets, called unity baskets. These Unity baskets are not for sale. It is said that in the old days very small ones kept children's navel cords. Sweet grass is a very powerful herb.
The elders tell us that "Sweet Grass is the hair of our Mother, each strand alone is not as strong as when braided together." The braid represents to us the great strength a united tribe has opposed to a divided one.
We have alot of respect for sweetgrass as When harvesting medicine we never take more than 1 /10 of what’s there and never pull it out by the roots we always pick at the right time of the year so that the plant can always grow back. Medicine is only taken at certain times of the year. Collecting medicines is a long complicated process. It mustn't be done haphazardly. Great care must be taken in harvesting. We understand the plant and can develop a relationship with it. This cannot be done as quickly and efficiently as most consumers would like. The roots of a sweet grass plant are very fragile and can be easily uprooted in the harvesting of the grass. There are places in the Northeast where sweet grass can no longer grow because it was not harvested in a good way by hundreds New Agers. The herb is always treated with respect and dignity.Our sacred plants have a special role to play in our lives. Proper use of our sacred plants helps us to convey the meaning of gratitude. Whenever we take something, we must remember to give. We must be able to be grateful before receiving. To appreciate that life is a gift and that everything that comes with it – our successes and our defeats -- is truly a gift in itself. The sacred herbs complete the cycle of life. Their smoke is used to cleanse the mind, spirit, body and soul. They can remove negative forces and refresh us.
Toni Hayes
c/o T. Hayes Canadian
Guiding Services & Outfitters
P.O. Box 532
Minitonas, Manitoba
Canada R0L 1G0
MSN Messenger: canadaguide@msn.com
Inquires can be also telephoned to
Toni Hayes @ 1-204-281-1897 or
email : canadaguide@msn.com