Author Topic: a question about sweat lodges  (Read 13948 times)

Offline emeraldsunsets

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Re: a question about sweat lodges
« Reply #15 on: June 25, 2010, 01:11:46 pm »
I am not offened, rattlebone, just explaining my side.
I have been to many pow wow, I have been in a womens sweat lodge and such, the clergy has also trained us on how they do it where I work. I am not christian. I do not know everything there is to know on native americans in general, I only know somewhat about blackfoot heritage, which I am a part of, but I don't have enough of to register. So no, I don't consider myself native, nor does anyone else, I just know more than others. So as to not sound new age, I have respect for native american traditions, but I also have compassion and feel concerned when guys are passing out from heat exhaustion because they don't know what they are doing, and then get mad because I am a woman and chose to check on them, because their lodge is too smoky, and too hot.
As to the paper indian thing, yes some are registered, but some aren't and join just to get a free tobacco puff now and then. They tend to argue alot amoung themselves.

Re: a question about sweat lodges
« Reply #16 on: June 25, 2010, 02:46:52 pm »
Clergy trained you on how they do sweat lodges? 

That's just awful.. 

as for smoke, i've been when plants/herbs were used, it never got 'smokey' where people had to cough. that's all i know.

press the little black on silver arrow Music, 1) Bob Pietkivitch Buddha Feet http://www.4shared.com/file/114179563/3697e436/BuddhaFeet.html

Offline sapa

  • Posts: 35
Re: a question about sweat lodges
« Reply #17 on: June 25, 2010, 03:49:10 pm »
Shortly after the Arizona deaths Arvol Looking Horse issue a statement regarding the qualifications needed to run a inipi or other Lakota ceremonies ie hanbleceya, completed wiwangyawacipi commitment, and tribal recognition as a spiritual person that had met these requirements. Theres really not that many qualified people out there.  As for smokyness they may not have been brushing off the stones before bringing them in lodge.

Offline Defend the Sacred

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Re: a question about sweat lodges
« Reply #18 on: June 25, 2010, 04:12:55 pm »
Statement by Chief Arvol Looking Horse, released October 14, 2009, reprinted with permission of author:


As Keeper of our Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle, I am concerned for the 2 deaths and illnesses of the many people that participated in a sweat lodge in Sedona, Arizona that brought our sacred rite under fire in the news. I would like to clarify that this lodge and many others, are not our ceremonial way of life, because of the way they are being conducted. My prayers go out for their families and loved ones for their loss.

Our ceremonies are about life and healing, from the time this ancient ceremonial rite was given to our people, never has death been a part of our inikag'a (life within) when conducted properly. Today the rite is interpreted as a sweat lodge, it is much more then that. So the term does not fit our real meaning of purification.

Inikag'a is the oldest ceremony brought to us by Wakan Tanka (Great Spirit). 19 generations ago, the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota Oyate (people), were given seven sacred rites of healing by a Spirit Woman Pte San Win (White Buffalo Calf Woman). She brought these rites along with our sacred C'anupa (pipe) to our People, when our ancestors were suffering from a difficult time. It was also brought for the future to help us for much more difficult times to come. They were brought to help us stay connected to who we are as a traditional cultural People. The values of conduct are very strict in any of these ceremonies, because we work with spirit. The way the Creator, Wakan Tanka told us; that if we stay humble and sincere, we will keep that connection with the inyan oyate (the stone people), who we call the Grandfathers, to be able to heal our selves and loved ones. We have a gift of prayer and healing and have to stay humble with our Unc'i Maka (Grandmother Earth) and with one another. The inikag'a is used in all of the seven sacred rites to prepare and finish the ceremonies, along with the sacred eagle feather. The feather represents the sacred knowledge of our ancestors.

Our First Nations People have to earn the right to pour the mini wic'oni (water of life) upon the inyan oyate (the stone people) in creating Inikag'a - by going on the vision quest for four years and four years Sundance. Then you are put through a ceremony to be painted - to recognize that you have now earned that right to take care of someone's life through purification. They should also be able to understand our sacred language, to be able to understand the messages from the Grandfathers, because they are ancient, they are our spirit ancestors. They walk and teach the values of our culture; in being humble, wise, caring and compassionate.

What has happened in the news with the make shift sauna called the sweat lodge is not our ceremonial way of life!

When you do ceremony - you can not have money on your mind. We deal with the pure sincere energy to create healing that comes from everyone in that circle of ceremony. The heart and mind must be connected. When you involve money, it changes the energy of healing. The person wants to get what they paid for; the Spirit Grandfathers will not be there, our way of life is now being exploited! You do more damage then good. No mention of monetary energy should exist in healing, not even with a can of love donations. When that energy exists, they will not even come. Only after the ceremony, between the person that is being healed and the Intercessor who has helped connect with the Great Spirit, the energy of money can be given out of appreciation. That exchange of energy is from the heart; it is private and does not involve the Grandfathers! Whatever gift of appreciation the person who received the help, can now give the Intercessor what ever they feel their healing is worth.

In our Prophesy of the White Buffalo Calf Woman, she told us that she would return and stand upon the earth when we are having a hard time. In 1994 this began to happen with the birth of the white buffalo, not only their nation, but many animal nations began to show their sacred color, which is white. She predicted that at this time there would be many changes upon Grandmother Earth. There would be things that we never experienced or heard of before; climate changes, earth changes, diseases, disrespect for life and one another would be shocking and there would be also many false prophets!

My Grandmother that passed the bundle to me said I would be the last Keeper if the Oyate (people) do not straighten up. The assaults upon Grandmother Earth are horrendous, the assaults toward one another was not in our culture, the assaults against our People (Oyate) have been termed as genocide, and now we are experiencing spiritual genocide!

Because of the problems that began to arise with our rebirth of being able to do our ceremonies in the open since the Freedom of Religion Act of 1978, our Elders began talking to me about the abuses they seen in our ceremonial way of life, which was once very strict. After many years of witnessing their warnings, we held a meeting to address this very issue of lack of protocol in our ceremonies. After reaching an agreement of addressing the misconduct of our ceremonies and reminding of the proper protocols, a statement was made in March 2003. Every effort was made to insure our way of life of who we are as traditional cultural People was made, because these ways are for our future and all life upon the Grandmother Earth (Mitakuye Oyasin All my relations), so that they may have good health. Because these atrocities are being mocked and practiced all over the world, there was even a film we made called Spirits for Sale.

The non-native people have a right to seek help from our First Nation Intercessors for good health and well-being, it is up to that Intercessor. That is a privilege for all People that we gift for being able to have good health and understand that their protocol is to have respect and appreciate what we have to share. The First Nations Intercessor has to earn that right to our ceremonial way of life in the ways I have explained.

At this time, I would like to ask all Nations upon Grandmother Earth to please respect our sacred ceremonial way of life and stop the exploitation of our Tunka Oyate (Spiritual Grandfathers).

In a Sacred Hoop of Life, where there is no ending and no beginning!

Namah'u yo (hear my words),
Chief Arvol Looking Horse, 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White
Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle.


« Last Edit: June 25, 2010, 04:19:55 pm by Kathryn NicDhĂ na »

Offline sapa

  • Posts: 35
Re: a question about sweat lodges
« Reply #19 on: June 25, 2010, 08:58:17 pm »
This is good but not the one I was referring to. It was printed in the Teton Times a few months ago shortly after the Arizona disaster.

apukjij

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Re: a question about sweat lodges
« Reply #20 on: June 26, 2010, 05:09:17 am »
i love this Proclamation as much as i hate the events that led up to it,  i like especially His explanation how money sullies Ceremony.

Offline nemesis

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Re: a question about sweat lodges
« Reply #21 on: June 26, 2010, 09:00:41 am »
It breaks my heart that the situation arose that such a communication had to be written.

The irony is not lost on me that all those new age shameons who claim to have a deep spirchul affinity with native American people repeatedly ignore such messages and appear not to care at all about the hurt and damage their actions cause.

It seems to me that their actions are a kind of stalking, only that the stalker's victim is not an individual but a tribal group.

Just like some types of stalkers who, no matter how many times they hear the plea "but I don't want to be with you and we are not in a relationship" will say "oh but you do want to be with me and we are in a relationship, you are just in denial of it!"






Offline emeraldsunsets

  • Posts: 8
Re: a question about sweat lodges
« Reply #22 on: July 07, 2010, 04:29:34 am »
@critter

Truthfully it was more of a emailed pamphlet than any training. I agree, it is sad, and it is all they have.

Offline sapa

  • Posts: 35
Re: a question about sweat lodges
« Reply #23 on: August 16, 2010, 07:30:41 pm »

a'ho Sometime the door keeper lets a grandfather in the lodge without brushing it off  after taking it out of the pit.  some people use a cedar sprigs to brush them off? or maybe the lodge pit might have  some wood debris ?