Sweat Lodge Protocols and Safety

 


First let me say, this is intended to only be a very basic general knowledge and certainly is not all inclusive and does not apply to every tribal tradition and way of practicing the sweat lodge ceremony. It is only a brief description of protocols that from my personal experience seem to be good rules of thumb when attending any Native American ceremony. When attending a ceremony with a particular ceremonial leader of a particular tribe or group, you should consult someone who knows that leader and ceremony for information on what is expected of those attending - yalelodge.
Sweat Lodge is a ceremony that has been used by many Native American Tribes and other indigenous people for centuries. Contrary to some people's beliefs, the sweat lodge is not just a sauna. It is a very sacred ceremony of spiritual and physical purification. The main focus is prayer. The sweat lodge is also used for many specific purposes. There are doctoring lodges, lodges to prepare people for other ceremonies and many other purposes. The sweat lodge most people are familiar with is commonly called prayer and purification sweat.
The first thing that is important to know is that every stage of the sweat lodge is part of the ceremony. The ceremony actually begins when it is determined that the ceremony will take place. Building the sacred fire, covering the lodge, and creating the altar are all part of the ceremony. Be respectful in behavior and speech during all stages of the ceremony.
Don't attend a sweat lodge if you are under the influence of any substance. The repercussions of this are too many, too varied and sometimes too severe to discuss here. You should simply do not do it. A general rule of thumb for substance users is; have at least 4 days clean/sober and have deep sincere intention of staying clean/sober prior to attending.
What I have been taught by the Elders is that one should never take without giving something back, whether you are taking from nature, receiving the gift of other's work, or asking from the spirits, therefore it is customary to gift a pouch of tobacco to the leader and the fire tenders. It is also good to gift them after the ceremony with goods, or a monetary donation. Value and cost are not important. If you are struggling financially and have no gifts to offer, that is okay too, but any small token of gratitude is good. It is important to know ahead of time whether a lodge leader is offended by a gift of money. By all means ask someone who knows the leader! I know of no traditional leader that will evercharge for a ceremony, however, many appreciate a gift of money while others feel that is too closely related to charging for the ceremony.

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