The Medicine Wheel

*introspection here*

To begin, I'm going to lay out my understanding of the medicine wheel. The basics concepts of the wheel of life-- have been preserved in oral history and paintings/artifacts for thousands of years. Each Native American culture had their own way of describing it, but the concepts revolved around restoring balance and harmony. (kinda the same concept as posted earlier) :



The medicine wheel symbolizes harmony. Just as nature strives in harmony with the unseen actions of the universe (Air & light). So shall man strive when his unseen forces (Mind & Soul) are kept in harmony with the universe.

Intrinsically holistic in a degree western medicine is just beginning to conceptualize. The medicine wheel joined the sacred four directions into one cohesive unit "the center" or Man's balanced perception of it.

Now days it's all about money, go see this doctor, pay him, then go see that pharmacist, pay him too.. Then when the burden gets to tuff, better go to church, pay them too..

@Thunder_Bow

Whatever your charging brother-- I'll pay it..

[running]

That's really cool! Always wondered what the medicine wheel was about. Thanks for sharing!

[Thunder Bow]

Caution: Most interpretations of the Medicine Wheel are modern ones, adjusted to todays busy modern world. These medicine wheels have nothing to do with the anceint ones found at archelogical sites.

The real meaning of those medicine wheels been lost to time long ago. Even todays Tribes has lost much of the true meaning of the Medicine Wheel, for such knowledge was handed down orally.

The book "Seven Arrows" by H. Storm, I think, has the best interpretation of the Plains Indian Medicine Wheel to date. Remember not all Tribes had a Medicine Wheel.

Thanks Thunder_Bow, I was hoping for your insight.. I will most certainly look into the book!!

The wheel was explained to me in this fashion by a Lakota Man that was also a medical doctor(Modern). I did not mean to imply that all tribes had one, nor that this was a historically accurate depiction of one. But it's an interesting concept non the less.

It's unfortunate the true meaning of symbols like this and many others have been lost to time..

[Thunder Bow]

Originally Posted by Medicine_Dog

Thanks Thunder_Bow, I was hoping for your insight.. I will most certainly look into the book!!

The wheel was explained to me in this fashion by a Lakota Man that was also a medical doctor(Modern). I did not mean to imply that all tribes had one, nor that this was a historically accurate depiction of one. But it's an interesting concept non the less.

It's unfortunate the true meaning of symbols like this and many others have been lost to time..

Then again, there are real living Medicine Wheels that can be found in everyday life. These living Medicine Wheels can be found almost every where. Even You are a living Medicine Wheel. Use my link below see an example of another Medicine Wheel.

http://www.cavalia.net/en/odysseo/videos

That's good medicine, I appreciate it..

If it's alright with you, I'll imagine you riding your ponies like that..

Originally Posted by Thunder_Bow

The real meaning of those medicine wheels been lost to time long ago. Even todays Tribes has lost much of the true meaning of the Medicine Wheel, for such knowledge was handed down orally.

The wisdom of this short paragraph is amazing..

*short story*

When I was about ten years old, I had fascinations with my Indian blood. With an active imagination-- I could see visiting my relatives, learning the "secrets" of our tribe. It was exciting-- Finally the day had came, I was going to my uncles in Ada, Oklahoma. My uncle's half Chickasaw, surly he knew the ways. When I arrived at his house-- I was shocked... He lived in a trailer house like we did back in Texas.. But that's not all, He wore blue jeans like we did, drove a chevy, he even had cable tv. It took many years since then to truly understand why we didn't have any secrets. I learned a few Chickasaw words and even a story or two. But man, I thought there was so much more..

Looking back on it now, it's a wonder my uncle knew as much as he did. The Chickasaw where one of the "Civilized Tribes"-- meaning they readily adopted white culture. When they where forced to Oklahoma like the other civilized tribes where, they had all ready for the most part "assimilated" into white culture. They used guns, farmed, raised cattle, basically the same way the whites did.

Factor in the attack on the language the whites launched, and we are lucky that any culture remains. The Chickasaw language is spoken fluently by only a few elders. Hopefully the apprentice program they started will save the language.. Least it be forgotten to..

Now on a philosophical note:

Why is it so hard to preserve meanings of symbols with words?

Wittgenstein's Private Language Problem. (The basic explanation)

Your words can only be understood in terms of what the words mean. You can intuit what those words mean, or you can read their definitions in a dictionary. If intuited, then they are based on a pattern-match of when they were used in your experiences. But two physical bodies cannot occupy the same exact space at the same exact times. So each person's experiences must be unique. So their definitions of words that they develop from intuition, must also be unique.

If from a dictionary, then the words are described in terms of other words, and they on other words in the dictionary, and so on. Eventually, they must come down to meanings that you intuited, or you'd never have anything to start with. So the meaning of those words found in the dictionary must be ultimately dependent on your intutions of what the words you intuited mean.

So all language ultimately comes down to intuitive understanding, which is based on unique experiences that others do not have exactly the same. Thus, we each have a slightly different understanding of what each word means. Thus, we each speak our own private language. So what one tries to express via language can never be transmitted perfectly to another person.

Hence even oral history can have trouble preserving meaning..

Just my thoughts..

Nobody will believe me, but I'll say it anyway: I wrote the above post before I got home from work today. After getting home and searching for the book "Seven Arrows".. Ah ha, found it!!

Originally Posted by Seven Arrows

If you and I where sitting in a circle of people on the prairie, and if I where to place a painted drum or eagle feather in the middle of this circle, each of us would perceive these objects differently. Our vision of them would vary according to our individual positions in the circle, each of which would be unique.

This book Thunder_Bow?

AMAZING !!!!!!!

[Makoiyi]

Seven arrows sure is an interesting book to read. I was given a copy of it years ago by my then NDN husband along with a second book by the same author which was equally as interesting.

Makoiyi

[Thunder Bow]

Traditions do change over time. Each generation has their own hair. It depends on how well we take care of our children. If we don't take care of our children, then they may learn from "Grand Theft Auto 5". If one wants keep traditions alive then we must teach and care for our children.