Authentic Native American Jewelry and Artifacts
Classic
Four Winds Ceremonial T-Pipes
by Alan Monroe, Lakota < Shopping < Ceremonial
and Home Items < Catlinite
Pipes |
These
Lakota pipes are hand made of solid sacred catlinite (pipestone) by fifth generation
Oglala Lakota pipe maker Alan Monroe (read about Alan). The
catlinite was quarried from Alan Monroe's claim at Pipestone National Monument
in Pipestone Minnesota. The finished pipe has been buffed
and polished to a high gloss with beeswax. Each pipe is signed by the artist.
A Certificate of Authenticity is available upon request (add a note in the box
on the order form). Each pipe bowl is hand made and
shaped to use the piece of catlinite to its best advantage. Some catlinite has
lighter areas, striations, or spots (called "power spots"). These variations are
considered special and even sacred by many. The pipe you see in the photo where
you order will be the one you receive. The rings in
these pipes represent the Four Winds (read about Four Winds).
All of the pipes are buffed to a high gloss and polished with beeswax. The
hole for the stem insert is approximately 1/2" diameter at the opening and tapers
smaller as it goes toward the stack. Ash
Stems Sold Separately Here |
| |
The
hole for the stem insert is approximately 1/2" diameter at the opening and tapers
smaller as it goes toward the stack. Ash
Stems Sold Separately Here | |
See
Silver Four Winds Pipes | |
Tampers
and Picks | |
- |
Catlinite
Pipe Bags |
"WHEN
YOU PRAY WITH THIS PIPE, YOU PRAY FOR AND WITH EVERYTHING.”
- BLACK ELK Paula
says - The quarries at Pipestone National Monument are sacred to many
people because the pipestone quarried here is carved into pipes used for prayer.
Many believe that the pipe’s smoke carries one’s prayer to the Great Spirit. The
traditions of quarrying and pipemaking continue today. Read
more about Sacred Red Pipestone from Minnesota on my blog." |
About
the Four Winds Symbolism The
Four Winds are evoked in many Lakota ceremonies. The Four Winds are all wakan.
Wakan is a Lakota word which represents mysterious powerful beings or spirits.
The first wind is the WEST, Yata. This is where Wakinyan
(the Thunderbird) lives. It is where all animals are created and the West Wind
is present when man and animals die. The West Wind is strong and mighty but good
natured. It is where the sun goes to rest. The eagle is the akicita (marshall)
of the West Wind. The second wind is the NORTH, Woziya.
The tonweyapi of the North are the white owl, raven and wolf. Tonweyapi are aides
– they can be marshalls, soldiers, spies or counselors. The North Wind is strong
and usually cruel but occasionally jolly. The things he touches grow cold and
die. The North Wind decides if the dead people are worthy to pass or wander forever
cold, hungry and naked. The third wind is the EAST,
Yanpa. The nighthawk is the tonweyapi of the East. The East Wind sleeps a lot.
It is called on to help the sun and the dawn appear. And it gives a place for
the moon to regrow. The sun and the moon know and see everything on earth and
they tell it to Yanpa. Lodges face east to please Yanpa. The East Wind is evoked
by the sick asking for a rest. The fourth wind is
the SOUTH, Okaga. The tonweyapi of the south are waterfowl and the meadowlark.
The South wind makes beautiful things, flowers and seeds. It is the giver of life.
It is kind and brings good weather. The south is a place where spirits can go
after death. The winds are sometimes at odds with
each other over women or other things. Iktomi (spider wakan) purposely stirs up
trouble among the Four Winds so he can have fun watching them fight. |
Alan
Monroe - Lakota Alan Monroe creates his Northern
Plains artwork from hides, stone, leather, and wood. He learned the basics of
quill working, weaponry, sculpting and pipe making from traditional and contemporary
artisans in his family circle. He is a fifth generation pipe maker and considered
by many to be a master pipe maker. In his sculptures, Monroe works with a variety
of materials such as pipestone, bone, wood and alabaster. He creates small objects
like fetishes to large pieces than can weigh hundreds of pounds. Al Monroe's work
can be seen in many galleries and museums across the country and he has won many
awards. Al Monroe was born in Hot Springs , South Dakota and is an enrolled member
of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. He graduated from Hot Springs High School and studied
business and art in Nebraska, Tennessee, and South Dakota. About
Lakota Sioux |
The pipe
figures into Native American culture in many ways and for each culture there are
different uses and traditions. The intent of this article is not to provide a
comprehensive explanation of the sacred significance of the pipe in Native American
cultures, but to just offer a brief idea of how pipes have been and are used by
Native Americans. On first contact with
Native Americans, the French used the word "calumet" [from the Latin
"calamus", for reed] to refer to the sacred pipe. Early pipes of the
Miami and Illinois were hollow canes decorated with feathers. The
Lakota sacred pipe, the chanunpa, is an important part of healing ceremonies
conducted by medicine men. Once a pipe is made, it must be blessed in a special
ceremony that connects it to the original sacred pipe that was brought to the
Lakota by the White Buffalo Calf Woman. This is to ensure that a good spirit resides
in the pipe. The Sacred Calf Pipe
bundle is the most sacred object of the Sioux. It was brought to them by a messenger
(White Buffalo Calf Woman) from wakan tanka (the holy being, the great mystery,
the source of all healing). The sacred
pipe of the Osage is the Niniba. Pipes
currently in use by the Plains Indians are made of a catlinite bowl and a separate
wooden stem, usually made of alder or ash. The
bowl can be a simple L shape or a T shape or can be a carving of an effigy or
other symbol. The primary source of Catlinite
is in Minnesota along Pipestone Creek which is a tributary of the Big Sioux River.
This area under control of the US National Park Service is now named Pipestone
National Monument. Native Americans can apply for a permit to quarry catlinite
there. Catlinite is named for the New York artist George Catlin (1796-1872), who
was the first white person to visit the Minnesota quarry from which it was obtained. Catlinite,
a very deep red stone, is symbolic of blood of the ancient people and the buffalo. Although
the words catlinite and pipestone are often used interchangeably, there can be
a great difference in the two stones. Catlinite, with its dark red color and exceptional
ability to be carved, is only found in the Minnesota mine. Pipestone found elsewhere
in the US and the world has a different composition, is often a pale terra cotta
color, and cannot be carved like catlinite. |
How
to Prepare a Pipe for Smoking
©
2010 Horsekeeping LLC ©
Copyright InformationThe bowl and stem are separated
and carried along with a tamper, the smoking mixture and other smoking accessories
in a bag or pouch. Each person has their own ritual
about handing and smoking their pipe. It usually starts by smudging (purifying)
the pipe and all of its parts and accessories in the smoke of sage, sweet grass,
pine or cedar. Once the pipe has been purified, the
stem is connected to the bowl, the stem being viewed as male and the bowl as female. Important
- How to insert the stem into the pipe.CAUTION
- Never roughly jam the stem insert into the pipe hole. If you force the insert
into the barrel, you could break the pipe. Instead.
. .
Moisten the insert with your lips. Insert the stem into the pipe barrel
and gently give it ¼ turn. This will give the stem a good hold on the inside
of the barrel. The slight moisture will swell the stem insert slightly which results
in a snug fit. If you treat a pipe with respect, it
will last a long time. |
A certain
number of pinches of the smoking mixture are added to the bowl in ceremony. Each
pinch is smudged before loading in the bowl. (Read
about smudging.) The smoking of the pipe generally
consists of puffing on it, not inhaling it. It is viewed as a means of sending
one's prayers to the Great Spirit and making a connection between the earthly
world and the spiritual world. As the pipe is passed,
one holds the pipe in the left hand while using the right hand to wave the smoke
over the top of one's own head as a blessing. When speaking to the Great Spirit,
often the stem of the pipe is pointed toward the sky. In
the hands of a medicine man, his sacred pipe is full of mysterious power and able
to accomplish many things for the health, safety and well-being of his people. When
smoking is finished, the pipe is again treated with great respect as the bowl
is cleaned, the stem is detached from the bowl, the pipe is blessed and stored
in its special bundle or pouch. |
How
to Store Catlinite (Pipestone) Pipe
©
2010 Horsekeeping LLC ©
Copyright InformationAccording to Native American
tradition, once a pipe has been smoked and blessed the first time, the bowl and
stem of the pipe should only be joined for smoking. When they are joined, during
smoking, the spirit of the pipe is released. After the ceremony, the bowl should
be separated from the stem and they should be stored that way. If you store or
display a pipe with the stem and bowl connected, the spirit is free to roam. |
The Offering
Pipe is a small scale, less expensive version of the Sacred Pipe and is meant
to be used as an offering or give-away. In many cultures,
offerings are left at sacred sites and as a gift to the Spirits. In Native American
culture, offerings might be left each time someone passes a certain way or takes
water from a spring or stones from a mine. An offering can also be left for a
person (alive or dead) or for a Spirit as a symbol of thanks and respect. The
offering might be tobacco, food, money, flowers, craftwork or special objects.
When a person goes on a Vision Quest the pipe that he smoked during that time
would be one of the greatest offerings he could make to the Spirits. The Offering
Pipe by Alan Monroe is perfect for such uses. When left as an offering, the pipe
is separated from the stem and traditionally wrapped in red cloth which represents
the red road or the good path. The bundle can be tucked in a rock crevice or a
tree at the appropriate location. A Give-Away Pipe
also has tradition in Native American culture. When someone dies, there is a ceremony
similar to a wake where people come to pay respects to the departed. Sometimes
an Offering Pipe is placed in the casket for burial with the deceased. (See above.)
Also, the family passes out gifts to family and friends at this time as a symbol
of the tradition of giving away some of the deceased's belongings. This is where
a Give-Away pipe might be used. A year after the person
has passed, a feast is held in the person's honor and the rest of the person's
belongings are given away. This is another instance where a Give-Away pipe would
be suitable to exchange between family and friends of the deceased. |
How
to Choose a Catlinite (Pipestone) Pipe
©
2010 Horsekeeping LLC ©
Copyright InformationIf you are looking for
an Offering
Pipe or Give-Away Pipe, see above. For a personal
pipe, generally the L-shaped
bowls are thought to be for a woman, a single man or for an everyday smoking
pipe. The T-shaped
bowls are for a man or a family pipe. The nose of the pipe represents a man
coming of age. The animal
effigy pipes are for those who have aligned with a particular animal spirit. The
pipes we sell at Horsekeeping.com are new pipes. They have not been smoked or
blessed. Thank you to Alan Monroe, fourth generation
Oglala Lakota pipe maker from South Dakota, for his amazing high quality pipes
and works of art and for some of the information used in this article. |
See
More Catlinite (Pipestone) Pipes See
More Home and Ceremonial Items |
