Some Things I Can Say About Native American Medicine Wheel Teachings

I was born and raised in Minnesota. I am an enrolled member of the White Earth Nation, my enrollment is removal Fond du Lac. My people on my mother’s side came from there, the land of the Gitchigummi (Lake Superior) I adore.

Our language is called Ojibwe and the people are referred to as the Anishinaabe. When I was growing up, I learned some basics about the circle of life, which included birth, childhood, adulthood, and elder. It included relationships with all living things. Why the number four is important was discussed. Different than the number three in other parts of the world.

Over time I learned more about what is referred to as the Medicine Wheel or the sacred circle. Archeologists believe that the medicine wheel originated in the Late Prehistoric Period, as some of the wheels have been dated to around 4000 B.C. The Majorville Cairn in Alberta is believed to be the oldest, at 5,500-years-old.

When I worked in substance abuse treatment, I used the medicine wheel to explain many things. The most important thing in my mind was the importance of balance in recovery. Most of the program participants got the idea of being out of balance quickly. It was explained using the 4 quadrants of the medicine wheel the mind, body, emotion, and spiritual.

Then going around the circle from birth to child we can sometimes get off the red road, with addiction and other reasons, and how it is important to get back on that red road. The problem is we don’t have the opportunity to get right back on as an adult if we went off the road as a child. We must go back to where we went off the red road. That is why some people stop maturing. Some people I have listened to say that the medicine wheel has all the knowledge of the universe. That the medicine wheel is more like a globe than a circle on a flat board.

Other tribes have different interpretations of the medicine wheel. Do not think that all tribes are alike with these teachings as they are not. Not all Anishinabe will have the same information either. And because our language has only recently been written, the spelling of the Ojibwe words is different and has different dialects. Please use the information if you think it will help you or those you work with.

An example of differences is I was taught that tobacco comes from the east, sweetgrass from the south, sage from the west, and cedar from the north. And I have heard about different animals too. Then there are colors representing different directions, depending on the tribe or band. Stick with what you learned growing up and work with your culture teachers.

The Medicine Wheel is said to represent harmony and connections and is considered a major symbol of peaceful interaction among all living beings on Earth. The medicine wheel originates from Native American traditions and is also referred to as a Sacred Hoop. The medicine wheel represents the sacred circle of life, its basic four directions, and their associated elements. Other tribes have different interpretations of the medicine wheel. Do not think that all tribes are alike with these teachings as they are not.

The Four Cardinal points on the Medicine Wheel are the Four Sacred Directions, represented among the Ojibwe by the colors yellow, red, black, and white. Blue represents Father Sky in the upper half and green represents Mother earth in the lower half. In the center is the Creator and where balance happens, which is important for Native American people. Some people believe that because of this, spirituality is what is important to work on to balance out the other areas, even when it may be a health issue, for example.

I have found Medicine wheel stories to be important in my learning about myself and they have been helpful to others also. I believe all of life can be lived in peace and harmony which can be explained in the medicine wheel teachings. I am a lifelong learner and teacher. I will continue to learn more and share more of the teachings of the medicine wheel as long as I live and as long as I have a memory.

*~~~ First published in Medium ~~~*