Medicine Wheel: Respect Indigenous Traditions

BY NICOLE LAU

⚠️ CRITICAL NOTICE: Medicine Wheels are sacred to specific Indigenous nations—NOT generic spiritual tools for anyone to use. This article will NOT provide detailed information about Medicine Wheel teachings, as doing so would be disrespectful and harmful. Instead, it explains WHY you cannot use Medicine Wheels if you're not Indigenous and what you should do instead.

What This Article Will and Won't Do

This Article WILL:

• Explain that Medicine Wheels are sacred and closed
• Discuss why non-Indigenous people cannot use them
• Address the harm of appropriation
• Provide alternatives for non-Indigenous people
• Support Indigenous sovereignty

This Article WILL NOT:

• Describe Medicine Wheel teachings in detail
• Provide instructions for creating or using Medicine Wheels
• Share specific Indigenous knowledge
• Give you "permission" to use Medicine Wheels
• Suggest ways to "respectfully" appropriate

Why? Because sharing detailed information would be spreading stolen knowledge and contributing to cultural genocide.

Understanding Medicine Wheels: Basic Context Only

What They Are (General Information Only)

Medicine Wheels are sacred to various Indigenous nations in North America, particularly Plains nations. They are:

• Sacred ceremonial and teaching tools
• Specific to certain Indigenous nations
• Part of complex spiritual and cultural systems
• Tied to specific lands, peoples, and traditions
• Protected knowledge passed down through proper channels
• NOT generic "Native American" tools (each nation has distinct traditions)

Important: Different Indigenous nations have different traditions. There is no single "Medicine Wheel" tradition. Treating all Indigenous peoples as the same is erasure.

Why Detailed Information Won't Be Shared

This article will not describe:

• Specific teachings or meanings
• How to construct or use Medicine Wheels
• Ceremonial practices
• Sacred knowledge

Why? Because:

• This knowledge belongs to specific Indigenous nations
• It's not mine (or yours) to share
• Sharing it contributes to cultural theft
• Indigenous peoples have explicitly asked non-Indigenous people not to appropriate
• Respecting closed practices means not spreading their teachings

Why Medicine Wheels Are Closed Practices

They Belong to Specific Indigenous Nations

Medicine Wheels are not generic "Native American" spirituality. They belong to specific nations with:

• Distinct languages, cultures, and traditions
• Specific relationships to specific lands
• Unique spiritual practices and teachings
• The right to determine who can learn and use their sacred practices

Context of Genocide and Ongoing Colonization

Indigenous peoples have survived and continue to face:

• Genocide (90-95% population loss)
• Land theft and forced removal
• Cultural genocide (boarding schools, banned spiritual practices)
• Ongoing colonization and oppression
• Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women epidemic
• Environmental destruction of sacred lands
• Poverty, lack of healthcare, and systemic discrimination

While their spiritual practices were being criminalized (until 1978), non-Indigenous people were appropriating and commodifying those same practices. This continues today.

Indigenous Sovereignty

Indigenous nations are sovereign peoples with the right to:

• Determine who can participate in their spiritual practices
• Protect their sacred knowledge
• Say "this is not for you" and have that respected
• Control how their cultures are represented

Respecting Indigenous sovereignty means respecting these boundaries without question.

The Harm of Medicine Wheel Appropriation

Cultural and Spiritual Harm

• Disrespects sacred Indigenous traditions
• Treats sacred knowledge as commodity
• Spreads misinformation and distorted teachings
• Contributes to cultural genocide
• Erases the specific nations these practices come from
• Makes it harder for Indigenous people to maintain their own traditions

Economic Harm

• Non-Indigenous people profit from stolen knowledge
• Takes economic opportunities from Indigenous communities
• Wealth extracted without benefiting Indigenous peoples

Perpetuating Colonization

Appropriating Medicine Wheels continues colonial patterns:

• Taking what you want from Indigenous peoples
• Ignoring their sovereignty and rights
• Profiting from their culture while they face oppression
• Treating Indigenous spirituality as resource to extract

Common Forms of Appropriation

Non-Indigenous "Teachers"

Non-Indigenous people claiming to teach Medicine Wheel traditions:

• Have no right to teach these practices
• Are committing cultural theft
• Often spread inaccurate or invented information
• Take money that should go to Indigenous communities
• Cause spiritual and cultural harm

Books and Workshops

Non-Indigenous authors and workshop leaders offering:

• "Medicine Wheel teachings"
• "Native American spirituality" classes
• Books claiming to share sacred knowledge
• Online courses on Indigenous practices

This is appropriation and theft, regardless of claims of "respect" or "honoring."

Creating Your Own "Medicine Wheel"

Non-Indigenous people creating Medicine Wheels for:

• Personal spiritual practice
• Gardens or yards
• Workshops or ceremonies
• Healing or teaching

This is appropriation. Don't do it.

"Universal" or "Eclectic" Use

Claiming Medicine Wheels are:

• "Universal wisdom" available to everyone
• Part of "eclectic" spiritual practice
• "Inspired by" Indigenous traditions
• Okay to use if you're "respectful"

None of these justifications make appropriation acceptable.

What You Should Do Instead

If You're Not Indigenous: Don't Use Medicine Wheels

DO NOT:

• Use Medicine Wheels in any way
• Teach about Medicine Wheels
• Create Medicine Wheels
• Attend non-Indigenous-led workshops on Medicine Wheels
• Buy books by non-Indigenous authors about Medicine Wheels
• Claim to practice "Medicine Wheel spirituality"
• Use Medicine Wheel imagery or symbolism

There is no "respectful" way for non-Indigenous people to use Medicine Wheels. The respectful action is to NOT use them.

Support Indigenous Peoples Instead

• Support Indigenous-led organizations and causes
• Advocate for Indigenous rights and sovereignty
• Support the Land Back movement
• Learn about Indigenous issues from Indigenous sources
• Support Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women initiatives
• Respect treaty rights and sacred sites
• Challenge appropriation when you see it
• Support Indigenous language and cultural revitalization
• Acknowledge you're on stolen Indigenous land

Explore Your Own Ancestral Traditions

Instead of appropriating Indigenous practices:

• Research your own ancestral spiritual traditions
• Many cultures have directional or elemental systems
• Connect with your own heritage
• Create practices rooted in your own culture
• Don't steal from Indigenous peoples

Educate Others

When you see Medicine Wheel appropriation:

• Speak up and name it as appropriation
• Don't support businesses or teachers who appropriate
• Share information about why it's harmful
• Amplify Indigenous voices calling it out
• Direct people to Indigenous educators and resources

Common Excuses and Why They Don't Work

"But I'm Honoring Indigenous Culture"

No, you're not. Honor means respect. Respect means listening when Indigenous people say "this is not for you" and actually respecting that boundary.

"But I Feel Called to This"

Your feelings don't matter more than Indigenous sovereignty. Feeling drawn to something doesn't give you the right to take it.

"But I'm Part Native" (Without Proof)

Family stories are not proof. If you're not enrolled in a tribe or cannot document your ancestry, you're not Indigenous for the purposes of practicing Indigenous spirituality.

"But My Teacher Said It's Okay"

If your teacher is non-Indigenous, they're wrong. They have no authority to give you permission to use Indigenous sacred practices.

"But Indigenous People Shared It With Me"

One Indigenous person's opinion doesn't speak for all Indigenous peoples. Many Indigenous people explicitly state that their practices are closed. Respect those boundaries.

"But It's Universal Wisdom"

No, it's not. Medicine Wheels are specific to specific Indigenous nations. Claiming they're "universal" erases Indigenous ownership and is a way to avoid acknowledging appropriation.

If You're Indigenous

If you are Indigenous and interested in Medicine Wheel traditions:

• These may be part of your heritage (depending on your nation)
• Seek out elders and knowledge keepers in your community
• Learn from your specific nation's traditions
• Understand that not all Indigenous nations use Medicine Wheels
• You don't need permission from non-Indigenous people
• Your cultural practices are valid and sacred
• You have the right to call out appropriation

The Bigger Picture: Pan-Indigenous Stereotypes

Not All Indigenous Peoples Are the Same

There are:

• 574 federally recognized tribes in the U.S. alone
• Hundreds more in Canada and throughout the Americas
• Each with distinct languages, cultures, and traditions
• Medicine Wheels are specific to certain nations, not all Indigenous peoples

Treating all Indigenous peoples as one homogeneous group is erasure.

Respect Indigenous Diversity

• Learn about specific nations and their distinct cultures
• Don't use generic "Native American" imagery or practices
• Recognize that each nation has sovereignty and distinct identity
• Listen to Indigenous people from specific communities

Conclusion: Respect Is Non-Negotiable

Medicine Wheels are sacred to specific Indigenous nations—not for non-Indigenous people to use, teach, or appropriate in any way.

If you're not Indigenous:

• Don't use Medicine Wheels
• Don't teach about Medicine Wheels
• Don't create Medicine Wheels
• Don't attend non-Indigenous workshops on Medicine Wheels
• Support Indigenous peoples and their sovereignty
• Explore your own ancestral traditions
• Call out appropriation when you see it

This is not debatable. This is not flexible. This is not open to interpretation.

Indigenous peoples have survived genocide and continue to face colonization. Their spiritual practices are sacred, protected, and NOT FOR YOU.

Respect is not about what you can take—it's about what you choose to honor by leaving alone.

This article is part of our Respectful Cultural Education series. Twentieth article in the series.

As you honor the sacred wisdom of the Medicine Wheel, remember that true respect begins with conscious practice and deep self-reflection, which you can explore through our Shadow Work Tarot guide to illuminate inner landscapes, while grounding your intentions with the meditative Blue Moon Audio to align with lunar cycles, and sealing your rituals with the protective energy of the Sacred Space Cleanse kit to create a reverence-filled environment for your spiritual journey.