The calumet (sacred pipe/peace pipe) is a highly decorated pipe that is used in a variety of Native American ceremonies. The style of pipe, materials smoked, and ceremonies were unique to each tribe. This calumet was a gift from grandfather to granddaughter. Our young customer was excited to have it framed to show her grandfather how proud she was to receive it.
Sacred Pipe (Click to learn more)
The Sacred Pipe or Calumet is most often referred to as the Native American Indian Peace Pipe. First seen by white French missionaries, the name was derived from the structure of the “stem” and related to a flute, tube, or reed. Most pipe stems were made from ash or sumac. Today, sumac is still used along with pine, redwood, and cedar. The bowl, which represents Mother Earth, is fashioned from pipestone. The most elaborate Pipes are four to five feet long, adorned with hawk feathers, fur, horsehair, quills, inlays, and carvings, often from the Animal Spirit World. Believed to have mystical powers, the tobacco or burnable substances are normally from natural Mother Earth. It is assured the breath of the Great Spirit rises upwards to a connection with the Spirit World and Our Creator. As a respectable object of communication, or portable alter, the Sacred Pipe is used in peace-making, greeting new faces into a tribe’s domain, designating an upcoming battle, warding off evil spirits, healing the sick and for a successful hunt or harvest. No prayer or ceremony takes place without the Sacred Pipe.