Reflection about the annishnaabe people - Research Paper Example

The Medicine Wheel There are four seasons, four grandfathers, or four cardinal directions among the Ojibway. Bentai-Banai is of the opinion that the Ojibway people have four symbolic colors including red, white, black, and yellow. Yellow is East, South is red, West is black, and North is white (Bentai-Banai 78-80). The wheel is divided into four quadrants based on the four cardinal directions. The medicine wheel is an interconnection of all the things in life. The medicine wheel uses all the four cardinal directions symbolically.

The Anishinabe people have a saying that what the people believe is true. Each tribe has its own medicine wheel. The Ojibway believe that their medicine wheel offers them direction in life. In the same way, the wheel of medicine is a life-cycle that represents the natural cycles of life from delivery, to growth, to demise, and even regeneration. The wheel of medicine not only includes the Ojibway people, but also the nations of the earth. The four cycles are viewed in a clockwise manner. North is at the top, East to the right, South at the bottom, and West on the left of the viewer.

Even though the wheel has neither the beginning nor the end, it is crucial to enter the wheel from the South and proceed in a clockwise direction. At the centre is the Creator and is also the Medicine Wheel itself. We begin from the East because it is where life starts and everything starts to come alive from people, vegetation, and seasons among others. The medicine wheel comprises of the following (Lawson, McDowell and Thomson 56-57):The 4 colors of the Medicine Wheel: East – Yellow (Zaawaa)South – Red (Miskwaa) West – Black (Mkade) North – White (Waabishkaa)The 4 races of man: East - Asian South - Ojibway West – African descentNorth – White peopleThe four natures of human beings: East - Bodily South - PsychologicalWest - Intellectual North – DivineThe 4 stages of human development: East – Early daysSouth – Teenage yearsWest – Fully developedNorth – Old ageThe 4 phases of health: East - Physical South - Social West - Intellectual North - Spiritual The 4 grandmothers-/fathers:East – Start South – Going along West – Getting settled North – Going home The 4 climatic conditions:East - Spring South - Summer West - Autumn North - Winter The 4 times of the day: East - Morning South - NoonWest - Sundown North - Darkness The 4 basic elements of life: East – WaterSouth – AirstreamWest – GroundNorth – InfernoThe 4 sacred animals:East - EagleSouth - Deer West - Buffalo North - Bear The 4 sacred plants: East – Tobacco; the plant is utilized for prayer and rituals, life renewal, and as medicine.

South – Cedar; it can be used to give courage, purify, develop, and to show feelings.West – Sage; it cleans the air, its smoke can also be utilized to cleanse one from spirits, help one to observe, feel, and taste things effectively. Besides, the tea made from sage is beneficial for the throat. Sage can also be used to provide direction when one dies.North – Sweetgrass; it invites in good. It is the first plant to grow on Earth. The smoke from the sweetgrass provided protection and takes away hunger.

In summary, the Medicine Wheel helps one to live a noble, moral, intuitive and spiritual life.Work CitedBenton-Banai, Edward. The Mishomis Book: The Voice of the Ojibway, Hayward, WI: Indian Country Communications, Inc., 2010. Print. Lawson, Jennifer, Linda McDowell and Barbara Thomson. Manitoba: Past and Present. Manitoba: Portage & Main Press, 2004.