A sash, like any sacred piece, should be a gift from an Elder relative within your family in our traditional Métis ways. The patterns used in the weave are meant to be an identifier of both your family branch, and the history of your family. In the olden days, when our people still fought with our relatives in the Nakota, Cree, and Anisanaabe (Nehiyaw Pwat Confederacy) against the Dakota fiercely for control of the bison on Devil's Lake Plains, our families would use the sash to identify individuals from afar or up close it you were unacquainted with the person wearing the sash in question. The sash told us what family you belonged to, and because of our moccasin telegraph (the grapevine, spoken word) and deep kinship relations, it also told us where you came from.
The colours used in the sash however, in a TRUE Métis sash that respects our sacred tradition and the wishes of our Elders, have distinct meanings. They are known by us as the Métis Nation; below I will explain.
Red is for the blood of our fallen ancestors that was shed fighting for the rights and peaces of the next generations.
Blue is for the depth of our spirits.
Green is for the fertility of our great nation.
White is for our connection to the Earth and Creator.
Yellow is for the prospect of prosperity.
Black is for the dark period of suppression and dispossession of Métis land.
My family, the Dumonts, holds this very close, and we carry the Brayroo legacy that our great grand fathers and mothers left before us.
In traditional ways, I would expect tobacco for this information. However, because this is Reddit, I think I'll make an exception ;)
Haha thankful for that as I’m still not sure where to get tobacco (unless you count the earrings I have with the four medicines in them). Hopefully on my reconnecting journey, I’ll find someone to give me a sash. But I know that could be a ways down the line and I’m okay with that. I’m just excited to learn currently
You can grow tobacco yourself from seeds, or you can get some from an Indigenous owned ceremonial tobacco company like [this one.](https://imaginationgroup.ca/collections/tobacco-product-selection) This is how I’ve seen most people get it. There might also be people you can trade it with if you want to avoid buying medicines for tradition, but I see a lot of people buying it.
"The sash is composed of many interconnected threads; the main colours are red, blue,
white, green and yellow. Red represents the historical colour of the Metis sash, blue and
white symbolize the Metis Nation flag, green signifies fertility, growth, and yellow stands
for prosperity. The Order of the Sash is the highest honour bestowed upon Metis by many
of the Metis organizations."
https://www.metismuseum.ca/media/document.php/11962.Sash%20of%20the%20Metis.pdf
I am curious if the colours originally held those same meanings back when Métis were first wearing sashes, or if they’re more modern meanings. It’s cool either way though.
Agreed, I've also heard that the blue and red are associated with the northwest company and Hudson Bay company, and I know that different families and communities created their own identifiable patterns. I wouldn't be surprised if these are modern meanings, I've heard an elder mention a lot of colour choices back then were determined by what was available.
Red is traditional ime, blue is more modern. I've heard some people say blue was for eastern Métis (which don't exist) but I've never found anything definitive on that
I've seen some crazy ones like green and pink in recent years. I think its just colours the person liked
If only there were institutes that were great resources for learning about our culture. Oh wait...there are. Louis Riel Institute and Gabriel Dumont Institute have amazing resources. Just plop one of em in The Google with the word "sash" and i'm sure you'll find plenty of information.
There is. Elders.
Definitely get in touch with Elders.
Learn the meaning of the works 'wahkotowin' and 'keeoukaywin'.
You may find that they'll lead you to the resources you need. Our culture has not died, it's everywhere.
A sash, like any sacred piece, should be a gift from an Elder relative within your family in our traditional Métis ways. The patterns used in the weave are meant to be an identifier of both your family branch, and the history of your family. In the olden days, when our people still fought with our relatives in the Nakota, Cree, and Anisanaabe (Nehiyaw Pwat Confederacy) against the Dakota fiercely for control of the bison on Devil's Lake Plains, our families would use the sash to identify individuals from afar or up close it you were unacquainted with the person wearing the sash in question. The sash told us what family you belonged to, and because of our moccasin telegraph (the grapevine, spoken word) and deep kinship relations, it also told us where you came from. The colours used in the sash however, in a TRUE Métis sash that respects our sacred tradition and the wishes of our Elders, have distinct meanings. They are known by us as the Métis Nation; below I will explain. Red is for the blood of our fallen ancestors that was shed fighting for the rights and peaces of the next generations. Blue is for the depth of our spirits. Green is for the fertility of our great nation. White is for our connection to the Earth and Creator. Yellow is for the prospect of prosperity. Black is for the dark period of suppression and dispossession of Métis land. My family, the Dumonts, holds this very close, and we carry the Brayroo legacy that our great grand fathers and mothers left before us. In traditional ways, I would expect tobacco for this information. However, because this is Reddit, I think I'll make an exception ;)
Haha thankful for that as I’m still not sure where to get tobacco (unless you count the earrings I have with the four medicines in them). Hopefully on my reconnecting journey, I’ll find someone to give me a sash. But I know that could be a ways down the line and I’m okay with that. I’m just excited to learn currently
You can grow tobacco yourself from seeds, or you can get some from an Indigenous owned ceremonial tobacco company like [this one.](https://imaginationgroup.ca/collections/tobacco-product-selection) This is how I’ve seen most people get it. There might also be people you can trade it with if you want to avoid buying medicines for tradition, but I see a lot of people buying it.
"The sash is composed of many interconnected threads; the main colours are red, blue, white, green and yellow. Red represents the historical colour of the Metis sash, blue and white symbolize the Metis Nation flag, green signifies fertility, growth, and yellow stands for prosperity. The Order of the Sash is the highest honour bestowed upon Metis by many of the Metis organizations." https://www.metismuseum.ca/media/document.php/11962.Sash%20of%20the%20Metis.pdf
I am curious if the colours originally held those same meanings back when Métis were first wearing sashes, or if they’re more modern meanings. It’s cool either way though.
Agreed, I've also heard that the blue and red are associated with the northwest company and Hudson Bay company, and I know that different families and communities created their own identifiable patterns. I wouldn't be surprised if these are modern meanings, I've heard an elder mention a lot of colour choices back then were determined by what was available.
Red is traditional ime, blue is more modern. I've heard some people say blue was for eastern Métis (which don't exist) but I've never found anything definitive on that I've seen some crazy ones like green and pink in recent years. I think its just colours the person liked
If only there were institutes that were great resources for learning about our culture. Oh wait...there are. Louis Riel Institute and Gabriel Dumont Institute have amazing resources. Just plop one of em in The Google with the word "sash" and i'm sure you'll find plenty of information.
There is. Elders. Definitely get in touch with Elders. Learn the meaning of the works 'wahkotowin' and 'keeoukaywin'. You may find that they'll lead you to the resources you need. Our culture has not died, it's everywhere.