Sweat Lodge Ceremony Essay

Songs accented by the low thrumming of a drum consumes the hot, dark sweat lodge; the scent of sage and tobacco smoke envelopes each of the lodges members. The description provided is only a taste of what I’ve experience during a Cherokee sweat lodge ceremony. For Natives American’s, the sweat lodge ceremony is performed to purify it’s participants. Various tribes believe that the great life exists in harmony with the body, mind and spirit. When a person of their communities harmony is disrupted, sickness typically overtakes them. The sweat lodge ceremony consists of a prayer circle that serves to transform one from their old self into their new self. In the preceding essay I discuss my personal experiences and the teachings that accompanied

them during various midwestern Cherokee sweat lodge ceremonies.
The process of building a lodge is sacred in itself, and follows a very specific procedure that is based upon the particular tribes core beliefs. The Cherokee teach that the first step of constructing a sweat lodge is determining the location in which it’s placed.

Lodges are typically built near a body of water which provides the water that’s later used during the ceremony. The entrance of the lodge is faced either west or east depending upon the tribes beliefs. The lodges skeleton is made by intertwining willow branches in a dome like shape. Certain tribes have been known to say that the lodges dome like shape symbolizes the a turtles shell, or a mothers womb. The structure of the lodge is completed by covering the intertwining willow branches with canvases to insulate the inside from the outside. Years ago the aborigines would cover the the willow branches with the furs of animals, typically bison for the tribes in the west. The coverings serve to insulate and keep heat from escaping the sweat lodge where the heat plays a key role in the ceremony. Before the sweat lodge ceremony begins, prayer ties are crafted, consisting of tobacco wrapped in cloth.. The crafting of the prayer ties can be interpreted as a meditative action; your prayer and intentions for the sweat begin as you prepare the ties. The color of the cloth that surrounds the tobacco divides the prayer ties into four groups representing the different sections/directions of the sweat lodge. To

many Native American tribes yellow cloth represents the eastern direction, red the southern, black the western, and last white as the northern direction. East represents the direction in which the sun rises, providing light to aid individuals in seeing things in the most truthful light. South is where the sun is at it’s highest during daytime; it’s taught that life of all creatures comes from this direction. The west is where the sun sets, and where day comes to an end. And last, north represents cold, harsh winds of the winter, in general symbolizing hardships and discomforts that people feel on a daily basis. A common norm that spans across native tribes is that the four directions symbolize natural aspects of our world and are the focal point in which indigenous religions of the America’s are based upon. Once the prayer ties are finished they are placed inside the lodge, where they are intertwined between the willow branches. Once the structure of the lodge has been built a pit is dug in the middle of the inner chambers of the dome. This pit serves as the resting place for the sacred rocks that will later be put inside the sweat lodge for the duration of the ceremony. The rocks are chosen carefully by the head/healer of the lodge, and once found are placed in the center of a raging fire. The fire is built by members of the community and is cared to before the commencement of the ceremony. The rocks are heated until they are glowing red and then are brought out and smudged with sage before being placed inside the lodge. The smudging serves to purify the rocks in preparation of the sacred ceremony.
Sweat lodge ceremonies have served as a powerful healing method to native aborigines of the America’s for centuries.

Elders of tribes have lead members of the community during these sweat ceremonies. Before the ceremony is officially begun the sacred rocks are brought inside the lodge and placed in the dug out pit. Typically the elder of the ceremony leads the community in a song that brings the onset of the ceremony. During this first song the elder scatters sacred herbs across the scalding rocks, which in my experience have consisted of sage, tobacco, and sweet grass. Other tribes have been known to utilize other herbs for different spiritual reasons. After the first song has been sung, the community voices their intentions and prayers for the sweat while being shown support by their peers. Intentions range from family conflicts to personal struggles the individual is dealing with. Once the members intentions have been voiced, other songs are sung to the creator. During each song the elder pours water on the rocks, creating steam that envelopes the lodges inhabitants. The steam serves as a test for the lodges inhabitants due to the intense heat it produces. Following each prayer, members reply “aho” to acknowledge the ending of the prayer, similar to the

amen.
A focal point of the sweat lodge ceremony is the smoking of the sacred peace pipe. The peace pipe is one various sacred pipes which include the medicine and the war pipes. Pipes are typically constructed from natural resources given to them by mother earth. Tribes in the west commonly construct their pipes from red catlinite. The stem is carved from various types of wood and is decorated with symbolic colorful cloths, wrapping around the stem. Tobacco and other herbs, such as sage, are smoked during the ceremony. Tribes are very specific about how an individual packs their pipe either before or during the ceremony. Typically the owner packs the pipe, first smudging the pipe with sage smoke. The packing of the pipe begins with the community member voicing a prayer to each of the four directions. While voicing the prayer the person holds tobacco to each direction individually and then packs the tobacco into the bowl. If the pipe is packed ahead of time the owner puts sage in the top bowl to plug it. Most commonly the members of the lodge will smoke the pipe between sweat rounds when the entrance flap is opened to let fresh air in attempts to give a participants a break from the heat. The smoke is said to carry the lodge members prayers to the creator. When the pipe is smoked each member of the community holds the pipes wooden stem to the sky and voices their prayer/intention. Once the member has voiced their prayer they smoke as much as they feel necessary for their prayer to reach the the great creator. If a community member doesn’t want to smoke the pipe they still voice their prayer and instead touch the wooden stem to each of their shoulders and pass the pipe. Varying from tribe to tribe is whether the smoke is inhaled or not. Most commonly the pipe is passed to the right. To many native cultures the sacred pipe is considered one of the holiest items an individual can possess. There are many stigmas that have arised pertaining to peace pipe ceremonies. If a person truly learns about Native American ceremonies from valid source they will see these stigmas are completely false. The ceremonial pipe is not considered sacred if one abuses it, for example using it to smoke marijuana recreationally.
In the present day many native prison inmates are provided sweat lodge ceremonies directed by a native elder. The inmates who participate seek healing and guidance, and are attempting to maintain their faith. In today’s evolving society people tend to see religous ceremonies as outdated wastes of time. But research shows that this isn’t in fact true, revealing that sweat lodges serve as an effective medium for group therapy. Spiritual and emotional well being often results from sweat lodge ceremonies. The sweat lodge ceremony is brought to a close with it’s members saying “all my relations” in their native tongue, representing the indigenous world view of interconnectedness of all things.