Tobacco Ties

Tobacco ties are made and used in almost all religious ceremonies and rituals. A tobacco tie, or tobacco bundle, is made by taking several pinches of tobacco and tying them in small square pieces of fabric. When making a tobacco tie, a person will often use seven pinches of tobacco, one for each of the four directions, one for the earth, one for the creator, and one for the ancestors.

While making tobacco ties, a person is supposed to concentrate his/her thoughts into the tobacco they are using. In this way, the intentions present in the moment of creation are also present while the tobacco tie is used. For instance if a tie is made and then tied to a tree or left in a sacred place, the intentions and prayers of the maker will be absorbed into its surroundings and act as sort of a blessing for the things in touches and for those who come in contact with it. Sometimes the ties are burned, sending those prayers up to the heavens.

The cloth used to make the ties is also important. A person may choose a specific color of cloth to call to present those gifts and attributes associated with that color.