The Lone Wolf Band of Cherokee Indians
Indiana's Cherokee people.

THE MEDICINE WHEEL

The Medicine Wheel represents the spirituality of the Cherokee as well as all other Native People.

Native People believe the wheel to be sacred because the Creator or Great Spirit created the Sun, the Moon, the Sky and Mother Earth round. Seasons come and go as in a circle. The Sun and the Moon revolve around Mother Earth in a circle, creating each day The circle represents all things in creation. Therefor we must see the circle as being sacred. The Cherokee as all other Native People dance in a circle to honor the circle of life and mother earth. Our drums are all made in circles. Our fires are made by placing logs in an “X” pattern which causes the fire to burn in a circular pattern.

The Medicine Wheel symbolizes the journey that each of us individually must take in our own life to find our correct and true path. The Medicine Wheel continues evolving and continues to bring new life lessons and the truth of the path you follow. The Medicine Wheel is round which represents the circle of life, from birth, to life as a child, life as a young person, life as an adult, life as an elder and finally death. You must honor and embrace each direction and that part of life and gain as much as you can and give as much as you can for a happy and fruitful journey.

The Medicine Wheel also teaches us about the path you take and the things you do in life can make the circle. If you do good for another, the circle will return good to you. But the same holds true for the bad things you do.

Within the Medicine Wheel is four primary sacred colors which represents our four sacred directions.

In the center of the Medicine Wheel is the sacred fire, which is the center of all things.

THE COLORS OF THE CHEROKEE

RED
Red was the symbolic color for success. Feathers, warrior clothing decorations, weapons and shields that were used against the enemy were colored red. Red beads were used to conjure the Red Spirit to insure a long life, recovery from illness, success in love and ball playing, or any other undertaking that would be benefitted by a magic spell. Red also represents the east. East is the beginning of all things. East is where we begin the spiritual aspect of our circular path and the growth of our personal spirit. East is where the sun rises. Red is associated with fire. The Red Spirits lived in the east.

BLACK
Black was the symbolic color for death. It is believed that the soul of the enemy was continually beaten about by black war clubs and the enemy was surrounded by black fog. In conjuring to destroy and enemy, the priest used black beads and invoked the black spirits from the west to tear out the enemies soul and carry it to the west and place it in a black coffin, buried in black mud with a black serpent coiled above it. The Black Spirits lived in the west.

BLUE
Blue was the color that symbolized failure, disappointment or unsatisfied desires. If it was said that a person “would never become blue” would mean that the person would be very successful and never fail at anything they did. The Blue Spirits lived in the North.

WHITE
White was the color that symbolized purity, innocense, peace and happiness. To be happy would be to say “I am white.” The sacred path of the Cherokee is the “White Path or White Road.” White beads were used to conjure happiness. A white pipe was used to ratify

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