I m Lauren Sicher, and I am in the process of transcribing interviews about experiences, knowledge, or memories dealing with Braucherei or Pow-wow. This process is very important to me, and I handle it with a lot respect. I am still in college and will apprentice to be a Braucher with my brother, Matthew Sicher. I m also in the process of learning PA Dutch through classes at Kutztown University that I take with my brother and his wife. I am excited to keep the tradition and the PA German culture going and be a part in preserving its history.

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The voices of unknown people were scribed on a piece of paper telling me of their memories. The writing was short and abbreviated leaving little said and much to the imagination. Who were these people who spoke about these incantations and history of themselves? The possibilities were endless with only initials of who was interviewed and sometimes the place they grew up. I had to decipher the meanings, whether from the messy handwriting or from the lack of words.

Transcribing is what I am doing, but to me that word does not do the process justice. Even though I m typing what was written from original documents, there is more to it. For me, looking at that piece of paper whether it s crinkled, messy writing, lined paper, or torn edges, there is a story. Not just any story, but a history. A history that is from this place, the very place I call home.

Braucherei is the link between each of these memories, stories, and people. Braucherei is what I am learning. I am learning the history, the tradition, and it s all a part of me because it is my ancestors and the ancestors of the place I call home. Looking at these papers I am elated with the information that is written on them. I know that as this tradition fades I am one of few who strive to keep it alive, and I am one who gets to hold these sacred words in my hand, heart, and mind. It s a tough line because this tradition is oral, and I am writing it down and clarifying what I can. But right now that is what needs to be done to keep the words of the elders alive, breathing, and in the forefront of this culture’s mind. I only will share these documents with the people who I know can respect, understand, and appreciate their sacredness. To others I will give a vague idea of what they possess to create a curiosity, interest, or a lost memory to resurface. That is what I will share with you.

In my transcriptions I came across a nice variety of things. There were plenty of interviews about people’s experiences and ideas. Some experiences were of a family member, friend, or even themselves seeing a Braucher. These experiences varied in age and different backgrounds like Amish or Lutheran. The interviews were from places like Reamstown, Albany Township, New Tripoli, Bernville, Macungie, and many other spots.

One of my first transcriptions was about the moon. There were cures, charms, and dreams that were discussed. Some of it was activities that should be done in different moon phases, and other bits were about what certain colors or phases meant. One document was all about numbers in groups of threes and what they meant. The woman referred to it as Number signs in Threes and Trinitarian Work . I personally was not aware of this part of Braucherei. Another writing contained ideas that went along with barn stars or hex signs. It told a slight history along with ideas on their meanings and involvement with pow-wow. I really enjoyed a transcription that was all harvest prayers for things like crops, fishing, hunting, and a few other things. For the longest time I ve wanted to find a prayer for those things. The one titled Male/Female Instruction talked about passing the tradition to the opposite sex and different ways it was done. Some townships had more of a rule that kept it within the family, like aunt to nephew, and others decided it shouldn t be a family member. The part that I ve heard before but still fascinated me was what the person called finding a dream child. It was amazing for me to see at least three accounts on this topic of a Braucher saying, I was dreamt of by my teacher. There was one document that was very interesting to me but was harder for me to follow. It was talking about some of the history of pow-wow and what events happened. A man named Dr. Bruno was mentioned from around the 1500 s who had a group that eventually turned into the Rosicrucians. This went into events into the Middle ages. Legends of royal blood came about along with secret orders that were for men and women. I found this all very interesting. I d really like to do some more research into it and have some more light shed on the events and ideas.
This is all I feel like I can share with you from these transcriptions I have done. I hope those of you who have read this piece feel like I am being respectful of this tradition while painting a watercolor picture of possibilities. If you would like to share any information with me about Braucherei I would be more than happy to receive it.

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Pow-wow/Braucherei

The Three Sisters Center for the Healing Arts is recording stories, interviews, memories, and knowledge of the healing tradition of Pow-wow or Braucherei. We are creating an archive of this tradition to preserve our heritage and ensure the practice. If you know anyone who practices or has a story we d love to hear it. Whether you d like a personal interview or you want to remain anonymous and write to us, your experience is important and will be treated with respect. You can contact us with questions or information by writing to:

The Three Sisters Center for the Healing Arts (transcription)
P.O. Box 88
Kempton, PA 19529

Or to find out more about The Three Sisters Center for the Healing Arts go to:
www.threesisterscenter.com

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