Hi all,
I'm a first time poster here but my husband (username johnavilla) suggested I post my question here (we don't have access to teh intarwebz at our house right now so I'm posting from work).
Of course, I know cedar is horrendous for snakes in general and they can't come into contact with it. I turned down an offer of an antique jewellery chest to match our bedroom set (our snakes are kept in the bedroom) because we didn't want them to be at risk.
The reason I am posting here is that I was recently offered a beautiful medicine wheel (a sacred hoop representing the Four Directions in native cultures in general, as much a one can generalise Native cultures, that is 
). It has a tiny deerskin bag in the centre filled with the four sacred herbs - sweetgrass, tobacco, sage, and cedar. Very little cedar would be in said bag nor would it ever be something that would be opened. It would not be kept in the room where the snakes live - I plan on hanging it inside our apartment on the front door in the hall. The bedroom is off the hallway but about 25 feet at least from where the snakes are.
Its not the type of item that someone would be touching - at all! - let alone handling snakes after so it would not be like someone might get a bit of cedar oil on their skin and come into contact with them after thus putting the animals at risk. I have already turned down a medicine bag (usually a leather pouch filled with the four sacred herbs and other personally important items) because its not the type of item one really ever takes off.
Being Métis (mixed ancestry of both native and non-native cultures), I would love to have this holy item in our home as it represents so much to my people and myself. However, I also do not want to cause any harm to my husband's snakes (one of whom just had a few beautiful babies!)- also a big part of my culture. John suggested I post here and get some answers from people who would be more knowledgeable as to the risk. Thanks for any help you can give us - and the snakes!
