NATIVE AMERICAN MEDICINE

[Music] naturopathic medicine and diagnosis have been with us for thousands of years from the earliest recorded time medicine men from the world over used their senses of touch sight sound smell taste and intuition to assess a patient's condition before selecting a remedy or therapy naturopaths today use the same methods and usually have a knowledge of more than one therapy with years of experience a naturopath senses become finely tuned they are able to assess a patient's condition very quickly often simply by just being in the same room and watching for telltale signs that the patient unknowingly transmits the way a person sits relaxed or restricted whether they make eye contact the feel of their skin cold damp or excessively hot whether their breathing is congested labored or shallow indicating stress and poor oxygen supply to the rest of the body a sick person might also give off an odor that a natural path will recognize and relate to a specific area of the body [Music] there are many signals that the body relays when it is unwell these signals can be picked up very quickly by the experienced naturopath who will be warned intuitively about how they should approach their diagnosis these methods are also those of the medicine man and one of the most well known but least understood cultures with a naturopathic tradition is that of the Native American [Music] there are over 500 independent nations of Native Americans each nation is divided into clans and each clan has its own traditions legends rituals and medicine most clans were named after animals for example bear clan turtle clan or wolf clan each child born into a clan was given a sacred name but this name would change as the individuals special gifts and links with the natural world became apparent as skills developed the name would change again he who talks to birds for she who talks to birds for example may grow to become he who rides horses good or she who rides horses good later this name would change again with the first spiritual vision to Native Americans life is an ongoing cyclical process and a process linked to one mystery of creation in fact the most common belief shared by all Native Americans is their belief in a single Earth Mother as the foundation of truth today Native Americans live in a modern world and many have blended their traditional beliefs and customs with Christianity this interaction of natural mystery and modern life is an ongoing process but there is a feeling among many that what has been lost is greater than what has been gained Native American medicine connects the mind body and spirit to the great mystery and to all of life through nature fortunately we are still able to reforge the link between modern naturopathic medicine and the ritual ceremony and spiritual traditions of Native American medicine [Music] John to birds is a Native American pipe carrier and herbalist he sees himself as a neo-traditionalist John's unique branch of Native American medicine attracts people from around the world eager to learn his specific techniques as we explore them it must be remembered that these techniques are not shared by all Native Americans I like that old oriental adage you know give a man a fish in he eats for a day teach a man to fish and he eats the rest of his life I function on that principle I believe in the power of one one person can be effective you know and so we talk about that being the pebble in the pool throw yourself into the pool of life create those ripples if necessary and watch them go out to Native Americans medicine is anything imbued with spirit all living things have it from plants to man it can be an object or a practice and can possess healing and protective power it is an energy that is constantly trying to balance us mentally and physically Native Americans believe they can heal themselves and create a better life for others by living within the balance of the natural world and by using natural remedies to understand why they believe this we need to see the universal nature of the Spirit through Native American eyes in the beginning there was the infinite womb of the Great Mother the abyss the void and that into this void then came burst upon this void if you will the one fire and when the one fire burst upon this void its scattered its son seed are the stars out into the infinite womb of the Great Mother as these stars the Sun seeds traveled out through the womb of the of the Great Mother she felt them and she reached out to them and she touched them and where they touched is that place where we build our altar and we say then she took the Sun seed into her and took it into the most sacred parts of her womb and once she got it inside she looked at it and she saw mirrored in it and his depths and its fire she saw joy and a happiness and and that caused her to weep tears of joy and happiness and that's the sweet water we say that we need to nourish our body and that gives plants life and things well it's a she's she turned the stone around and looked at it she also saw in it the capability of great sorrow and great sadness and she wept over that also and thus comes to bitter water that's on this earth our oceans and our seas out of this thought she wept and she looked at this this this burning Sun seed that she had in her hands she created we say the mist when the tears hitter - created esteem so when we carry this this this hot stone from the grandfather fire and to the lodge into the infinite womb where the great mother and we pour water on it what we're doing is simulating re-enacting that first that first crying and the mist that comes up around it we're we call that the breath of life and we say that out of this myth out of that that catalyst that happened there you know all life Springs from that first was the stone people second was the standing people the flowers the plants the trees the grasses you know then came the creepy-crawly beans and then those Siam's and the bytom's then came the swimming beings and the winged beans and the hoof beans and the clawed beings and last wee pitiful two ladies we do believe in a form of reincarnation you know we do say that the spirit continues to come back you know time is only relevant to we short-lived beings you know we're the only ones that really concern ourselves about time the butterfly doesn't concern itself about its short lifespan the ant you know the elephant you know whatever it is none of the rest of creation concerns itself about time except us Native Americans seek the balance and peace that lies within the universal nature of all things by honoring the elements and respecting the earth that gives them life [Music] now that this cosmology is in place it should be clear that the rocks the animals the plants and the people which is the name Native Americans give themselves are connected to the great mystery of life they believe that the better connected we are the more at peace we are with ourselves and the more we receive from the curative properties of plants and wisdom of animals we can see this for example in their jewelry [Music] Native American jewelery commonly made from turquoise jet malachite or mother-of-pearl often features animal symbols as constant reminders of the connection between man the animal kingdom and the great mystery they started out basically as kind of body armor for your throat so people couldn't cut your throat and things but in a warrior way you know it's come to signify at least to me in the way that I teach about a choker is that if you're wearing a choker you know you're supposed to tell the truth and hypothetically if you don't tell the truth the choker chokes you you know if you're lying while you're wearing a choker the choker chokes you so it's called a choker another example of that is the the Heshy that the Navajo wear you know it's a single strand of turquoise around their neck you know the legend says for example though that that the the only people who wore the Heshy were the yin iglo she the skinwalkers or you would call them werewolves you know and they wore that because if they got caught you know if they were asked who they were then before they could tell their real name or they could divulge who else was a skinwalker are you in the glow SH that choker would choke him to death so then people began symbolically to start wearing those things to say look when I speak I'm telling the truth especially when I'm wearing this thing beading is another native craft in which the colors and patterns are symbolic in the Western world we only relate to them because of their beauty modern life has little time for spiritual contemplation so one of the prime rules of Native American medicine today is to heal the spiritual rift and it does this by reviving important rituals the ritual for us is to remind us of things to help us focus on things to teach us things you know and give some order to what it is that we're doing and and that's all ritual is we say this ritual law is particularly important because it is a reenactment of that that first primal act of creation in everything the medicine man does there is ritual and prayer 1 2 3 4 stones used for the ritual of lodge are collected for the life left in them they are seen as rocks that have come from the one fire from the center of the universe each stone represents the stars and the seed of man spreading out through the universe into the darkness of the womb of the great mother prayers and tobacco are offered in return for their use and when they are carried they are held near the wound so that the energy left in them is nurtured and protected the native people of North America use tobacco in many ceremonies and see it as a powerful medicine certain types of tobacco are used for certain things the Roanoke Indians eat tobacco to rid themselves of bad humors the Cherokees used tobacco leaves fried in butter to heal wounds the Iroquois placed chewing tobacco inside tooth cavities to ease the pain and many tribes use it medicinally to soothe nerves promote vomiting and relieve constipation and of course dried tobacco is also smoked smoking pipe is the most sacred of all ceremonies the Native American believes that by smoking pipe they will speak the truth tribal elders pray that no troubles come between them and these prayers are seen to rise up with the smoke to communicate with the Great Spirit it is ironic that a substance proved to be so unarguably dangerous to normal good health is used to generate trust and good feeling from what we know everything used for medicine must be of good spirit and it must come together with the spirit of the person doing the medicine and the person who requires healing the same tradition applies to the collection and use of herbs and willow wands the Native Americans believe that if you approach the most desolate place on earth in the right way then the earth will nourish and nurture you and show you what you need to live and that is what is called medicine John gives this central belief his own individual interpretation those are the herbs that you go to those are the plants that you go and you take and you tell them the same thing I have somebody that's ill and I need your help because what we really believe is happening is that that plant lends its spirit you know and its power and his strength to your own spirit and your power and your strength it lends its intent to your intent and that intent is to heal this person now that person has to also be involved in this you know and and so what you end up doing is having the the plant spirit your spirit and that person spirit all asking spirit to heal medicine connects to the great mystery to all life and to each animal by adopting animal medicine the Native American knows the animal for its wisdom [Music] John's teachings are unwritten and handed down through generations originally he believes from the animal itself let's take for example the the lakota legend about how they got their pipes you know the White Buffalo Calf woman here's an animal changing into a human being or were human to give us medicine to give us pipe to give us a way to follow you know and things and then going away from us changing back into an animal you know we never really stop and think about those kinds of things and if we look back through our history we'll see that animals have changed into us to gift us with many many different things in our lives to teach us things that were necessary for our survival for our continuance you know and then changed back into its animal form and left you know so we need to think in animals of those terms too that they have gifts to give to us to Native Americans life is survival and the animals are on earth to teach survival most ancient clans adopted an animal through a vision or a dream and they refer to this animal as a totem of animal teaching today Native Americans who share their way with us tell us that we have taken an ancient way and reinterpreted it to make it universally accessible nevertheless here are some of our modern conclusions about the animals adopted as totems the shell of the turtle represents Mother Earth and is the mother of all creatures [Music] the shell means she is always at home the turtle moves slowly and deliberately taking time to think the Frog represents our need for water but beyond our need for water to survive is our need for clean water to cleanse our immune systems so frog medicine advises us to keep the Earth's water clean and our bodies in a fluid state to flush away impurities Native Americans say that the sound of the Frog is the song for rain the bear is considered to be a healer and herbalist bears no witch berries to seek for food and those for medicine a bear will also go into hibernation to give its body a chance to rest and recharge if we follow a naturopathic way of life then like the bear we will know what to eat and drink to nourish our bodies and we will know the signals that tell us to rest our systems so our bodies can heal the wolf is the deliverer of new or revived ideas the wolf will not bend to persecution nor will it be misunderstood wolves have a strict code of hierarchy and close family unity the young are precious and are taught discipline and respect in many ways wolf medicine represents the return of natural medicine making a comeback despite man's general lack of understanding and misrepresentation the Buffalo represents a new beginning at one time it was the food clothing and shelter for some Native Americans Buffalo today means abundance and prosperity the white buffalo is a symbol to Native Americans that their traditions and culture will now thrive after a period of decline the Eagle brings messages from creator to the hawk who carries them to the crow [Music] the crow takes the messages to the people themselves these messages help the people to move along their path in life the hawk sees everything it is a visionary spirit hoxsey's all points of view and is therefore a good mediator dear is a messenger that brings calm and peace like the nature of the animal itself deer medicine is shy and non aggressive the presence of deer can create tranquility that allows others to see their lives in a different perspective and to see that things often thought important are not so ants are builders they work together for the sake of the whole colony they persevere and will achieve their common goal by helping one another whether we work alone or with others our work affects the rest of the planet in some way ant medicine sees this work in a positive light a spider's web is made from ever-increasing circles that are linked together if the centre of a web represents experience and actions then the wider circles represent the wider impact of actions if we have woven that web then we are responsible for its effect the same applies to our health each system is linked to another and when our systems are out of balance in finding the central cause we find the cure the mountain line is related to the domestic cat when waking they stretch and loosen their bodies moving slowly and relaxed projecting a peaceful atmosphere stroking a cat is calming to our nervous system watching their medicine teaches us to pace our bodies the shedding of a snakeskin is a process of renewal it doesn't clutch to something that is of no use anymore yet it can be difficult to let go of that which is familiar once the process of shedding starts it reveals a better life and a way forward even though the process may be painful there is a positive energy that flows through all living things it is well known that house pets are sensitive to their owners spiritual energies and can have a healing effect just by being with them perhaps this is a link back to the legendary relationship between men and the animals a lot of us belong to a lot of different animal clans because we want to take on the positive attributes of that animal we want to be as strong as a bear we want to be as widely as the Fox you know we want to be like the wolf as wise as the wolf you know or as wise as the owl you know kind of thing so animals play important role in our lives they have played in our ancestors lives [Music] Native Americans use herbs in purification and cleansing ceremonies there is a strong connection with the medicinal way herbs are used in the West with one essential difference medicine is not collected in ways that abuse the earth by harvesting herbs with machines or by taking more than is needed when the herb is picked prayers and tobacco are always offered to the Great Spirit in return in doing so the spiritual healing power of the medicine is thought to be preserved cedar is burned to attract good spirits and eliminate negative energy prayers rise on the cedar smoke and are carried by the wind to the Creator as an incense cedar purifies an area of the body and sends away bad dreams it is used in large ceremonies to release emotional energy it is also used as an oil for skin rashes and rheumatism and is an excellent insect repellent juniper leaves are burned to fight bad magic and negative influences they are also thrown onto hot rocks in large ceremonies a teammate from juniper is used as a purgative for urinary problems and to strengthen the stomach the Tewa tribe carried juniper for protection against the spread of infections the Shoshone to cure rheumatism animals also recognized the virtue of juniper berries and we'll eat them to deter fleas Navajo women scatter the dry juniper berries over an anthill the ants eat out the center and the women then string the berries together in beads the results are ghost beats which are used to protect babies from evil spirits vervain is a valuable plant to have in both the Native Americans and the herbalist medicine chest it is used in fluid form as a remedy against coughs and colds it is also used for nervous conditions and is a refreshing pick-me-up for a hangover Berdych has long been used as an herbal tea to cleanse the skin soothe the kidneys and cleanse the lymphatic system as with many of the herbs mentioned different parts of the plant have an affinity with certain areas of the body a good example of this is mullion the leaves of mullion laid upon warts are said to remove them the powdered flowers are a remedy for colic and both leaves and flowers can be used in an infusion for pulmonary complaints an herb that boosts the immune system is echinacea herbalists used the dried rhizome to treat septicemia abscesses and blood poisoning the Sioux also used it against hydrophobia and snakebite witch hazel is used by Native Americans in the form of a poultice applied with a cotton cloth for various irritations and inflammations in the West it is used as an astringent and for bruises and sports injuries it is also used to stop bleeding and excessive administration the Native Americans eat the leaves of the st. John's wort for their soothing digestive effect flemm on the chest and lungs is relieved by a tea made from this herb which has been known to help eliminate symptoms of bronchitis san john's wort is also used for the treatment of jaundice irritability and gastric problems in aromatherapy san john's wort is blended with a carrier oil yarrow is used to combat colds influenza measles chickenpox and other cases of fever it has the ability to keep up a patient strength and act as a blood cleanser opening the pores so the waste can be freely sweated out which takes pressure off the kidneys Native Americans use the leaves as a poultice for skin rash a tonic for rundown conditions and apply yarrow juice to the eyes to take away redness the ripe berries of the Hawthorn provide one of the best remedies for the heart and circulatory system particularly for treating high blood pressure arteriosclerosis and angina however whilst they can be very effective in aiding these conditions like all herbs they should only be prescribed by an expert practitioner the leaves and stems of lady's mantle contain constituents that act as an astringent diuretic and anti-inflammatory it also helps reduce pains associated with periods and has an important role to play in easing the changes of the menopause it is also used as a mouthwash for sores and mouth ulcers dandelion is perhaps the best widely applicable diuretic other drugs that stimulate kidney function lead to a loss of potassium from the body dandelion however is a natural source of potassium so is the perfect balanced diuretic it is also an effective liver tonic and is used as a specific for congestive jaundice practically all of the elder can be used in naturopathic remedies the bark the flowers berries and leaves the leaves are used for bruises sprains wounds and chilblains the flowers for colds hay fever and influenza elderberries have similar properties to flowers and also form the base of an excellent coffee Emma tea the bark is a purgative and diuretic nettles strengthen the whole body they are specific in cases of childhood eczema and are beneficial in all varieties of this condition especially nervous eczema hop flowers have a relaxing effect on the central nervous system and are used extensively in the treatment of insomnia an infusion taken at night relaxes tension which might otherwise induce headaches or indigestion they must not however be used in cases of marked depression with its high content a volatile oil time makes a good karma native for use in dyspepsia the oil is also strongly antiseptic and can be used for respiratory and digestive infections and to cleanse infected wounds it also forms an excellent coffer emiti chamomile flowers contain a volatile oil which has relaxing carminative and anti-inflammatory properties it is an excellent sedative indigestion is also eased with chamomile similarly it can be used as a mouthwash for bathing sore eyes or an esteem bath to comfort nasal catarrh all in all chamomile is a popular infusion that is safe for use with children many of these plants are used as herbal remedies or in homeopathic treatments and those that contain a high content of volatile oil are often used in aromatherapy the range of ailments a single herb can ease is often remarkable each herb has properties that produce varying degrees of physical or psychological response from a patient success often depends on the manner in which they are prescribed by the herbal practitioner [Music] but the natural medicine practitioner also knows that a person must take charge of their own health monitor their own condition and consequently help heal themselves this is because our mind body and spirit are all interconnected if we have a negative approach to our lives we may well become ill but once we recognize a problem and begin to deal with it there are many natural therapies to help us [Music] disregarding culturally specific manners and customs we can thus begin to recognize the strong link between natural therapies as delivered in the West and Native American medicine and that brings us to sage in Western complementary medicine sage is an herb used to ease colds flu cystitis and as a muscle relaxant but in its many varieties sage is the most important of all Native American herbs the state flower of Nevada sage is seen as a magic herb and as a protection against evil magic because it strengthens the senses and memory during Native American ceremony and protective because it cures venomous snake bite Native American hunters rub Sage over their bodies to cover their scent when hunting sage is used on the clothes of dancers burning sage drives out bad spirits and influences and some tribes wrap their pipes in sage to purify them traditional elders say that before a person performs ceremony or is healed they should be cleansed of any bad feelings or negative thought this is done by smudging a person with sage cedar and sweet grass in the form of a smudge stick tight bundles of herbs tied together and left to dry a whole grandfather smudge sticks are used in a similar way to aromatherapy oil burners to purify a room a person or an object such as a crystal [Music] smudging helps healing come about in a very clear way once the person has been smudged they have a clean aura and words are spoken to imbue that aura with positive energy John often says the words bless and protect that's really all smudging means it means you know that to take something to waft the smoke of it around the person to clear there are to clear that auric field around them to clear their own body to cleanse the power points and things and it's in preparation for you going into lodge or going into ritual and doing whatever it is that you're going to be doing Sage is also used to cover the floor of the Medicine Lodge and participants will rub bundles of sage over their bodies whilst they are in a large ceremony in fact wherever sage is present negative forces cannot enter but before we look at purification ceremonies in detail we need to consider diagnosis dowsing is a form of diagnosis used to detect physical and spiritual imbalance many Native Americans dows using the feather from the wing of a predator bird nothing matches an eagle's courage and swiftness and his feathers are the most sacred of healing tools only Native American medicine men are permitted to carry the feather federal rulings in the United States allow Native Americans to wear give or loan eagle feathers for religious and cultural purposes even though the bird itself is a protected species [Music] poor dowsing one end of the feather is dressed with a leather and tassel to give it the correct balance the feather is not held but balanced on the forefinger [Music] when dowsing with the Eagles feather John follows the Meridian lines of the body and balance may indicate tissue damage such as bruising or an internal problem in such cases dowsing can do no more than indicate the problem area John also uses a drum in shamanic work or ceremony drumming is used to alter consciousness in order to enter the spirit world but in Native American dowsing drumming is used for its resonance as the drum is beaten it is passed along the skeletal lines of the body the medicine man listens to the vibration of the drum as a form of diagnosis drumming also helps to rebalance internal areas by resonance which stimulates organ activity similar to the cupping movement used in massage in Western complementary therapy dowsing diagnosis techniques often require the use of a pendulum the dowser asks a question that can be answered by a simple yes-or-no and the pendulum swings in the direction of the answer this method is used to determine the origin of a problem in a patient's body or to see if a recommended remedy will work for example if a patient wants to know whether a certain vitamin will be beneficial the dowser will swing the pendulum over a bottle of vitamins and ask a direct yes/no question the pendulum will then indicate if the patient is taking the correct vitamins other than this dowsing is used to identify whether herbs crystals stones or other materials have been taken in a correct or bad manner the most honored crystal in Native American tradition is turquoise thought to possess hidden truth by the tribes of the southwest the summe world is held up by crystal pillars of turquoise and quartz the Navajo used turquoise in healing rites and in their sand paintings the Cherokee also used crystals but any purification ceremony is directed at the medicine man using the crystals rather than at the crystals themselves John to birds uses crystals for their healing properties before he uses them he believes they must be purified John first passes an eagle feather over the crystal if it rises then the crystal is good if it dips then the crystal contains a negative energy and must be purified John's favored method of purifying crystals is to smudge them with sage and then place them in spring water and finally dry them under the light of a full moon we have seen that in Native American medicine the spiritual journey begins with the collection of the raw materials needed to make medicine and that it is important that everything be taken in a good way in the West we have no lesser spirit than the Native American people interested in complementary therapies often use natural remedies in conjunction with traditional spiritual practices we do this in order to live wisely and with more grace and beauty when faced by the challenges of our own culture our ceremony is understated a prayer spoken in the privacy of a modern office can sit in motion the intent to speak honestly throughout the day in stressful circumstances to the native-american ceremonies provide an essential backdrop to the use of all medicine natural materials taken in a sacred way form the ceremonial backdrop [Music] once collected herbs are dried or tied into smudge sticks stones are used around the grandfather pit in Medicine Lodge willow is used to help construct the covering over the grandmother pit in Medicine Lodge ceremony and willow wands also play an important part of a person's Vision Quest both ceremonies take place in circular sights and stones and willow wands are painted and located around the sights to represent the four cardinal points of the Medicine Wheel each nation has its own explanation for the significance of the cardinal points in ceremonies this is how they are seen by John two birds the southern orientation is the place of innocence and trust yellow is the color of the South the Sun is strongest facing south and delivers us the gifts of innocence and boundless energy if we honor these qualities the chief sacred plant placed to the south is cedar for protection stones placed to the south are painted yellow and on willow ones yellow is the topmost color from the West one advances through introspection to learn from the shadowy creatures in one's own mind the sacred plant oriented to the West is mugwort for clear dreaming and prophecy and black is the color of the West the North represents wisdom learned from a hard life from the north we receive the ability to survive to prevent mishap and to prepare well for adversity [Music] the plant most sacred to the north is sweet grass and the color of the stones is white to the east or placed red stones the East is the direction of spiritual insight into the origin and cause of all things the Native American is known as the red man for he seeks and respects all things plant sacred to the east our sage and tobacco blankets and pipes are decorated with beads in the same four cardinal colors for the same reasons Medicine Lodge is both a structure and a group ceremony a medicine Lodge has the body cleansing properties of a sauna and is used in ceremony to cleanse the spirit and purify the soul each tribe has its own type of large and the location of it and the time to use it are important elements in the ritual the site for a large is chosen for its blend of sunlight and shade and for its colors a medicine man then smokes pipe at the site observes the elements the animals the Sun and the moon to confirm it is a good place to do large the larger John two birds creates consists of two stone circles each with a central pit one is the grandfather pit the other the grandmother pit they are linked by a path on which there is an altar the grandfather firepit represents the one fire from where spirit originated it is an open pit because it is used to light the wrong fire the rocks which are heated in the fire represent the some seeds the stars and the seed of man the actual ceremony takes place in the grandmother pit this is an enclosed pit wrapped in blankets to create a complete blackout that represents the darkness inside the womb of the universal grandmother the two pits are linked by a path which is the path the stars take in their Universal travel and it is also the path the some seeds take from the grandfather pit to the grandmother pit we ask spirit you know to help those things a friend that may have an alcoholic problem a brother or sister who may have a drug problem a spouse that might be abusive you know the eagle is an animal that might be on the endangered species of this that we happen to have a personal proclivity for you know a plan whatever it is this good earth we ask we ask spirit to help us heal this earth you know a part of that process who says we can't heal this earth do we heal ourselves and so that's what we're in lodge for large represents the infinite room of the Great Mother and those taking part must be pure when they enter so before the ceremony begins the grandfather pit grandmother pit the altar and the people participating in lodge are all smudged with the scent from the smoking sage stick wafted over them using an eagle's feather when everything and everyone is purified the fire and the grandfather pit is lit and burns until the stones are red-hot these stones from the one fire of the grandfather pit are the sung seeds they are taken along the path and into the grandmothers womb this signifies that everything from the center goes back to the center participants then crawl into the grandmother pit and fill the space in a clockwise direction you know we say we do things in a clockwise manner because that's the direction that your heart pumps its blood so that's your life path in that clockwise manner and so we always do things in a clockwise manner once again it also comes back to that you know putting some kind of order and direction into your life to help you become in balance and in harmony and the walk in beauty grandmother we are near Weber who nurturing the stones are sprinkled with cedar the flap is closed and the ceremony begins everyone taking part is now in the wound of the Great Mother naked and humble the space fills with heat from the stones to the sound of the gourd rattling and the drum beating in the first round of prayers sage sweet grass and cedar filled the air prayers and songs continue in a clockwise direction dedicated to one of the four directions of the Medicine Wheel often the first round is dedicated to those powers of the North you have on one side the masculine the grandfather are the one fire on the other side you know the lodge which represents the mother the grandmother the Great Mother of the feminine so what we do is we we start to fire we put stones into the fire pit and we put wood around it we start a fire there that that simulates or replicates the one fire then we take those hot stones and we carry those stones down that path we say that our own son took that all stars take two to reach that point to where they are and that had carried it down and then we come to the altar where we say the the feminine and the masculine came together then we carried on past that where the feminine took to masculine took took the Sun seeped into herself much as a woman takes the seat of a man into herself you know and and life came from him so there's a process there of first respecting the grandfather fire going around it and and called his spirit to look down on it and bless it for us so that everything that we do is sacred so we bless two one fire then we trace that path up to the altar then we bless the altar and then we trace that path to the womb and then we blessed that womb and then we go inside the womb and basically what happens for us we believe is that where we go inside that womb there's a rebirth a process takes place in there more herbal cleansing waters and tobacco are poured onto the hot stones and a hot steam or cloud is created much like a modern day sauna to the native-american these are the tears of the great mother for when life in the universe began the hot stones or sun seeds traveled out into the grandmothers womb or as we would say the universal void [Music] on a man or woman's soul purified by smudging the great mothers tears rewrite the rules for life prayers are offered to walk in Tonka or the Great Spirit and the people are healed by the fourth round the tobacco pipe is passed and smoked and after everyone has smoked the Medicine Lodge is over Medicine Lodge is a place that induces profound purification and vision participants visit ancestors and see animal helpers and offer prayers dedicated to the good of all beings and the celebration of spirit that these things may come to pass [Music] some people live contented lives for many years and give themselves the time and space to think about what they want and the purpose they are meant to serve Quest is a ceremony done by people seeking their path and purpose in life we are all on this earth to grow to our full potential when we find our purpose we cannot help but generate positive energy questing is all about seeking guidance from spirit as in large a quest site is chosen for its blend of sunlight shade and it's colors and a medicine man will do pipe until he is satisfied that it is a good place the quest site is then marked out using prayer wands and cornmeal as mentioned before there are four wands to mark the four cardinal directions seven small pouches of dried tobacco leaves known as tobacco ties are hung from the top of each willow wand these stand for the seven prayers that protect the nature of this belief from the outside world the Sun rises in the east and here a willow wand is set together with its seven tobacco ties where the Sun is at midday the person about to do quest will dig a fire pit the earth from this pit will be used to build an altar one step to the west where the Sun sets is marked by the western willow wand to the south is set another willow wand and this is also the site for firewood and a drum the drum is used as an alarm should anything go wrong and to herald the sunrise midday sunset and midnight of each day a quest to the north beside a prayer wand are placed a pair of sage sticks outside the Cardinal prayer wands a circle of yellow cornmeal is traced around the quest site inside the prayer wands John traces a circle of white cornmeal the yellow cornmeal represents the masculine protector and the white female nourishment [Music] the person will need to focus on these ritualistic symbols as their quest lasts for four days and four nights without food when you imbue these circles you have to believe that that outer circle is going to provide protection for you that this inner circle is going to nourish you while you're inside of this sacred circle if you don't believe that it's just so much cornmeal down there so when you come out to do these quests you have to be focused on what it is that you're doing as in a large the entire area is smudged before a quest begins and once the fire is lit it must be maintained for the entire time of the quest hence the firewood however the person is allowed to leave the quest site when nature calls but they must do so using the smudge sticks placed at the north door they must smudge themselves and the doorway each time they enter and exit only then will they maintain a pure environment and nourish pure thoughts people quest in earnest in four days and four nights are fasting and staying awake they hope to get to that between place where spirit listens and grants new vision healing is only part of Native American life but it has a deep spiritual significance with this knowledge we can clearly see how far we have drifted from the spiritual side in our Western use of natural treatments many goods sold today have a spiritual significance that can only be guessed at take dreamcatchers tribes from the plains would hang them outside their doors for good luck a more contemporary use is to hang dreamcatchers over a baby's cot at night to shield the child from bad dreams in the morning when the Rays of the Sun touched the dreamcatcher the nightmares fade away placing a modern interpretation on an ancient ritual has become the common practice of every generation the past present and the future are all represented on the Native American medicine wheel in which the individual sits at the center life moves in order to complete the natural cycle of all things by adopting and adapting tradition to modern circumstances we are advancing the cycle and broadening our understanding of ourselves as one people the key to the successful use of natural medicine is to do this in a meaningful way I would hope that all of us one day would be able to reach out to each other live together in balance and harmony like I try and teach and I believe spirit wants us to live so that we can all walk hand in hand in beauty as we begin to remember how to use powerful medicine our interest in natural remedies increases it is as if the translated words of Chief Seattle spoken in 1854 resonate once more to carry an important message for us all every part of this land is sacred to my people how can you buy and sell the sky the warmth of the land the idea is strange to us if we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water how can you buy them the perfume flowers are our sisters the deer the horse the great eagle these are our brothers the rolling crests the juices of the meadow the body heat of the pony and man all belong to the same family what is man without the beasts if all beasts were gone man would die from a great loneliness of spirit for whatever happens to the beasts soon happens to man all things are connected whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth man did not weave the web of life he is merely a strand in it whatever he does to the earth he does to himself where is the thicket gone where is the Eagle gone and what is it to say goodbye to the Swift Pony and the hunt the end of living and the beginning of survival my [Music] you wouldn't know you in the my my I wanna know I wanna know you you [Music] [Music] my my [Music] the fire [Music]

Channel: Honest Abe

Views: 47,079

Rating: 4.9287467 out of 5

Keywords: NATIVE AMERICAN, AMERICAN INDIAN, MEDICINE

Id: tnfQTA18aFE

Length: 59min 37sec (3577 seconds)

Published: Wed Jan 09 2019