| This is a talk about "Inipi" or Sweat Lodge Ceremony. | | | | have heard of it done in other places when necessary. |
| In Native American traditional ways we learn by | | | | Activating other types of sacred objects or medicine |
| listening to our elders talk and tell stories. This article is | | | | can happen anywhere, but usually takes a Medicine |
| meant to be just that. I will tell the story as my | | | | person to conduct the ceremony. |
| teachers did and then at a later time I will add more to | | | | Sun Dance Sweat Lodges are especially for the |
| the knowledge. | | | | people preparing to Sun Dance they are held |
| Imagine we are sitting around a fire maybe at | | | | frequently during the time of preparation. Sweat |
| Powwow or maybe Sun Dance, or even in our own | | | | ceremonies are also held during Sun Dance for the |
| backyard. The hour is late and everything around us is | | | | Dancers and for the people attending. |
| still and quiet except for the crackle of the wood | | | | Hanbleceya, or as you may have heard it, "Vision |
| burning. A voice begins to speak.... | | | | Quest" Sweat Lodges are held during the one to four |
| Did you know there are different types of Inipi (Sweat | | | | year preparations leading up to the Vision Quest. Also |
| Lodge) ceremonies? Many think the Sweat Lodge is | | | | they are used just before the person goes on the hill |
| only for cleansing and purification. But, this is not true; | | | | for Hanbleceya (Vision Quest). And they are used |
| there are many kinds of Inipi or Sweat Lodges. | | | | immediately when the person comes down from the |
| There are Sweat Lodge ceremonies held when a | | | | hill. As an important note, I have used the term "Vision |
| relative has died. These help the deceased person | | | | Quest" only because it is so popular and understood |
| cross over to the other realm. They are usually held | | | | by many. But you should know that in Lakota, "Vision |
| for four nights. Night is the time for the spirits of the | | | | Quest" is not the translation for Hanbleceya. The real |
| deceased or "Wanagi". After the sun goes down, and | | | | translation is "Crying or Praying through the night". |
| especially between midnight and pre-dawn, they wake | | | | Ceya means both crying and praying as they are |
| up and are moving around. The four days is the time | | | | considered the same thing. |
| when the newly deceased is able to communicate | | | | Wopila (Gratitude) Sweat Lodges. These are usually |
| important messages and to say their goodbyes. These | | | | held within a year of a healing or another blessing. A |
| Sweat ceremonies are also for the mourners to end | | | | big feast is held afterward and gifts may be given. |
| their official time of mourning. Which is usually 13 | | | | These are the most common Sweat Lodge |
| moons or approximately one year. The ceremony for | | | | ceremonies, but I'm thinking maybe some of you are |
| the end of the time of mourning is called "Wasigala" | | | | wondering how to become a Sweat Lodge leader? |
| and can be done without the Sweat Ceremony. | | | | This is a natural question. I will tell you how it happened |
| There are also Sweat Lodge ceremonies for the | | | | to me. It took many, many years of attending the Inipi |
| healing of illnesses. These are called "Doctoring | | | | with my elders; listening to their stories, taking their |
| Sweats". These ceremonies may only have the | | | | words to heart and paying attention when they |
| patient and medicine person in the lodge. The rest of | | | | wanted to teach me. As the years went by I was |
| us would stay by the fire and pray or be busy in the | | | | given a variety of "rights" such as making sacred |
| house cooking. Or sometime there may be a few | | | | canunpa bags and medicine pouches, making a |
| singers and other people close to the sick person | | | | ceremony fire, cooking sacred foods, fixing eagle |
| inside the lodge. | | | | feathers for naming ceremonies, rights to ceremony |
| Most of us have been to Sweat Lodges that contact | | | | songs and many others. But before I received the |
| the Tunkasilas or ancient beings for advice and | | | | rights to anything I was instructed in all the history, the |
| guidance during difficult and perilous times. It is said that | | | | details, the materials, the origins of the songs and |
| in the Sweat Lodge we meet the Tunkasila or elder | | | | anything else you can think pertaining to the particular |
| spirits half way. These sweats are usually very hot. | | | | skill. |
| They make us so uncomfortable that we are forced | | | | When I was around 35 years old, I received a sacred |
| to stay in a state of prayer, which is very far removed | | | | canunpa from my grandparents and asked to carry it |
| from our everyday busy worlds. This is how we meet | | | | for the family and all our relatives. I accepted. Then |
| the Tunkasilas half way. Some us don't eat or drink so | | | | when I was visiting an elder relative and attended her |
| that we are even further removed from our material | | | | Sweat ceremony, at the start of the Sweat she |
| world. Many of us let our hair loose and unbraided or | | | | announced to the attendees that I was her equal and |
| untied. This is another way to remove us from the | | | | that I would assist in conducting this ceremony. Later, I |
| material world. We are not concerned with how we | | | | was asked to conduct a Sweat ceremony for some |
| look. That is why your elders may tell you not to wear | | | | elder women. After the ceremony I was told that I |
| jewelry, or make-up. | | | | would be conducting these ceremonies the rest of my |
| Then there are Sweat Lodges for activating, renewing | | | | life. And I have. |
| or cleansing of sacred objects, medicines or canunpas | | | | This may sound all very complicated and almost |
| (sacred pipes). In the case for cleansing, these are | | | | impossible to achieve. But, this is how it happened for |
| very serious ceremonies. It means that something has | | | | me and is not necessarily the way it is for everyone. |
| happened to the sacred object that has harmed or | | | | My training was very strict and very lengthy. I hope I |
| weakened it. The need to cleanse a sacred object is | | | | have not discouraged anyone. I live off the reservation |
| a very sad thing. Many tears are shed during these | | | | now and attend Sweat ceremonies that are |
| ceremonies. For the renewal of a sacred object or | | | | conducted by someone who although, Indian, never |
| medicine is far less serious and is a little like breathing | | | | lived with his people or received any traditional training. |
| fresh air into it and letting the sun shine all over it. | | | | He received a vision and that is the way he conducts |
| Activating a sacred object is another serious | | | | his ceremonies. I attend and respect his ceremonies. |
| ceremony. It is necessary when a person takes the | | | | They are powerful and serve the true purpose of an |
| responsibility of carrying a canunpa (sacred pipe) for | | | | Inipi or Sweat Lodge ceremony, even though he |
| the people. This is best done where the Buffalo Calf | | | | wasn't traditionally trained as I was. |
| Pipe resides in Green Grass, South Dakota. Although, I | | | | You are all my relatives. |