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Basic
Origin /Creation story Of Sweat Lodge:Inipi (Sweat lodge): Tokahe taught other Ikce Oyate how to use plants to cure sick people. He also taught them songs that would help the plants to help the cure, as well. Those people whom he taught became the first medicine people. Tokahe also made a small dome-shaped lodge and covered it with buffalo robes. He placed previously heated rocks in the center of this lodge. Then he took a sick person inside the lodge and closed the entrance. He prayed to the Wakan Tanka and sang songs to them while he spilled water on the hot rocks. This would cause steam to rise and heat the lodge to purify everything that was inside the lodge. Then he would open the entrance for a time. After he did this four times, the person was cured. Thus, Tokahe created the sweat lodge ceremony. He said it was meant to cleanse the mind, heart, soul, and body. Therefore, if someone was having difficulty in making an important decision, that person could find help while participating in this ceremony. The lodge was shaped like a small dome. Inside the lodge, he performed the Inipi (Sweat lodge) Ceremony. During the ceremony, he poured water on heated rocks inside the lodge and this caused steam to rise from the rocks. This is the breath of the Creator.The Inipi Ceremony is a purification ceremony, which is common among many Northern Plains tribes. The Inipi Ceremony is often performed before and after other Lakota Ceremonies, as well. . This ceremony may serve several purposes such as healing or to assist one in tapping into the Creator, which dwells within each of us, or for several other purposes. Please remember, we are not a dogmatic people; meaning, each medicine person has his/her own vision of to perform this ceremony. Therefore if you have been to an lodge before and they "did it Different" than we do. As long as the person had PERMISSION to build & conduct The Lodge & The Proper Training; The results are the same and that is what is important. This ceremony is conducted inside a small lodge forming a dome-shaped structure about waist high. Buffalo robes and/or other blankets are then thrown over creating a small lodge with a small hole, which is to be used as the entrance. The Lakota version of this ceremony has four rounds. After all preparations have been made, the medicine person/ceremony leader enters first by crawling into the lodge and crawling around in a clockwise manner until he sits at the right side of the entrance, as viewed from outside the lodge. Next, the other people crawl in the lodge in the same manner as the medicine person or ceremony leader. Depending on the reason for the ceremony and also upon the medicine person. The final person to enter is the medicine person's or ceremony leader's assistant who sits to the left of the entrance, as viewed from the outside. Then the heated rocks will be brought in on deer antlers or a pitchfork by the fire keeper. The rocks will be placed at the center in a pit, inside the lodge. A bucket of water is brought in as well. Then the entrance is closed at the instruction of the medicine person/ceremony leader. Prayers and songs are song, after which water is placed on the rocks causing steam to rise, as the temperature begins to rise inside the lodge. More songs are sung. Then the medicine person begins to pray. Next, the participants begin to pray beginning from the medicine person's/ceremony leader's assistant and proceeding in a clockwise manner. Prayers may be said aloud or silently. Also, one is not required to pray if he/she does not feel like it. This ceremony, as well as the others, is not an endurance test to see how much heat one can stand. One does not receive the most blessings because S/he suffered the most heat as such thoughts are linear; whereas, Native American/African thought is non-linear. When this ceremony is over, the medicine person/ceremony leader exits first, followed by the participants then the assistant, all in a clockwise manner. Some people like to jump in a lake right away to cool off, while others will spill water over themselves. In the winter, some will jump in the snow to cool off. Everybody cools off in their own way. Then there is sharing circle and food feast. This ceremony is also a re-enactment of the Lakota creation story. It is like a birth. You enter the Womb of the Earth. So when you come out at the end of the ceremony, you feel just like a new baby and like you are floating on thin air as you walk. The Ceremonial songs, can only be sung when these ceremonies are actually happening. The Natural Law of Generosity states that the energy a person uses to communicate will return to him/her fourfold. Thus, all persons that attend should be respectful, humble, honest and helpful when they come to ceremony. Walk
in a good way inside and outside of ceremony or they would be giving
him/her-self unhealthy medicine. Then the spirit helpers may not
want to help that person anymore because he/she disrespected the
sacred traditions/ways. |
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