Union of
the Sacred Pipes
Prepare for a Pipe Ceremony
In the hills
around Okanagan Lake Valley is a place called Bear Creek. As I hiked through these rocks, the echo of
fast rushing water vibrated like thousands of flutes playing to the rushing
waterfalls that all flowed into one giant lake.
One day I mediated on a large rock in the middle of the Creek - the only
access being to jump a log jutting into the water. Opening my eyes to father sky, I watched
crows chase a golden eagle. The eagle
flowed upward in ever expanding circles, and the crows followed, but the eagle
flew higher and higher. A fine mist rose
from the rocks and powerful medicine herbs waved in the gentle breezes. The sweet smell of Lavender and the pungent
tang of pine filled the air. When I
stopped and listened closely I heard the footsteps of the ancestors passing
through the canyon - stepping from stone to stone - as they followed the game
trails.
One day a
white brother came to visit from Texas - a police officer - who loved the
culture as I do, and wanted to share the pipe with some of the Native
brothers. We climbed a trail through a
ravine of rocks to an old sacred clearing.
At the entrance to the clearing--a circle of rocks covered by moss and
surrounded by juniper and Saskatoon bushes--we stopped and I offered tobacco,
asking the ancestors to welcome our visitor. The winds stopped, and a peace settled over the clearing, inviting our
entrance. We sat together, on the
ground, waiting for some brothers who were pipe carriers to join us.
One by
one each brother showed up from his journey.
One brother traveled from a rain dance ceremony; another brother came
from the sweet grass fields in Montana; a third brother came late, joking that
as he had traveled the shortest distance he came on Indian time. My friend from Texas offered a medicine
bundle from his home region and asked for prayers for his family. He explained that he had spent a lot of time
studying and learning the culture of the Cheyenne, the Apache, the Arapaho and
the Hopi nations, and to him it was a great honor to come to this sacred ground
where lay the bones of ancestors who had traveled here before, and join with
this group of pipe carriers for other Native nations.
Together we
sat down in a circle and opened our medicine bundles. Father sky peered over our circle like a
bright blue blanket streaked with orange and fringed with white clouds. Wisps
of white floated around us as the spirits of many ancestors, gathered around
our group as we prepared to share the sacred pipes.
We began by
filling our smudge bowls with sage and sweet grass, which we lit and fanned
with eagle feathers until the smoke drifted towards Father Sky. Each of us reached into the smoke and brushed
our arms and legs and heads with smoke to cleanse the hardships of our travels
and prepare ourselves for the ceremony.
The pipe carrier facing the North started the traditional song of
offering to the ancestors, and one by one we joined into the song, lifting our
voices to invite the ancestors to travel across the spiritual realm and join us
in our ceremony. As one, we bowed our
heads in the circle, sharing prayers for our loved ones and the great nations,
asking for blessings for all mother earth’s living and spiritual beings. We offered prayers for the animal kingdom,
the plant world and the mineral world.
The pipe carriers lifted their pipes, pointing the stems to each of the
four sacred directions requesting blessing for the circle, and then the pipes
were lit. As we passed the pipes, we shared the stories and teachings of our
ancestors, and laughed together at the antics of trickster and the pranks he
had played on our friends and elders over the years.
When we fell
silent, each of us settled into the peace and harmony that had fallen over the
sacred circle. In the darkness the
voices of a thousand crickets hummed in harmony, and beyond our circle the
coyotes howled to the night spirits.
Grandmother moon rose into the sky and shone her light over our circle.
When the pipes
were out, we packed our medicine bundles.
Standing, we joined hands, offered prayers for a safe journey for the
travelers, and returned to each a hug of friendship and a common wish for a
future reunion of the pipes.
John
Wisdomkeeper
Sus' naqua ootsin'
OKANAGAN VALLEY, B.C. - Located in
southern British Columbia, Canada - the Okanagan Valley is one
of the warmest regions in all of Canada. The Okanagan includes the cities
of Kelowna,
Penticton,
Vernon
and Osoyoos.
During the summer months, visitors are offered countless sandy beaches,
hot sun, and a variety of outdoor and water activities. Okanagan Lake
provides the valley not only with excellent swimming but is also a spectacular
backdrop to the golf courses
and Okanagan wineries and
popular ski resorts
located in the rolling hills of this wine valley.
- See more at: http://www.okanagan.com/#sthash.Lc2kyZ2N.dpuf
.jpg)
