I recently asked about ochre in the FaceBook nêhiyaw Word of the Day group, and Sweetgrass Elder and knowledge keeper Wes Fineday was kind enough to respond.
In English, “ochre” can be a colour word that has a range from yellow to brown (much like the Cree word for yellow), but ochre itself is a natural clay earth pigment – the oldest pigment known to humanity – and it is found colouring ancient rock paintings all over the world.
All across Turtle Island we can find ochre paintings on rock that have remained indelible for millenia. Kevin Brousseau’s Old Cree dictionary proposes an Old Cree form *wiramana (based on the multiple Cree dialects).
Wes Fineday uses the word “wiyaman” – which corresponds to oyaman, defined in the itwêwina online dictionary as “vermilion, coloured paint.” But Wes had even more to say about its spiritual power than about the colour itself. He described ochre as a powerful protection and shield.
As an example, Wes shared a photo of a willow shield, which he called kah noh sih mohn (SRO: kanôsimon). The ends of each stick are carefully painted with oyaman. The shield is intended for physical and spiritual protection. He says, “We call these kanôsimona (protection shields). When we bring these into our lodges, the spirits refer to them as kâ-kîhkânâkwahki meaning “the ones that are clearly visible.”
But Wes tells us that ochre was also used directly on the body, on horses and on humans. A spot on the forehead could ensure safety. It also recognized loyalty from the horse. Red handprints on the horses body mean you have taken a life in battle. Red handprints are said to be required at the entrance to the spiritual dimensions to show who has been able to journey there.
There are many more lessons to be learned about the use of such powerful medicine, but they require diligence and discipline to learn. As Wes says, “You can also get the teachings about how to prepare yourself to be worthy of working with such powerful medicine. Once you’ve learned, you may not slap, hit, or even have negative thoughts or feelings about others for at least four days: you can cause serious damage (spiritual) or physical health problems. Preparation is key. This is not for the undisciplined or simple minded.” To begin, you must put down tobacco and smudge.
3 Responses
Thank you for that teaching
In my region, the woodland or rocky Cree, for some. The word we use is wathaman
Thank you for the teaching. My daughter and I made red willow protectors, now I know that we can cover the ends with wayimen. Hiy Hiy. Kinanaskomitinawow for the spiritual teaching.