American Indian Culture and Research Journal

The Sacred Pipe in American Indian Religions has a unique position in the history of primal religions throughout the world in the wide variety of symbolism associated with it and in its many ceremonial uses. Despite this importance there has never been a comprehensive study of the Sacred Pipe in its religious significance. The purpose of this bibliographical essay is to list all the important literature and to bring together an abundance of ethnographic data so that the religious meaning of the Sacred Pipe can be understood and appreciated. I will present the Sacred Pipe for its own sake and not simply in its social functions. It is my conclusion that the Sacred Pipe's ultimate meaning is in its sacramental nature, since it is a Native American symbol that makes all of life sacred. The literature has been organized in the following sections: 1) An Introductory Overview; 2) The Sacred Pipe in Mythology; 3) American Indian Attitudes towards the Sacred Pipe; 4) The Sacred Pipe in Ceremony; 5) The Chief and the Sacred Pipe; 6) The Sacred Pipe in the Societies; 7) The Sacred Pipe in Peace and War; 8) The Sacred Pipe as a Sacramental for All Needs; 9) The Sacred Pipe as the Symbolic Man; 10) The Sacred Pipe and Christianity; 11) Further Research on the Sacred Pipe. The contribution each section makes to our understanding of the Sacred Pipe as a sacramental will be indicated at the beginning of each section.