Lesson 7 -Sweat Lodges

Assignment 7:

Write an essay to answer these questions please. This essay does not have to have a word count.

1. What was the purpose of The Sweat Lodge? Was it Spiritual ? OR just Traditional ?

With sweat lodges, I don't think you can separate spiritual and traditional but I do think it is both.  The purpose is both for spiritual cleansing, refocusing, and for group togetherness and maybe communal prayer type occasions. But in order to have this event, a group of people follow traditions and rituals with specific meanings, and each job
such as sage holder, fire keeper, pit keeper (not sure of titles here), but each have their traditions and purposes guiding them in their "job" for that sweat.  As the group leaders of this class have pointed out, it is virtually impossible to separate spirituality from the NA's daily life if they live within a community of other NA's or were taught young about the ways of their ancestors.  They also have rules that are based on either traditional considerations, health reasons, and ritual ceremonial guidelines about who does what (fire keeper not being in the sweat lodge for instance). 

2. Do you think that this lesson was important to learn and know about the Native Culture?

I think yes it was important although it didn't as much have to do with the Cherokee. I do wonder what similar way the Cherokee had to do cleanse and have group or communal spiritual events.  I think also that people hear of sweat lodges but have many different beliefs about them that may or may not be grounded in reality.  My husband, for instance, is very weary of sweats b/c he lumps them with other religions such as wicca or something like that.  He just is a cradle Episcopalian and had an ex who explored some dark stuff he didn't feel right about so now he's weary of most other non-mainstream religions.  Thats just him but my point is that he's never been and would not realize that many in the lodge who are just your average white Christian just pray to God when its their turn in the round rather than mentioning an animal. Its open to whatever one wishes to pray about.  The only thing is just that you don't interrupt and you go around the circle and speak when it comes to you and respect the others when they speak.  Sometimes, knowing about this dispells some erroneous beliefs and can open others' minds to the similarities of their beliefs, not just the differences. 

3. What did this lesson teach you? and What did you learn from this lesson?

The lesson taught how to build a sweat lodge and some of the rules but after having been to a few, I wonder if people might like to understand what actually happens inside with respect to the types of prayers.  This is just my experience. 

I remember we used white fabric with tobacco inside and tied like the tiny ghosts we made in kindergarten and then tied to tree limbs around the outskirts of the fire.  We prayed about something while we made them and then those thoughts went in with us to the sweat.  Before going in, we stood and someone took burning sage and moved it around almost like the motions of being frisked with the metal detector at an airport, so that smoke covers all your limbs, back and front.

One thing about the clothing is that bathing suits for women are so tight it makes you overheat so underwear, lightweight running shorts and a sleeveless loose t-shirt if you are bashful might be better.  Cotton is best b/c lycra really is hot and binding.  Some go in with shirts and take them off while in the lodge where it is pretty dark and/or steamy (can't see so much bodily detail in there) but you have to get out afterward so I would recommend bringing a t-shirt or something to pull on before getting out.

After the sage cleansing, we entered and went in one direction (I think clockwise) so that the first who enters goes all the way around the pit and gets the first seat next to the opening on the opposite side.  I think this is the one who pokes at the stones from the inside. 

Inside the sweat, we focused on one direction at a "round" where each person in the circle had the opportunity to mention the animal of that direction and say a prayer for whatever attribute that animal had (for instance, Pray to the Creator to have the courage of the bear to guide you through a tough medical trial in your or a loved ones life).
Since many of the members with us were some form of Christian, though most went to the "Unity" church (not unitarian), but most believed in "God" and thus prayed to "God" during their prayers but also sometimes would mention the animal or direction in their prayer.  You could say whatever you need to but you mainly say a prayer for that  attibute such as courage in that round, wisdom  in another round depending on the direction for that round.

If you think of four quarters to a basketball game, at the end of each quarter or direction, another stone/s are brought in and then the circle starts again with the next direction/animal guide/and set of prayers.  It can be either pretty steamy or oddly dark/hazy inside just about and no one really knows whose talking until the one to the left of you says their prayer and then its your turn.  Your sweating, heart beating so loud you can hear it above everything but the talking and you feel a certain pull connecting you to the people on either side of you, almost feeling the energy go from person to person around the circle.  When you have said your four prayers in turn we would say something upon exiting - Can't remember the word but something like "all the grandfathers" and come out of the sweat.  It feels like being in a really hot bath and standing up quickly, sort of faint but also very invigorating (especially on a cold night). 

After the sweat, we took our prayer ties and threw them in the fire one by one saying a silent prayer about what they were for.  The tobacco smoke is to take the prayer to the heavens and the fabric is consumed in the fire.  Then we all went up and pigged out on a pot luck supper and talked about what is the latest news about some of the Lakota friends the guy who owned the house and ran the sweat knew.  He would meet with these guys regularly or go up to where they lived and receive  guidance and come back and share what he learned.  Then we would just talk and socialize and eat some more.  Often the guys would go back down and make sure the fire was out and bring the chairs back up and the women would help clean up the kitchen but being a progressive bunch of folks, often we all picked up after the sweat and then when they guys were out showing each other a new knife, gadget, or discussion the best way to rewire a faulty electronic device, the women cleaned up the kitchen. 

4. What do you think was the most important lesson that you have learned from this lesson?

I learned that even sweats are different just as tribes are but what matters is that it is a communal gathering (not one you can do on your own) and that it involves cleansing, respect, prayer, roles depending on seniority or length of study in the group and that it matters more the respect given and the spiritual focus on certain aspects of spiritual life such as courage and wisdom.  It reminds me a little of the process of communion in the Episcopal church.  We can pray alone or with a friend but it takes a celebrant, certain items, certain rituals and traditions, and a few people to perform the jobs required in order to do a communion.  To many, it is a cleansing process and a form of renewal each week.  Not that this is like Christianity, as I don't want to get into that discussion again.  But, if those of us who are a part of a Christian religion, this might help to explain that a sweat if nothing else is a communal happening full of tradition, symbolism, meaning, cleansing, prayer, and a form of rebirth or renewal.  The sweat itself does several things, both to the physical body and the spiritual soul so that it forms a connection between the two in each person (body and soul) and then among the group as a whole. 

What I did learn from this lesson also was the reverence and care and specific guidelines for actually picking the spot and building the lodge.  My father is in the process of choosing a place on his property to build a sweat lodge and he has invited a woman named Winddaughter who is a Native American who is very active in the NA communities where she lives to come and help them find the right spot that observes the requirements of direction, space needed, the feel of the spot, and to bless the spot.  She will also recommend some people (or types of people/folks who have certain knowledge about sweats if not the particular names themselves) who can come help him build it.  In this day in age, we tend to get a wild hair and say, I want one of those, go to the hardware store, buy the stuff and put it together wherever it will look right and be convenient to the house as if one is just building a gazebo on the property.  My dad is like that so I am very awestruck by the care and planning and praying about this that he and my stepmother are doing before building this lodge.  I had no idea of all the specifics until reading the above lesson.  I just thought he was procrastinating (which also my dad's thing) but after reading this, I see why they are being so thoughtful and deliberate about the process.  I look forward to it being built as I miss the sweats we used to do in Birmingham-the man divorced and is no longer living where he can do the sweat lodge.

This is a poem I wrote about the times I did the sweat lodge.  Maybe it will shed some light on one person's experience.  Its more the feelings before and after than the event itself. 

Sweat Lodge   (E) Experiencing a sweat lodge ceremony-and trying to keep the memories alive. #1503646 by SWPoet

Brandy



Discussion Topic:

Please discuss with your fellow class mates what stood out to you in this lesson, and if this was valuable information to know.

See forum for this information. 









Your Three Words:


1.Now = nv

2.Angry = u-hna-lv-ha

3.Broken = u-yo