Medicine Wheel
The medicine wheel is also known as the sacred hoop or sacred wheel. It has been used by generations of Indigenous people for guidance, health, and healing.
Everything in life is circular. The medicine wheel helps to represent this. The medicine wheel is meant to be a positive influence, bringing balance and direction to one's life.
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The medicine wheel can be used to understand the different stages of life, stages of development, and our experiences at each stage.
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The 7 teachings include the directions, seasons, elements, animals, plants/medicine, heavenly bodies, and stages of life.
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Yellow represents new life. Specifically, it represents the beginning stages of life, birth and early childhood. This is a time of innocence, purity, and energy. This is the stage of development where we show the most physical growth.
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Red represents youth and adolescence. This is a time of growth and the development of knowledge. This stage represents the experience of learning and the development of the mental self.
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Black represents adulthood, parenthood, and protection. This stage focuses on the development of family, community, and self. This stage highlights the emotional self where we find out meaning and place.
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White represents elders, grandparents and death. This stage highlights the wisdom and knowledge gained from a lifetime of living in the physical world. For those in this stage, it is a time of reflection, rest and spirituality.
Note: There are many variations of the medicine wheel. Not all Indigenous groups recognize symbols or meanings in the same way. This medicine wheel represents meanings that are commonly recognized in Manitoba.