The Cedar Bath Teaching by Beth Moody

Oh Joe where's mock-up note and quaint edition of house magazine and Odom Bordeaux Ottoman Dow shaman da saying now quit wanna mata ashita hey Wally P a lotta hey Jota p la vallee on trumped-up lady she wanna walk away and ich na bakke way Syrus a bay Ohio P quoi my name is Beth moody and I am Shawnee Potawatomi and I am of the Eagle clan so I wanted to share today the story of my grandfather well when we were little children running around outside he would look at us and smile and laugh and say I am so glad that you guys all have those long wide strong Indian feet and I was always taught that that was a good thing because it would keep you upright you know in a windstorm and he would smile and not his head and say I'm glad you have those feet to keep you upright during those storms so when a spirit arrives here on mother earth from the star world I have been taught that it is our responsibility as the parents and the community to assist in helping this little one recognize their place within this world that they have come to you part of that responsibility begins immediately after birth when we when the baby has come we give the baby what we call a cedar bath and that cedar bath is that time where we wash that new spirits body in preparation for its life journey here on earth and we know that there's a time for cedar bath in many times of our life transitions and this is one of those transition times that are most importance because that spirit has now come from the star world and is now coming into this earth round this earth journey that it now has and so it needs to be prepared in its appearance and community's responsibility to do that for them the importance of this is that it helps that spirit with this medicine of the cedar tree the gift of that that cedar tree that was given to us from creator within that cedar tree there's medicine that helps ground us to the earth as Anishinabe so the importance of the medicine that we're going to be talking about the cedar bath the medicine grounds us as Anishinabe to the earth we know as an ish nabe that within the cedar tree that surrounds us in this area of the Great Lakes that there's medicine and in that medicine when we wash ourselves it helps ground us and helps ground our feet it helps ground our spirit to the earth and it helps us recognize ourselves as an ish nabe to this earth realm when we begin this process of the medicine bath the cedar bath there is a way that we go about collecting this medicine in a good way and when I say a good way there's ways to do things and we always want to make sure that we follow those instructions that have been given to us by our teachers and as I've been taught we go out before the baby arrives to gather the leaves from that healthy cedar tree we look for that healthy tree and what we do is that we don't pick from that healthy tree we look for a tree that is there that says in here I may not look as healthiest is that one that you're looking at to pick from and so we go to that tree that it is calling to us and we go and we lay down our hace ma our tobacco that first time that first medicine plant that the creator gave to us that we give back and say thank you and we tell that cedar tree why we're there and that that nation that cedar tree nation say this is why I'm here to collect your medicine from the tree I have identified so I lay my ah say my loan to that tree and I say thank you meegwetch we watch for this offering and I'm about to take I go over to the healthy tree and I take only what I need I take a handful you never take too much you take just what you need and it is just a handful we want to leave for others to gather as well so we never want to take too much from the tree to heart that may harm it when we gather the medicine from the tree it's good to have your grandmother as your antes members from the community that may want to be a part of that process as well some people believe in the importance of having on the skirt while they're on about collecting medicines that's how I have been taught in recognition that we are women there to collect the medicine and for that purpose for the purpose that we're there [Music] when we do collect this medicine we want to recognize that this medicine we want to talk to this tree and say that we are collecting medicine from you to help brown this baby to the earth and that's why we're here with you now so while we're gathering the medicine we want to keep all of our thoughts positive we want to keep all of our thoughts good laughter that good laughter must and should be present with us if there songs there's a seeder song we can sing then we take that medicine back with us to our home then we need to prepare that medicine we want to be as pure as we can get it the cedar is boiled in a stainless steel or a glass pot as I have been instructed the other pots tend to have the chemicals within them that we don't want to have boiled into this medicine water that we're creating so we try to keep it in a stainless steel or glass pot when you're boiling this cedar medicine you'll see a transition of color changing they'll be it will be clear at first then you just keep watching it and as the cedar boils gently you'll start to see it change to a light tan color and then to a deeper brownish red color and when it does that transition that is when the cedar has the medicine has been sold out of the cedar and it is ready and you can stop that process of boiling you can keep that medicine then in a glass jar if you have one try to avoid using plastic we don't use plastic we didn't have plastic in the plastics again have those chemicals so we try to keep it as pure as possible in a glass container or in the pot that you boiled it in until the baby is here and the medicine is needed in the hospital or at home wherever this baby comes so when the baby does arrive the very first bath that the baby should receive you want there to be this time you have for this baby to receive this very first bath is off this medicine water the seat of water so make sure that you tell your providers whomever they may be that you want this first bath to be of this medicine the Cedar bath and the purpose behind that so they understand instruct them that during this time you're gonna be taking your time so that they should allow you that time alone so then you can have whoever you want doing the Cedar bath the mom the dad the grandmas auntie's uncles can all be doing this singing a song if the baby has a first song rattles can be used at that time and there's a purpose and a reason for the rattle and why we use that rattle during this time but take your time with this medicine bath don't rush it the baby will be underneath a warmer more on a warming blanket if it's at home if it's underneath the warmer speak to that baby in the language while you're doing it if you only know a few words or if you only know the word or I mean or meet wet sure Lelaina agree and just those simple basic words just say what you know from your heart or have your grandmother's or your auntie speak that language and and during that time just softly and gently speak and wipe with the leaves some people wipe with the leaves I prefer and I have been taught to use white cloth but to do this and you wipe the face the body and length the feet and then you go up to its head and you do the head first our last excuse me and you do those soft spots pay particular attention to those soft spots those soft spots are of great importance and there's much spiritual nasaan in those areas to make sure that you wash those areas well but do the head last because we lose most of our heat from our body from her head so you want to do that that that area last the baby you will notice at this time will have something on its body called vernix which is white like a white thick coating on it like a creamy substance don't try to scrub that off leave that on because it too has medicinal purposes and you want to make sure that you guys kind of blend in our medicine waters with that to make this baby just totally sealed up with this medicine bath this medicine water that you've given it to it so now the bath has been done and the baby will be wrapped as swaddled if that's what you would prefer and that's what I prefer you send them you know maybe goes back to mom mom and dad or their mom or partner their grandma grandpa's can sing songs but that water you need to remember that that cedar water is medicine and we don't just dispose of it down the sink of the hospital so someone needs to be responsible to take the cloths that you used and the medicine water that you used and take that back home and when you take that back home whoever it is that's doing it and this can be a part of that community and member that takes it and grandmother or auntie can take that water because remember women we are responsible to that water so really it should be a grandmother an auntie a sister and even the mother could could take it if she's not staying in the hospital for a very long time so remember that this medicine water has now grounded this spirit that has come from the star world and is now grounded so keep those slots good this new little Anishinabe baby is here and so we want to keep those good thoughts as we take this water home and we find a tree preferably at a cedar tree that we can put this cedar tree back to so I always want to if you're going to be taking the placenta home with you which is something that we can talk about later but the placenta kinkle always do at that time as well you dig your hole and you put your ah same eye down before you dig your hole you dig your hole put in your cedar water flow it inward Aseema tobacco and then you can put the placenta in at that time if you would like to do that that that teaching is well and so that's what I have been taught by my elders and that's what I have been wanting to express and pass on in this this message No [Music] [Music] you [Music]

Channel: Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan

Views: 7,704

Rating: 4.9628482 out of 5

Keywords: Baby, Infant, Native American, American Indian, Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan, ITC, ITCofMI, ITCMI

Id: 0hjIdW8zT1U

Length: 12min 50sec (770 seconds)

Published: Fri Dec 08 2017