Totem Stories

Medicine Woman in the Moon

The Algonquin story of the Medicine Woman in the Moon teaches us to appreciate and protect our knowledge, and to understand that the answers to some questions may take a long time to be revealed. In the story, a powerful woman healer, gifted with the knowledge to cure many ailments, wished to know when the world would finally end. Told by a spirit that she could learn this secret only if she hid away from other humans, she traveled to the moon, which protects the earth by night. She still waits there patiently today and, when the moon is full, she can be seen weaving a headband. Once her question is answered, she will return home.

The colors in this totem pole have special meaning:

• Red: Blood, valor
• Blue: Water and sky
• White: Skies and spacious heavens
• Yellow: Sun, light and happiness
• Green: Earth with hills, trees, and mountains
• Black: Power