Calumets and Pipe Bags
At a glance:
- Series: American Indians Ready Reference
- Categories: Social Science
- Subcategories: Native Americans, American Indians, Ceremonies, Rites, Rituals
- Curriculum: American Indian History
- Geographical Location: Canada, United States
Article abstract: The calumet (sacred pipe) was the most widely used ceremonial object among North American Indians, and it has been a central symbol of modern Pan-Indian movements
Calumet, from the French for reed pipe, refers to pipes with long wooden stems and detachable clay or stone bowls. Widely used for both personal and ceremonial purposes, calumet refers to only the sacred pipes. Archaeological evidence shows extensive use throughout North America that may date back four thousand years. Most tribal groups have myths similar to a myth of the Lakota Sioux...
[The entire page is 385 words long]
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