216 Medicine Wheel

Respecting our Creator

Medicine Wheel

A permanent, traditional physical metaphor for life’s journey, the Medicine wheel encompasses spiritual teachings, traditional medicines and illustrative stories. Within the wheel are representations of the four directions (East, South, West, North), four seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter), four elements (Fire, Mother Earth, Water, Air), four human races (Yellow, Red, Black, White), four kingdoms (mineral, vegetable, animal, human). four medicinal plants (Tobacco, Cedar, Sage, Sweetgrass), four human ages (Birth, Youth, Middle Age, Elder) and four human elements (Mind, Body, Emotion, Spirit). It is a spiritual guide to balance throughout life.

​​​There are many Teachings of the Medicine Wheel ! The teachings you will learn from this visit to Heritage Village at the Medicine Wheel is a teaching on the 4 directions. You will learn the certain colors that represent the 4 directions and the purpose of those colors, also to include the teachings of the 4 sacred medicines and why their grown in specific directions of the Medicine Wheel. Traditional teachings show us how to use these medicines in the Native Culture during ceremony! The Medicine Wheel entrance is in the East moving clockwise to continue to the South, West, North! Representing the circle of life.

**When attending this teaching, their is no alcohol or persons who have consumed alcohol allowed into this space on this day of teachings!

The purpose of the Medicine Wheel is to bring balance, cleansing, and a connection to Mother Earth! Offering of Native Tobacco and prayers will be included in this teaching!

The words of the 4 directions, in the Anishinaabe Language will be in this teaching and pronounce each direction as we smudge the circle with the sage we grow in the western direction! Including the reason for the smudge.

The Medicine Wheel is also a teaching of the circle of life, starting with the New born, to youth, to middle age, to elders .

Native songs and drumming will also be a part of this teaching!

The Medicine wheel goes back to the beginning of time, as the Native culture began their day with the rising sun and the 4 sacred medicines.This was all taken away from the Native people by the government and so their traditional ways ended. At this time it was against the law to continue to use their language and continue to do their ceremonies. In order for the Native people to continue their teachings, the medicine wheel was hidden, not to show anyone their cultural ways, or they would be taken away!

Anishinaabe Kwe

Gennie Grondin/Morgan