SACRED PIPE

also called Peace Pipe, or Calumet, one of the central ceremonial objects of American Indian culture. Though smoked for relaxation, it was primarily an object of profound veneration and smoked on all ceremonial occasions. Because of both the narcotic effect of the tobacco and the general symbolism of the indrawn and ascending smoke, the pipe was revered and employed as a major means of communication between the spiritual world and man. The pipe itself was considered a microcosm. Its parts, colours, and motifs used in its decoration and in the attached pendants of feathers or horsehair were believed to correspond to the essential parts of the universe. The pipe was smoked in personal prayer, as well as at collective rituals. Its smoke served as a means of conveying the thoughts of the smoker. Its most common use was in invocations to the six directions. Among some tribes (e.g., the Pawnee, Omaha, Crow) complex pipe dances were developed that presented smoke offerings to the Great Spirit on behalf of the community.