Buffalo Spirit Articles - First Issue Welcome on our journey Elder Joe Cardinal - In his own words Devalon Small Legs - cultural advisor A case made for unusual, thought-provoking art Who do you go to for advice? Oglala Sioux man writes to set the record straight Listen and you will learn Make an offering to the Elder Advice from the powwow trail Sweetgrass Making the connection The healing dance - the arena director The man in two worlds The First Horses

Phone: (780) 455-2700Fax (780) 455-7639 Email: edwind@ammsa.com Sweetgrass By Marie Burke Buffalo Spirit Writer On a small farm in Stony Plain, Alberta, sweetgrass is being cultivated with the intent of bringing it back to its original state of abundance in North America. "We're losing sweetgrass, and I've noticed that over the last 30 years. I remember being able to go to Kehewin [Alta.] and walk through it. Now in the same spots I can't do that. Our climate has changed dramatically and all those spots that were wonderful spots for sweetgrass are drying up," said Marilyn Cardinal. Cardinal is the owner of Sweetgrass Farms. She has been growing the long, fragrant plant since 1995. She sells the plant, root and all, in pots to her customers. She also sells braids of sweetgrass, and other sweetgrass products. "If we don't look after it, we won't have it. What we would really like to see is some kind of rehabilitation or restoration. I'm not so terribly interested in selling smudge bundles and braids. What I'd really like to see is that people get in touch with this plant," said Cardinal. She believes the sweetgrass plant is very happy to have humanity as a partner, and it is important for people to reconnect with earth and plants. She believes people are coming back to reconnect with the essence of life, the spirit, and sweetgrass will help them. Life is a manifestation of the spirit, she said. "I love the grass and I understand that it holds the spiritual frequency of this continent and there are plants that do that," said Cardinal. Through agriculture, development, climate change and population growth, the land that had once supported excellent conditions for sweetgrass growth has been dramatically changed. "There are people helping other plants and animals to survive these changes and sweetgrass needs help if it is to thrive again," said Cardinal. She isn't worried that sweetgrass will become commercial, but it's not something she would like to see in a florist's shop. The sacredness of the plant is respected by the people that she sells it to, she said. "If people want to come to a place where the grass is and they know the grass is good, they can come here. I've got [the farm] open in July and August. By a phone call, if they want to pick it, or if they want me to pick, then, ok. But really I want to see people go away with plants," said Cardinal. Cardinal would like to see organizations with land plant sweetgrass to bring it back. She thinks that maybe there is some politics around the reasons why some people might think that transplanting sweetgrass is not right. She isn't concerned about it, but she recognizes that some Aboriginal people have concerns about transplanting it. "I don't make a living off the grass. I mean, people have to pay some, but I'm not making a living off the grass. I'm a perennial specialist. That grass can sit and spread across my quarter section. I don't care if no one picks a leaf, but I'd like to share the restoration of this," said Cardinal. "For every person who condems me there are the people out there who want to grow it and they contact me," said Cardinal. For me, there is so much of it growing around. If you want to buy it, there's no harm. Of course, it's still sweetgrass. We like to pick it when it's ready. . . . The sweetgrass has a good message for us. Maybe I understand it a different way than you. Not different, but more feeling to it than some people that can understand. It has a good message. That's the way I take sweetgrass. We smudge the place when there is a big thunderstorm scaring people at night, and lightening, you light it up, and that's the way it had been, years ago. My grandfather, and great grandfather use it for sometimes you get scared or sickness or something that scares you, you light it. Try to easy that mind, that spirit within us. That's the way I believe it. Maybe the next guy believes it differently. .. .We say we purify the mind and the spirit and I really believe in that. God speaks to us in here [the heart] we feel it here [the heart]. We do not hear his voice, but we hear through here [the heart]. Sometimes we don't feel right, we don't think right. We use the sweetgrass, so that it would be more meaningful. That message will be more meaningful. I will understand it. I will deal with it the best way I can, something that I have to deal with. So my feeling is it's good sometimes. . . . - Joe Cardinal There is all kinds of commercial stuff out there. I was in Sacramento, Calif., one time and I went into this Indian shop and they had everything there - sweetgrass, roots, sage, all kinds of stuff. In them days I used to be very upset with this. . . . But then, I came upon some people that lived in the urban community. They wanted to get some sage, so it kind of dawned on me that those kind of places are needed. But my only comment is that if that person is growing that sweetgrass, he should be giving something back for being able to grow it. And that's the question you ask of that person. - Devalon Small Legs Continue your journey