Ceremony Honors Individuals Who Donate Their Bodies to Science
During the smudging ceremony, Dr. Carlos Gonzales holds the shell containing the burning herbs for a student to pull the smoke over himself as part of the blessing.
In late August, medical students at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson took part in a traditional Native American blessing ceremony, followed by a tree planting to honor the memory of those who have passed away and donated their bodies to science. The ceremony was led by Carlos Gonzales, MD, assistant dean of curricular affairs, associate professor of family and community medicine, and advisor for Traditional Indian and Western Medicine Collaboration.
The annual event, known as the Tree Blessing Ceremony, took place in the Dr. Norman Koelling Willed Body Memorial Garden. The garden was created to “honor and esteem those who have supported science, medicine and education through the ultimate contribution of their body.” Medical students learn the basics of human anatomy through the College of Medicine – Tucson Willed Body Program, which allows individuals to donate their bodies after death so that students may gain valuable hands-on medical training.
Dr. Gonzales started the ceremony in 2007. “Two American Indian students asked me to perform a blessing ceremony before they worked on their cadaver. Other students heard of the ceremony, and they asked for a blessing for themselves, so I started performing the ceremony for the whole class using a prayer to the Seven Sacred Directions. This blessing involves recognizing the four cardinal points, and above us (father sky), below us (mother Earth) and the center (the creator). Each direction has certain energies associated with it. I therefore ask those energies to come into the circle and bless the students with those energies.”
“I also perform a smudging ceremony, where I bless each individual student with the smoke of the sacred cleansing and blessing herbs, which I burn in the abalone shell. The herbs are white sage, soft sage, sweetgrass, creosote leaves, copal, cedar and wild tobacco,” explained Dr. Gonzales.
After the Blessing Ceremony, participants take part in planting the tree, each taking a turn shoveling dirt into the hole. Ashes from the herbs burned in the smudging ceremony are mixed in with the dirt during the planting of the tree.
Dr. Carlos Gonzales performs the Blessing of the Seven Sacred Directions during the annual College of Medicine – Tucson Tree Blessing Ceremony.
Participants in the Blessing of the Seven Sacred Directions ceremony turn to face west as Dr. Carlos Gonzales leads the blessing.
The herbs used in the smudging ceremony are white sage, soft sage, sweetgrass, creosote leaves, copal, cedar and wild tobacco.
During the smudging ceremony, Dr. Carlos Gonzales blesses each individual student, faculty and staff member present.
A participant fans smoke from the smoldering sacred herbs towards himself as part of the smudging ceremony.
The ceremony concludes “in the traditional American Indian way of acknowledging everyone’s presence at the ceremony, thanking them for participating in the ceremony and wishing them a good day,” explained Dr. Carlos Gonzales.
Medical students took turns shoveling dirt into the hole of the newly-planted redbud tree honoring people who donated their bodies for educational use.
Medical student Aileen Lee takes her turn to help plant the tree honoring people who donated their bodies to science. Ashes from the burned sacred herbs are mixed in with the dirt of the newly-planted tree.
Medical student Ruby Kerwin (yellow) gently deposits her shovel-full of dirt at the base of the tree honoring those who donated their bodies for the medical student’s education.