Tobacco is Sacred

[Winnipeger]

This isn't discussed much on here, to my knowledge, but tobacco is one of the 4 sacred herbs of indigenous cultures from my neck of the woods; and far afield.

I recently posted about how I came to pipes, partially via my investigations regarding indigenous spirituality. I was raised with some connection to the Great Spirit of this land.

These herbs have a healing quality, or energy. Call it what you like. The materialists might cringe at such an idea, and the religionists will probably appreciate this post.

Tobacco sits in the Eastern door
Sweetgrass to the South
Sage is of the West
and Cedar, the North

 

[Chasing Embers]

Chasing Embers was a name gifted to me by my maternal great grandmother if you get my meaning.

 

[mortonbriar]

I was walking through Manitoba museum a couple of weeks ago, and appreciating the importance of tobacco, with each treaty individually observed with an elaborate pipe and pipe bag gifted, and in the corner of exhibits with sacred items there was a small bowl of tobacco...

 

[Winnipeger]

I was walking through Manitoba museum a couple of weeks ago

Wow. That museum is interesting. Isn't it ironic that the treaty medals given to the tribal chiefs are in the hands of the museum? It's crazy to me that that exhibit still exists (meaning the museum in its entirety), what with all the animal carcasses and colonial ghosts. To me it's a throwback, but I mean, the exhibits haven't changed since I was a kid 40 years ago.

WTF were you doing in Winnipeg???

 

[Winnipeger]

each treaty individually observed with an elaborate pipe and pipe bag gifted, and in the corner of exhibits with sacred items there was a small bowl of tobacco...

Isn't it ironic that the treaty medals given to the tribal chiefs are in the hands of the museum?

What I mean is, you see how, not only the gifts given by the Tribes, but also the gifts given by the Crown, are all in the hands of the museum, which is part of the Crown. There's a word for someone who gives gifts and then takes them back. (Google it, if you don't know what I'm taking about).

@mortonbriar, I hope you had a good trip over here. Happy New Year to you and yours.

 

[Chasing Embers]

There's a word for someone who gives gifts and then takes them back.

The irony isn't lost on me.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

What I mean is, you see how, not only the gifts given by the Tribes, but also the gifts given by the Crown, are all in the hands of the museum, which is part of the Crown. There's a word for someone who gives gifts and then takes them back.

Apparently George or Victoria.

I looked up an article about the medals - interesting history and they are stunning.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

It makes sense. Taking in the smoke from the earth brings one closer to it, makes us a more inclusive part of it, better intertwines us with what I like to call “the flow” of the universe.

It’s goofy to some I’m sure, but when I’m relaxing with a bowl, or enjoying the flavor of a good cigar with friends in conversation…it makes for an experience that can be spiritual. And, if it provides an opportunity for relaxed contemplation…isn’t that a form of healing? ️

 

[Briar Lee]

The residents of North and South America had never made their own booze. In its place they’d cultivated tobacco, and used it only for social, medicinal and religious fulfillment.

They’d even sought out and found and exploited pipestone deposits.

We all know the sad history of Europeans introducing their commercial alcohol to the Native Americans.

But Europeans also introduced a hybrid manufactured, and processed tobacco that when the natives got ahold of it, smoked it all up and became addicted and wanted more and almost abandoned their own tobacco for it.

White people are very good at making things that are bad for you taste good.

 

[jpberg]

Is this a tobacco thread?

 

[Briar Lee]

Is this a tobacco thread?

More of a Native American pipe smoking as a sacred ritual thread.

We’ve all seen the Westerns where the chief passes around the peace pipe.

The bowl on a Native American pipe was as specialized as hundred year old Algerian briar.

Pipestone Indian Reservation (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

The Native Americans had a far too lax immigration policy, and all the wrongs done were done well over a century ago, and are done and over with.

But when you see a kid pulling on a vape pen the Indians weren’t to blame for that, not at all.

 

[Bright Orange Red]

More of a Native American pipe smoking as a sacred ritual thread.

We’ve all seen the Westerns where the chief passes around the peace pipe.

The bowl on a Native American pipe was as specialized as hundred year old Algerian briar.

Pipestone Indian Reservation (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

The Native Americans had a far too lax immigration policy, and all the wrongs done were done well over a century ago, and are done and over with.

But when you see a kid pulling on a vape pen the Indians weren’t to blame for that, not at all.

I'd say the wrongs done to First Nations peoples are not "done and over with" by a longshot. Have you ever visited or volunteered on a reservation? A reservation in and of itself is a perpetual wrong.

 

[Briar Lee]

I'd say the wrongs done to First Nations peoples are not "done and over with" by a longshot. Have you ever visited or volunteered on a reservation? A reservation in and of itself is a perpetual wrong.

My wife is from South Dakota, and almost twenty five years ago she took me to the Pine Ridge Reservation and we visited Wounded Knee.

Although they had some Osage blood all my ancestors, every last male of military age, rode with the United States cavalry.

A tall Missouri boy on a horse was a mean and dangerous rider and fearsome warrior.

Good Lord what my people did was wrong.

The worst and most poverty stricken places in the hills of Missouri cannot and never did compare to the utter hopelessness and despair of Pine Ridge.

My wife and I disagreed on a solution.

She would increase tribal spending and try to undo the wrong.

I would count all the names on the tribal rolls, say here is a hundred thousand to move and a million more after you move, then level everything and salt the ground.

We herded them into the most God forsaken, desolate land we could herd them into, a hundred miles from any economically viable town, that looks like the surface of the moon.

What other hope is there, besides starting all over?

 

[Bright Orange Red]

Pine Ridge is a very sad situation. Many years ago, all through college I volunteered each year for two weeks up there. Heartbreaking. I always brought a few boxes of good cigars for a couple older gents living there.

 

[jpberg]

Anybody here grow up around a reservation?

 

[El Capitán]

I had interactions and became friends with the Native Americans in prison. I have no native blood as my family comes from Cuba (of pure Spanish decent) and German. They invited me a few times to their sweat lodge ceremonies and we did have ceremonial tobacco. It was a very spiritual experience.

The way they were treated during colonialzation was abhorrent. It reminds me of the Taíno of Cuba. People are cruel and are the cruelest when they do this in the name of their God. People uses to call Natives savages but the real savages are the ones who massacred them and pillaged the land.

 

[prairiedruid]

My wife is Native and whenever I go out to gather sage or sweet grass for her I always sprinkle tobacco over the area that I gather from.

 

[Winnipeger]

Anybody here grow up around a reservation?

There are many Urban Reserves within the city of Winnipeg. So yes. I grew up around reservations.

 

[Servant King]

The materialists might cringe at such an idea, and the religionists will probably appreciate this post.

I would argue that the religionists would likely cringe just the same. They are primarily the ones who spearheaded such atrocities against indigenous peoples in years past, after all (they just used the Inquisition as a template). Which of course only serves to confirm how connected with the Spirit and the life force energy these indigenous people all were (I hope some of them still are), even with each group separated by both time and great distances.

These herbs have a healing quality, or energy.

Which is precisely why tobacco is so demonized.

 

[BenMN]

If you are ever in the neighborhood, I recommend a visit to Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa.

Here

I have offered tobacco there.