How Medicine Began

How Medicine Began - Lenape 


At first, long ago, men and women lived to be very old. Some were said to have lived two and three hundred years. Our Lenape'wak knew happiness and good health.  Then one day a mysterious sickness came upon our people, and everyone who became sick died. It seemed as if soon no one would be left alive.  Now, one who had died from the sickness was a young boy. As he traveled along Pimikishika'tek, the Path of Souls, he eventually came before Nutemhuma, the Keeper Grandmother, who watches over the entrance to the Land of Spirits, and the young boy was sobbing in great sorrow. Keeper Grandmother asked him why he grieved so, and the young boy replied that his people were dying and that he wished for them to be given life. 

So, Nutemhuma told Creator about the young boy, and having pity on the boy and our Lenape'wak, he decided to send Nanapush to teach them medicine and healing. 

Now, Nanapush came, and he was instructed by Creator to restore the young boy to life. So, he made a lodge and covered it, then he made a fire and gathered 12 rocks, heating them until they were red hot. Nanapush put the young boy's body in the lodge and then brought in the re hot rocks and closed the door. The rocks were glowing brightly in the darkness and now Nanapush poured water on them, creating much steam, and invoking the Creator and the Spirits to help him. The rocks were the boy's body, the fire his inner fire, the water his blood, the steam his breath. With Spirit came life, and Keeper Grandmother sent his Spirit back into his body; the boy was alive once again, restored, whole and healthy! 

Now, in remembrance of this, as a symbol of sacredness, and the fragility of life that the people might be reminded of thus and that they might hold the gift of life close to their hearts and not take it for granted, the Creator set strawberries upon the earth. The red of the strawberry is the red of blood, which is life, and all life, like the strawberry, grows to maturity, gives forth seed and new life, and then is gone. However, even though death touches all life in winter, the strawberry leaves are green there under the snow, a symbol of the Creator's promise of the continuation of life even after death. 

The leaves of the strawberry were given in threes, representing birth, life and death; also the 3 clans of our Lenape'wak, the Wolf, Turtle and Turkey. As long as we remember clan and family, and the ways of our ancestors, like the strawberry we too shall live through the coming winters. 

So, the young boy, being given new life, was given a new name, Wate'him, 'Strawberry'. Nanapush gave him a naming ceremony to honor and bless him before the Creator and all of creation. 

Wate'him, having experienced the mystery of life and death, had been given special gifts and a special purpose. The Creator had instructed Nanapush to teach the boy the way of medicine and healing, and so he did. First, Nanapush taught him about the sweat lodge, original instructions from the Creator, the meanings in its construction and ceremony, and how to use it for purification and healing. However, Nanapush knew that it would require more than the sweat lodge alone to bring health back to the people. So, they fasted and prayed for guidance in vision to help the Lenape grandchildren from the ravages of the dread sickness which was upon them. 

Nanapush was given vision, and in his vision he saw an otter, kuna'moxk, in the water. It was sick and had a plant in its mouth. Then some large waves washed over the otter and it disappeared. The water became still and the otter reappeared, with the plant in its mouth, looking strong and healthy. He was cured.    Nanapush woke from his vision and he took Wate'him into the forest with him. Going to a certain place and looking for the plant he had seen in his vision, he soon found it. The plant was sukaxkuk chipik, the black snake root, and the 2 dug some up to take back with them. 

From "The Grandfathers Speak" by: Hìtakonanu'laxk  © Used by permission