Potawatomi Pipes and Smoking

The pipe and smoking

When settlers first arrived to North America they were introduced to "smoking."  The use of smoking plants for medical and ceremonial purposes done by the Potawatomi for many years.

Smoke and smoking is very important to the Potawatomi and their daily lives.  The materials used for smoking comes from a wide variety of dried wild herbs, barks, and plants, including native tobacco.  The tobacco smoked many years ago did not have all the chemicals and had a much lower nicotine content.

Pipe carriers play a very important role to the Potawatomi and carry the sacred pipes passed on to another pipe carrier when the time arrives.  It is gifted or the materials to make the pipe.  To make a pipe comes from within the Potawatomi, and comes as a great gift to all Potawatomi.

Plants and herbs used for smoking includes the following: Angelica, Bearberry, Birch, Bristly Crowfoot, Butterweed, Coltsfoot, Corn, Dittany, Goldenroot, Licorice, Indian tobacco, Life everlasting, Lobelia, Meadowsweet, Mint, Mullien, New England Aster, Paniced Dogwood, Pearly Everlasting, Partridgeberry, Pussytoes, Red Rasberry, Red Olisier Dogwood, Sage, Sassafras, Smooth Sumac, Spicebrush, Stagehorn, Sunflower, Sweet Clover, Sweet Grass, Tobacco, Wild Lettuce, Willow, Wintergreen and Yarrow.

The pipe of smoking is a very old tradition to the Potawatomi, considered to be sacred for events like ceremonies and prayer.  It is much more appropriate to consider Potawatomi smoking as a sacred matter.  A pathway to prayers.

Jefferson Ballew Link