James Medicine Tree" <jimtree3@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 14:41:04 -0000
Subject: [newagefraudsplastichshamans] Re: Pipestone Carver - Pipes etc..
Osiyo All,
Here is my imput on this, but understand that it is just from my experiance and limited background. I am Cherokee but by no means imersed enough in my culture to be a representitive of it. I am
still learning our ways. I am a Pipe carver and a Cherokee. I have carved a few Pipes in the
plains style but mainly carve what would be called "effigie" Pipes.
I carve the pipes according to the vision of the one who request it, whatever tribe they are from, although my favorite way to carve is the effigie style.
I am a member of a group that is dedicated to passing on and preserving the sacred tradition of Pipe makeing, as well as protecting the right of all native american people to have accsess
to the quarries of the redstone.
We have members from many differant nations/tribes and as artists enjoy experamanting with technics other than what might be from our tradition alone. We all carve out of several differant kinds of stone.
My point is this, this person apperars to me to be a rather ill informed person about the Pipe, {she calls it a peace pipe} but I do not see any reason to think her a fraud.
Some of my fellow carvers sell their pipes. Many of us, including myself, do not. We honor the idea that it is something between the carver and the Pipe itself. I think we all carve small figures out
of the left over pieces when we create a Pipe, to through the pieces away would be not only a waste but non traditional. There are small
effigies that have been found dateing far older than pipes of the same kind of stone.
I am well aware of the contraversies about so many aspects of the sacrd red stone and Pipes, but it should be noted that we Cherokee
have had Pipes for centuries. I think we started to use some of the redstone as it became available throught trade, etc. But our pipes of black and green stone are well known, at least to us carvers.
There are many Pipe carvers out there who are creating pipes but have no real understanding of the sacred nature of it, but the thing to understand is that the pipes are being created and are being
dispersed bringing the blessings it was gifted to us for so long ago. The Pipes are very capable of finding their way into the right hands as they are truly something that is alive and powerful. I have
seen Pipes that were in the hands of "collecters" that somehow made their way out of the collections into the hands of someone who could
use them in prayer....many times.
We have far more important "fraudes" to deal with, sexual prediters etc. than this person. It would be differant if what she is doing is causeing harm, and I am open to have this pointed out.
As i said, this is just my experiance and it works for me.
Bllue sky, Tree
<debbieredbear2000@y...> wrote:
>
> Interesting. She claims to have been trained since age seven, But my
> limited knowledge of Cherokee stuff tells me that the Cherokee people
> had a different way with pipes and a different style. My knowledge
> comes from an older Cherokee man who I find very credible. But the
> Cherokees on this list may have a different opinion, of course.
