Page 54 - 10th Annual International Charles Town Maroon Conference and Festival Magazine

June 2018 Charles Town Maroon International Conference Magazine

way of praying particularly when facing east.
• Roll your tobacco either by hand or with the use
of a rolling machine at the time of your prayer. As
you roll it make sure you lay the tobacco in only
one direction, forward.

The tobacco represents your road, and setting up
your road with back and fourth motions will only
bring more confusion instead of the clarity you
seek. You may use aromatic herbs and roots like
sage, chamomille, osha, lavender, anise, fennel in
your tobacco. You may also purchase kinnikinnick

• As you light your rolled tobacco, take in the
symbology of the elements represented in the ritual
you are creating: The match/ lighter /Candle are
the embodiment of father sun, the tobacco is your
human body, your prayer and your intention.
Acknowledge your ancestors, the star people, greet
them.

• Close your eyes for a moment, give thanks.
When lit, tobacco pierces the veil between realms WE ARE MEDICINE
and carries our prayers to the sky and all the I feel the need to emphasize here that we as individuals
directions that we need assistance from. When you carry exactly what another person might need to
are done, put tobacco out by hand and offer it to recognize God/ Creator/ Love/ the Universe within
the directions, the sky and the ground. Finally themselves – that is medicine.
place it respectfully somewhere in nature, offer it
to a plant or hold it to be released later. Medicine can be sweet, or it can be bitter, however it
always helps us transcend an unhealthy state.
Prayer with tobacco is a big responsibility in these The fact that we are medicine also means that we don’t
times where commercial tobacco, chemicals and non- need anything to complete us. Hold that thought for a
sustainable practices are attacking the way of life of while…..
keepers like the Wixarika tribe. And these are also
hurting our society physically and spiritually by
SuOm Uheri Francis: Traditional healer, urban
catering solely to the addictive properties of tobacco
designer and tactical urbanist, specialising in
for the purposes of making a profit. Meanwhile, the community research methods, and graphic
medicine of tobacco is mostly hidden and the design. SuOm is currently exploring ways of
practices are not followed integrating traditional healing and herbalism
. into the context of equal justice through
community planning.
I invite people to pray in these ways, in a humble
Prior to becoming an apprentice of Mexican
manner, with knowledge and heart blended together
Healing Traditions, suOm participated in the development of an
in the smoke of the sacrament and in this way, mend, urban farm and cultural space for Native at-risk populations in
beautify and enjoy the sacred hoop that is life. Albuquerque, NM. In addition, she received a USDA grant to
research and map the Foodshed for the State of New Mexico, as
part of a team of sustainability researchers. www.suomfrancis.org

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