The Four Sacred Medicines: Campus Inclusion & Community - Northwestern University (2024)

FAQs

What are the 4 sacred medicines? ›

There are four Sacred Medicines: Tobacco, cedar, sage, and sweetgrass. These are traditional medicines that have physical qualities for medicinal purposes, and a spiritual aspect used in traditional healing and ceremonies. Care and attention should be given when harvesting Sacred Medicines.

Cedar, sage, sweetgrass and tobacco are sacred to Indigenous peoples across North America. These herbs are used to treat many illnesses and are crucial in many ceremonies. Listen to Vickie Jeffries (Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation) tell us more about the four sacred herbs.

Tobacco is the first plant that creation gave to the Anishinaabe. Three other plants, sage, cedar and sweetgrass, follow tobacco, and together they are referred to as the four sacred medicines. The four sacred medicines are used in everyday life and in ceremonies.

The Medicine Wheel, sometimes known as the Sacred Hoop, has been used by generations of various Native American tribes for health and healing. It embodies the Four Directions, as well as Father Sky, Mother Earth, and Spirit Tree—all of which symbolize dimensions of health and the cycles of life.

As part of the Lakota culture, when people pray or do anything sacred, they see the world as having Four Directions. From these Four Directions — west, north, east, south — come the four winds.

All these systems including Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and hom*oeopathy (AYUSH) are officially recognized by Government of India, and practiced throughout India in public, private and voluntary organizations.

Alternatively, according to an elder from Garden River First Nation in Ontario, Anishinaabe can also mean, “The Men or People Who Live upon the Earth in the Right Way.” Anishinaabe is most commonly translated to mean “Original Man” or the “Good Humans.” (See also Indigenous Oral Histories and Primary Sources.)

Three distinct peoples, the Ojibwe, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi make up the collective Anishinaabe, called the Council of Three Fires (Niswi-mishkodewin). The Ojibwe are the westernmost people of the Council of Three Fires, whose territory stretches from Sault Ste.

All things have spirit–plants, animals, the earth, as well as people. gratitude to the Gitche Manidoo, “Great Spirit” or “Great Mystery.” The Anishinaabe are basically monotheistic, although some also refer to Mother Earth as worthy of reverence.

The four elements, fire, earth, water and wind, can be taught through the medicine wheel. In the teaching of the elements, the yellow quadrant represents fire, since from fire we receive warmth and light.

What are the 4 native colors? ›

The four colors (black, white, yellow, and red) embody concepts such as the Four Directions, four seasons, and sacred path of both the sun and human beings. Arrangement of colors vary among the different customs of the Tribes.

We will be using the number four which is a sacred number for First Nations People. It is the number of four directions, four seasons as well as mental, spiritual, physical and emotional self.

The Creator gave Native Americans the Four Sacred Medicines to be used in everyday life and ceremonies; they are tobacco, sage, cedar and sweetgrass.

Only five species are mentioned directly as medicinal plants in the Bible: Fig (Ficus carica), Nard (Nardostachys jatamansi), Hyssop (Origanum syriacum), balm of Gilead (Commiphora gileadensis) and Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum).