The peace pipe is a traditional Native American instrument used for ceremonies and rituals, typically highly decorated and associated with the White Buffalo Calf Woman. It consists of a wooden stem and stone bowl, with materials varying by tribe. The construction symbolizes harmony and is used in many forms of prayer and tribal rituals. The term “peace pipe” is a European term based on its use in treaties and has been misrepresented in film and television.
A peace pipe, or calumet, is a traditional Native American instrument used for tribal ceremonies and rituals. Typically, they are highly decorated and only used for special occasions. The peace pipe has spiritual and legendary significance to many Native American tribes and is associated with the White Buffalo Calf Woman.
Most peace pipes consist of a long wooden stem decorated with feathers and beads and a stone bowl. The materials used for the bowl of the pipe vary from tribe to tribe, but common materials include catlinite or red pipestone, clay, antler, and salmon alabaster. The bowl is often decoratively carved and polished with oils. Catlinite was especially prized and mined from large deposits in Minnesota.
While the combination of wood and stone described above is the most common form of peace pipe, the term can be used to describe any ceremonial pipe used by any tribe. Some may be short and carved entirely of stone, others may have a bone stem and bowl carved from antlers. Lakota legends correspond to wood and stone construction, so it is most often used as an example of the ceremonial device.
Peace pipes are common in all tribes in the central United States, including the Lakota Sioux, who are native to North and South Dakota. According to Lakota legends, the first peace pipe was brought to the tribe by a mysterious woman who turned out to be the legendary White Buffalo Calf Woman, a great spiritual figure in traditional history. According to one story about the pipe’s origin, the White Buffalo Calf Woman told tribal leaders to smoke the pipe before treaties and ceremonies as it would bring the mind to thoughts of peace.
The construction of peace pipes is important for their symbolism to Native American tribes. The wooden stem wants to represent the feminine power and the plant world. The stone bowl, which is sometimes wrapped in fur or carved with buffaloes, is a symbol of male power and the animal world. When joined together, the two halves of the peace pipe represent all of creation in harmony.
“Peace pipe” is actually a European term for the ceremonial pipe, based on its use in the preparation of treaties. Film and television have long promoted a false impression of pipe use, showing it as a tool of the chief and even being forced upon foreigners as a way to make them cough and look foolish. Indeed, the ceremonial pipe is of great spiritual importance to traditional tribal practices and is used in many forms of prayer and tribal rituals.
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