Yesterday I did a post on How Would You Like A Home Like This One? about my Native American friend's home, the teepee.  In that post I told you that I would write posts about them and their Native American ways.  Well, here's another one for you.  This is about a ceremony they do to bless land and everything on it. 

Sometime in mid-September, my friend Carina held a barn/bridge warming party on her farm.  She had put a lot of work into the barn and her place.  My husband and I helped her.  She has the Bushkill Creek running through her property and it had a bridge going over it to some woods and a field.  My horse, Eddie, is a big 16.2 hand Thoroughbred.  He weighs about 1200 lbs. and was going to be boarded there.  She wanted to be sure this old bridge would be able to handle his weight.  My husband, being in construction practically forever, volunteered to help by reconstructing it so it would hold up to heavy weight.

Anyway, Carina thought it would be great to have my Native American friends, Messina and Eagle, hold a ceremony during this party to bless the farm, the horses and the buildings.  The reason for the ceremony is to keep the evil spirits away and to keep the good spirits around to help.

First of all, Eagle and Messina were wearing their Native American dress.  They then lit a small dish with different herbs and tobacco.  With the smoke from burning the ingredients, they did a ritual with each person that was going to partake in the ceremony to cleanse them of any evil.  By using a feather, they blew the smoke around each person from head to toe.  Once everyone was cleansed, while chanting, they then prayed to the spirits in the north, south, east and west.  Carina, the owner, was the main part of the ritual. 

Once this was done, everyone marched around the perimeter of the property, through the home and the barn and around the horses.  Carina led the way, followed by Eagle with the burning herbs and blowing the smoke all around with the feather.  Behind him was Messina beating the ceremonial drum and chanting to the spirits.  What was really funny was when we walked through the field that the horses were in, Eddie, my horse, went in line right behind Messina.  It looked like he was getting in on the ceremony.  It was hilarious.

Once the ceremony was over, Messina informed Carina of the next steps.  Carina had to pick out a tree for a prayer tree.  She would then need to put out food as an offering to the spirits.  She would also need to make up prayer ties to place on the prayer tree. 

Let me explain to you what a prayer tie is.  A prayer tie consists of tobacco, red pieces of cloth and string.  What you do is you place a pinch of tobacco in your palm, say a prayer, then place it in the red piece of cloth.  You then tie it a special way to enclose the tobacco in the cloth.  You do this to a number of them and they are all placed in a row, sort of like you would string popcorn for Christmas.  This is put on the tree for the spirits to answer your prayers. 

We then held a ribbon cutting and christening ceremony for the bridge and the barn.  (No this is not part of the Native American ceremony.)  Messina cut the ribbon for the barn.  (That's her in the photo.)  Bill (my husband) and I had the honors of cutting the ribbon for the bridge.

After that, we had a barbeque and celebrated.  We all had a grand old time.

I do want to mention that no photos were allowed to be taken during the ceremony.  Otherwise, there would have been many of them here.

It is really interesting to learn of the ways of the Native Americans.  We will be learning more about their ways and rituals.  So, there will be lots more info to come your way.