Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Native American Peace Pipes
Peace pipes were sacred to Native Americans. Like all Native American artifacts, peace pipes were fashioned with great care. Smoking a peace pipe had great significance: it could seal a political agreement or arrange a marriage.
Like many other arts and crafts, Native American peace pipes have a legend behind them. The legend states that two young men were walking one night in a ravine. Suddenly, they saw a beautiful young maiden coming towards them. She had a dress made out of fine material. Each man fell in love with the girl. As she approached them, they noticed that she held a pipe in her hands. The girl offered the pipe to the sky and the earth and then held it toward the men.
The girl put the pipe on the ground and then turned into a buffalo cow. The cow pawed the ground, stuck her tail out behind her, and picked up the pipe with her hooves. Then, the cow turned into a girl again. She explained that she was giving them a peace pipe. She told them that a peace pipe should be a part of all sacred ceremonies and treaties.
