The smoking of the peace pipe is an extremely spiritual process and the pipe itself is considered to be a spiritual instrument. The peace pipe ceremony begins many ways, depending of the tribal traditions. In one ceremony the beginning is the purification of the pipe. A ceremony can come before the pipe, or the peace pipe ceremony begins with the loading of the pipe. The ceremony itself is usually similar among tribes.
Tobacco is the only substance used.
Once the pipe is loaded, the individual acknowledges the four directions, Mother Earth, and Father Sky. The pipe holder faces a direction, sprinkles a portion of tobacco on the ground, and then places the rest into the pipe. The sprikeling of tobacco on the ground represents the giving back to Mother Earth. The Native Indians lived and worked with and on the earth. The had an extremely spiritual bond with the earth and all living creatures.