Ceremonial Pipes
The Ceremonial Pipe
The pipe was central to tribal social and ceremonial life. A shared pipe sealed a friendship, a trade agreement, a treaty.
The solemn act of smoking a pipe was usually part of a group ritual or observance, such as in council, in which the pipe would be passed around the circle of participants. In many tribes, it was customary to take four puffs from the pipe before passing it on.
Because tobacco and its smoke were throught of as having great power, they were not used carelessly. Pipes usually were entrusted only to those of high status within the tribe. The pipe, its stem and tobacco were kept in animal skin pouches or in bundles containing other sacred objects.
The stone for most Plains tribe pipes came from a single quarry in Minnesota.
Courtesy hmdb.org
