Jump to content
IndiaDivine.org

Sweetgrass

Rate this topic


Guest guest

Recommended Posts

C-M

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. It's extremely important

to me to thoroughly research " tribal " items before buying them, as the

desecration of sacred traditions breaks my heart. I wouldn't want to be party to

it,

even remotely. It really bothers me that people covet sacred things just

because they are trendy.

Thank you again,

Melissa

 

In a message dated 2/24/2005 10:21:32 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,

writes:

 

I checked out the website, interesting to me, for I live in Michigan,

Lake Huron being on one side of it....:)

Most of the things on the website are typical tourist items , maybe the

drums could be authentic..

Native American's did not use the incense burners as shown on the

website. They used smudge bundles...

It does not state on the web site where the EO's are from.

Again, NO native American clan, band, Canadian neither, EVER distilled

plant material to receive essential oils.

Some infused fat or oils ...

NONE of it should be for sale either if it is used for sacred ceremonies.

Last year someone swiped writings from my teacher Keewaydenoqua and

posted it without her permission, etc edited, shortened on their website.

When I called them on it, they told me they had met Kee and remembered

her sacred Cedar oil, could they please buy a Gallon of it...

I about blew a cork and it was obvious to me they did not hang around

the island for more than a few hours or Kee....

To make sacred cedar oil, we only do it on the island, a well kept

secret passed down from apprentice to apprentice and a commitment to

stay on the island* for at least 4 weeks to make the oil or help with it

and to do that for a few years. Most people are just not willing to go

through all that, besides as Kee would say, when you made sacred things,

you had to think pure and sacred thoughts while doing it...that's a

toughie...:)

Our oil NEVER get's sold, goes to the people of our Drum who need it and

know how to use it.

C-M

 

*This is an unpopulated island in Lake MIchigan where people did come to

learn and study with Keewaydenoqua the old ways. Living utmost

primitive, no running water, no electricity, boat coming only once a

week, weather permitting. Kee has trained her 'Oshkewaybeegs' well, they

are carrying on her teachings.

I discussed with her , as well as Winona la Duke the application of

essential oils , as far as traditional medicines are used within the

native American communities.

Some people use them, some who are even medicine people use them, just

like they would use aspirin or tylenol, it's a personal preference. BUT,

traditionally , NO, none did steam distill plants to obtain EO's.

Macerating herbals in fat was known and often used for medicinals or scents.

Sweetgrass it is always burned, just like cedar.and sage and tobacco

the four herbals used in the directions of the sacred pipe...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sunfeather www.sunsoap.com sells a sweetgrass EO blend that smells a lot

like sweetgrass but without containing any actual sweetgrass distillates

.. . . It's not a perfect match, especially if you happen to have a

sweetgrass braid close by, but it's a pretty acceptable substitute. I've

used it in soap and most people have no clue that it's not the real

thing. I even find that w/out real sweetgrass close by it fools me.

 

HTH, Roxanne

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sweet grass, sweet woodruff, sweet white clover, all have a distinct

similar scent which comes from the coumarin they all contain.

Often EO's that are called sweetgrass are produced from certain vanilla

beans...

If you just like the scent , whatever floats your boat there , should be

fine.

But if you want the medicinal , healing and ceremonial benefit of

sweetgrass, you need the real thing...:)

C-M

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest guest

Sat, 26 Feb 2005 08:42 Christa Maria <cmaria writes:

> Sweet grass, sweet woodruff, sweet white clover, all have a distinct

> similar scent which comes from the coumarin they all contain.

> Often EO's that are called sweetgrass are produced from certain vanilla

 

> beans... If you just like the scent , whatever floats your boat there ,

should be

> fine. But if you want the medicinal , healing and ceremonial benefit

of

> sweetgrass, you need the real thing...:)

 

 

Oh, absolutely!! I never meant to suggest that this EO blend (all EOs,

btw, no synthetics) could be a viable substitution for the real thing for

therapeutic or ceremonial purposes . . . just that it might be an

acceptable alternative for scenting things like soap. And, of course,

this would be the reason to use the blend, rather than the real thing . .

.. to preserve real sweetgrass for it's sacred value.

 

Sorry for the confusion.

 

Roxanne

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...