TOBACCO

Original artwork by Manitu Okahas.

First gift of the creator
Carry my prayer to spirit
Gift to the wisdom keepers
Gratitude of living Spirit

According to the spiritual traditions of many of the Native American Nations, tobacco is the sacred herb of the east.  (This is often referred to as sacred medicine.)  In Native American tradition, this is a plant that is associated with prayer, illumination, and gratitude.  This is a group of over 60 species closely related to tomatoes and peppers that primarily originated from North and South America.

Tobacco is believed to be the first gift of the creator, with evidence of use for at least 18,000 years.  It is the first of the four Native American sacred medicines.  The other three are sweetgrass, white sage, and cedar.

Before I go any further, I think that I need to address the elephant in the room.  Europeans were introduced to tobacco when early explorers and conquistadors  encountered Native Americans in Central America.  By most accounts, it was given as a gift to the guests.  The result was the misuse of this herb in ways that are highly addictive and damaging.  If tobacco is used for recreational or control purposes, it is both addictive and toxic.  Most of the world right now uses tobacco in ways that are highly damaging to the heart, liver, and lungs, and has the potential environmental consequences.  That said, tobacco has been used wisely and safely in the Americas for many thousands of years.

Each culture in the Americas uses tobacco for ceremony in slightly different ways.  I am only going to cover a few of them.  I used a different set of resources than my usual ones for this article.  I invite you to check these sources out for more information.
wickapedia.com
keepitsacred.itcmi.org
takiwasi.com
ainschgo.org
strongnations.com
tribaltrade.com

The most common use for tobacco in ceremony is to connect to the divine or spirit realms.  Natural tobacco is often used alone or in blends in a sacred pipe to send prayers to the Great Spirit, Great Mystery, or Spirit World.  This is believed to be a direct connection between the human and the spirit.  This sacred pipe is used to promote and ask for aid in the achievement of harmony, peace, and balance.  Sometimes a smudge bowl is used for a similar purpose, but this is not as common.  Sometimes, the tobacco leaves are added to a ceremonial fire along with the prayers that the community wishes to be heard.

The second use of tobacco is as an offering of gratitude.  Since it is seen as a gift  from creator, it is often used as an offering when the people are foraging.  When herbs are gathered for medicine or food is gathered from the environment, an offering of tobacco is given to Mother Earth.  If a bird or other sacred animal gives its life or feather, often tobacco is offered in gratitude.  Any time blessings or abundance is received from Earth, an offering of tobacco is a common way to show gratitude.

In most Native North American communities, tobacco is offered to the wisdom keepers.  If a person is asking council from an elder, medicine person, healer, or other respected wisdom keeper, a gift of tobacco is often given.  If a favor is asked of someone, it is usually preceded and/or followed by a gift of tobacco.  Tobacco is often a gift to honor a guest.

There is so much more that could be said about tobacco and its respectful uses, but then I'm getting into the nuances of specific cultures and traditions.  So I will just leave this article with this last little bit.  Tobacco is considered to be a living spirit that is connected to the four directions and the elements.  It is a powerful spirit that should be worked with respectfully and carefully.  On a personal level, I can say that tobacco isn't always an easy herb to work with.  I have a difficult relationship with this powerful herb.  The spirit of tobacco and I tend to clash, so we work together with a great amount of caution.