Talking Sticks

Talking Sticks are used whenever you want to be certain everyone will be heard, without repercussion,
such as when leading groups, in families, or even business.

All Talking Sticks are one of a kind. What is shown is what is available.

American Indians used a Talking Stick during tribal councils. The stick is passed from one person to another, and only the person holding the Talking Stick is permitted to speak. This practice was and can still be a practice of mindfulness. Each person has an opportunity to speak without interruption, ridicule or reprisal. Each member not holding the Talking Stick must listen carefully because, unlike many meetings today, if one agreed with a prior opinion it did not need to be stated aloud. The purpose was instead for each idea and each opinion to be heard and considered, so the wisest choice could be made.

Talking Sticks have high ceremonial and spiritual value and are often considered sacred. The items on the Talking Stick all have a meaning. 

• The Talking Stick itself: White pine = peace, Birch = truth, Evergreens = growth and consistency over time, Cedar = cleansing, Aspen = seeing with clarity, Maple = gentleness, Elm = wisdom, Mountain Ash = protection, Oak = strength, Cherry = emotion and love, Fruit Woods = abundance, Nut trees = energy and new beginning.
• Attached to the Talking Stick: Rabbit fur as a reminder to the speaker to keep words soft and warm; Strands of Buffalo hair to bring the speaker power and strength; Blue turquoise can represent the Great Spirit, hearing words spoken in the heart as well as those spoken aloud; an iridescent shell to represent change of seasons, people, and situations.
• Colors of beads: According to Eastern Band Cherokee, yellow for the eastern sunrise, red for the western sunset, white for snow from the north, and green earth from the south. With these four colors, the speaker holds the universe in his or her hands when holding the Talking Stick. 
• Talking Sticks can be personalized with colors and attachments to represent you, your totem animals, your spirit. For example, incorporating red for life, yellow for knowledge, blue for wisdom, white for spirit, purple for healing, orange for kinship with all living things, or black for clarity. A turkey feather foreace and resolution. An owl feather to banish deception. The hide of the Buffalo for abundance, elk for fitness and stamina, deer for gentleness, rabbits for keen hearing/listening, horse hair for perseverance, and snakeskin for healing. 

Some contemporary families still use something akin to a Talking Stick, passing it from family member to family member, allowing them to be heard…without interruption and without the topic being up later by others. 

Talking Sticks can be used to settle disputes, to share concerns, and to bring people closer.

Talking sticks can also be used in groups: group counseling, support groups, classrooms, etc. again to allow individuals to be heard. So often individuals can be in attendance, but never be truly heard. 

Finally, perhaps one of the greatest wedding gifts for a newly joined couple is a Talking Stick…to stop the quick reactions born of intense emotions of anger, jealousy, and fear.