Medicine Wheel Teachings

Kwai kwai nidobak,

OK, here is the portion of the Mi'kmaq Pipe Vision regarding the teachings of the Medicine Wheel.

The elder is talking to Alex and I about the Medicine Wheel. He explains that the wheel represents our life in which we start out our life in the east with the rising sun. We are young children, like Alex. He explains that when we are young, we sit by the fire with our elders to listen to stories and learn our traditions. At this time in our lives everything is new and we are full of curiosity, and that we need to be gently guided in the proper path. The elder explains that this is my job at this time.

As the elder is speaking of these things, much time passes - years go by and Alex grows up and is now a teenager. The elder is still talking and says that as we age we move to the south in the Medicine Wheel. He says that during this time we have learned the lessons, but are now starting to put those lessons into practice in our lives. They become a part of our nature. He looks at me and says that this is why I am sitting to the south all of these years as Alex is growing up. He says that it is my job to see to it that Alex learns the proper lessons.

Again, many years pass, and Alex is now a young man about to enter the world on his own. The elder explains that when we get older and our children are grown, we are ready to move to the west on the Medicine Wheel. He explains that at this time of our lives we have the leisure to do those things we have put off doing. The lessons we learned in our youth are now fully integrated into our spirits and it is now our job to pass on these lessons to the young children.

At this time in the vision we all move positions. I move to the west with the black bear, and Alex moves to the south. A young child enters the circle and now sits in the east. I do not know who this child is. The elder explains that as we get older we are ready to make the passage to the next world and move to the north, the spirit world, which is where he is in the Medicine wheel.

The elder tells me that when we smoke the Pipe, we pass the stem to the four directions then above and then below. In so doing we complete a Circle in which we place ourselves in the center. This is also known as the Medicine Wheel, at the center of which resides Grandfather Great Spirit. We place ourselves there with Grandfather and bind that connection with the smoke passing through the channel in the stem. All of creation is invited to share this space with us when we fill the stone bowl of the pipe. The stone may be red, grey, or black but all stones come from the Earth. We are the Red People and we come from the Earth. The stem is wood and represents the temporal world and all things that grow on the Earth. All the people, the ancestors, all the creatures of the earth and all the things of the universe are joined to you when you join the stone to the stem and smoke the pipe.

He says the teaching of the Medicine Wheel can give us an understanding of the various stages of our life. In our early life, we sit to the East, as this is the direction from which all knowledge emanates. The animal spirit that sits at the east is the turtle - he is there because he possesses much knowledge. Our ancestors used to use his shell to foretell the future. The shell of the eastern box turtle is very colorful with many lines in it. Because of this we say that this continent of North America is called Turtle Island. We sit to the East in our early years as children so that we may learn the ways and traditions from our elders.

He explains that as we grow older, we eventually will be old enough and mature enough to move away from our parents and live our lives on our own. This is when we move to the South on the Medicine Wheel. The South is the direction of clarity and the direction in which we move towards maturity. It is where we take the teachings of our youth and we apply them in our lives. Thus, they are integrated into our spirit. The animal spirit sitting at the South is the eagle and the hawk. They soar to great heights yet can see even the smallest details on the ground with great clarity. As they soar they carry our prayers with them to Great Spirit. Thus, the teachings of our youth are no longer only intellectual knowledge, but they now become the essence of our soul and our way of life. At this time many people say they are "walking the good red road". It is also during this time that we normally marry, have children and raise them to maturity and help them learn the teaching of our ancestors, with the assistance of the elders in our community.

As we mature, our children will eventually grow up and move out and live on their own. It is at this time that we usually move to the West on the Medicine wheel. The West is the place of wisdom in the Mi'kmaq Medicine Wheel. It is also the direction of dreams and visions. In other words, the knowledge we received while we were children (sitting at the East) has been integrated into our being (when we were sitting at the South) and has thus been matured into wisdom. At this time we are in our middle age (and older) and may be considered an elder or leader in the community. The animal spirits that sit to the West are the buffalo, wolf, and the black bear. Indians know the buffalo as the source of everything. All parts of the buffalo can be used for the good of the people. The buffalo helps us at this time in our lives to take all the teachings of our life and use them all. The wolf is an extremely good parent, but also a very good guardian. Wolves live in communities called packs. They know that the community is most important for hunting and survival. So as we sit at the West as elders we use all of our teachings and wisdom for the survival of the people and the community.

The Hawk always is an acknowledgement of good from above, from Creator who shines on you for having a good heart in distributing and sharing your gifts that were passed on from above. Always remember this, because true power comes from within, given byCreator. Creator will guide you in the Medicine duties as your path. This path was chosen for you by your mother when she taught you the medicines.

The Eagle is your contact with the Great Spirit and the hawk is the medicine going with the vision from your ancestor. The Eagle carries our prayers to the Great Spirit. The Hawk carries Great Spirit's answers back to the people. The bear is a powerful medicine and is the symbol of the dream world or spirit world from the ancestor’s land. The bear is also a symbol of wisdom, strength and bravery. He dances in sky with all our past ancestors. Specifically, the black bear is sacred to the Mi’kmaq peoples and is known as the keeper of the medicines as taught to you by your mother. Keep the medicine herbs in a good way. Your medicines for the healing of the people are tobacco, cedar, sweetgrass and sage. The pipe is the way to talk and be with the spirit world. The chief is the leader symbol. In the old times our ancestors did not actually have chiefs, but rather had just elders who acted for the good of the people. You are a leader when the spirit tells you what you are. A leader should not be shy or ashamed of being a leader. You are the sachem or familial chief for your clan or family. Being a great leader carries great responsibility, great hardship, great suffering, and great joy. Fortunately and unfortunately this is true. We are Great Chiefs in the eyes of our children. Being in the Medicines, people rely on you for guidance from what you have learned. If your Medicines are bad, you will hurt someone, but if you've learned from wisdom and teachings, then you also learn how to be a keeper of good Medicines and this will reflect on you as well. This is where the leadership is. Remember that we have the spirits of our ancestors within us.

Eventually, we have given back to the community all that we have learned and have served the community well. We are now ready to move on to the North on the Medicine Wheel. This is the time of extreme old age and the time when we are ready to pass on to the next realm and be with our ancestors. We have completed the cycle of the wheel and are ready to move on. You will start a new Medicine Wheel journey in the afterworld, again starting in the East. The animal spirit that sits at the north is the white bear and the elders who have passed on.

As for the Sacred Pipe which I kept for last, yours is Mik'maq, representing your roots where you come from. It is also an acknowledgement from your ancestors to share these teachings of respect and wisdom through the Pipe Ceremony as the Black Bear and I have taught you. When you use the Pipe Ceremony acknowledge your great thanks to Creator for giving to his people all the medicines. Same goes for whenever you see an Elder in your area. Share the medicines with them, and offer them tobacco and ask them to share their wisdom. Share the Pipe Ceremony with them. This is a People’s Pipe which is different that a personal pipe. This is a very sacred and serious calling, responsibility, and commitment. People do not seek out this calling as a pipe carrier, but rather the pipe seeks out the person.

You mother taught you how to talk with the plants and the animals. You carry a powerful medicine in your being. Your ancestors live within you. It will be your choice whether to answer the call, but if you do not, Spirit will continue to tug on your sleeve.


Well enough for now.

Walk in Peace,
Steve


Copyright © 1995-2008 Stephen L. Miller