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I am Cree and
an elder of the Missanabie Cree First
Nation in Ontario. My mother was Cree and my birth father Irish, I
was raised by my mother and Ojibwa father.
In my teachings, I was given direction
from my Traditional teachers that this healing ceremony is for all peoples
of the world regardless of their race, color or creed. They shared with
me that despite our colors and cultural differences we are to invite all
humans to this precious gift of healing.
After walking the red road, learning
and being active in the ceremonies. I was given the honor and direction
to begin conducting sweat ceremonies and was told again that it was for
the people who walk upon Mother Earth.
My teaching stem from the Cree &
Ojibwa peoples and when combined serve the purpose that they were intended
for, namely, to help others in need of healing. My
teachings are very basic and straight to the heart of the matter of healing. I
will share with you the events that take place when I conduct a ceremony
and some of the things that take place during the sweat.
In my teachings, the sweat
lodge begins with building it in a special place, usually it is by water,
if that is possible, if not, it will be in a place selected by the sweat
lodge conductor. I offer tobacco called (semma) in our language and ask
direction (pray) from the Grandfathers (spirits) as to where is the best
place to build the sweat lodge. After the site is selected, a smudging
ceremony takes place that cleans the area intended for the sweat lodge.
During this time we also hang up tobacco ties prayer clothes of red, yellow,
black white in the four directions indicating that we are asking the Grandfathers
and Grandmothers to come and visit us to help us in the lodge.
After we have done this, we go into
the bush (woods) and select willows that are about an inch in diameter.
These poles can be of birch, or tamarack as well, these types of poles
are very flexible in bending as we shape the lodge into a dome shape.
When we harvest the poles, we again offer tobacco to the spirit of the
willows and thank them for giving their lives for the sweat lodge and
also for bringing their healing powers in to lodge. Just so you will know,
tobacco is one of the 4 sacred gifts given to us to be able to use in
all aspects of our lives and prayers. The number of poles to build the
lodge usually differs from place to place, depending on what the teachings
that the conductor was taught. In our lodge we use 13 poles for the 13
moons and one extra pole for the Bear. There are 4 levels of willows placed
around the lodge, which indicate 4 levels of understanding and spirituality.
In total we use 28 to 26 willows to complete the lodge
We then transport the poles back to the sweat lodge and begin the task
of the building of the lodge. To begin with, we measure out a area of
about 10 feet in diameter , with a pit, being in the center of the lodge
( the hand of the Creator), which is about 2 feet across and 8 inches
deep for the Grandfathers ( heated stones ) to be placed in throughout
the ceremony. Usually, the poles will be placed approximately 5 feet away
from the outer edge of the pit and then a circle is traced (circumference)
to form a complete circle.
Then holes are driven into the ground, about 8 to 10 inches deep to firmly
hold the poles in place. When the holes are complete, we place tobacco
in the holes and offer prayers, asking the Grandfathers for their blessing
and kindness and healing.
There are 4 different directions
to place the door opening into the lodge but as I was taught we place
the door opening facing the East, where the beginning of life comes from
each day. We begin by placing 2 poles into the ground, which will be the
doorway and usually measure 2 feet across or more. Then, we move to our
left, as we always do, and place the next 2 poles in the South, then to
the West and finally to the North. In this way, the main poles are in
the 4 directions and will serve to be the main stay of the lodge, where
the strength will come to
hold the lodge together. Once these 8 poles are in place, we then begin
to bend them over to form the beginning of the dome shape. The height
of the dome will vary from lodge to lodge. Ours is usually about 4 feet
in height, to accommodate Elders and people who have problems with their
backs. The poles are usually tied together with prayer cloths, which again
may vary from lodge to lodge.
Once the 8 poles are tied together,
we are ready to proceed with placing the rest of the 13 poles into place,
which are connected together with the mainstay poles. We then begin placing
the 4 levels of poles in a horizontal direction, completely around the
lodge. We start at the bottom of the lodge and move up until the 4th level
is completed at the top. The lodge is complete and ready to cover it with
tarps to seal out the light as sweat ceremonies are done in complete darkness
in the lodge. My teachings about the darkness are that we as humans would
not be able to comprehend the visible sight of spirits that come into
the lodge during a ceremony. On the other hand, .we do experience visual
things in the lodge, which are shown to us in a kind and gentle way so
as not to scare us fragile human beings
During the building of the lodge, a Fire Keeper will prepare the fire
to heat up the Grandfathers (stones) and will make a cradle (small platform)
of small logs, usually popular is used as it provides a quick and hot
fire, thus heating up the stones quicker. The number of Grandfathers varies
from sweat to sweat, depending on the ceremony and conductor. Sometimes
we use 7, 24, or 36 and upwards. I was taught to use 36 stones for a specific
healing ceremony. From here on in, I will refer to the  Grandfathers
as stones, so as not to present any confusion. The Fire Keeper takes care
of the fire and usually takes care of the doorway into the sweat
When the ceremony is take place, the women and men prepare themselves
to participate by smudging with sage or sweet grass and offering tobacco
to the fire for help for themselves in need of healing.
Prior to people going into the sweat, the conductor cleans the lodge out
by smudging and may hang (spirit tobacco ties) to ask for specific healing.
The conductor prayers and asks that the sweat lodge be used in a good
way for healing for all peoples.
As I was taught, women and men are allowed to come into the ceremony and
participate together. Women sit on one side of the lodge and men on the
other, facing each other in a good respectful way. The women usually wear
long flannel nightgowns or long shirt and skirt into the lodge while men
wear long legged swim trunks and take blankets or beach towels into the
sweat, During the ceremony, there are 4 rounds of stones that are bought
into the lodge , which means that the door flap is opened and closed after
each round of stones are bought in. By this time, the stones are cherry
red from the heat of the fire. I usually ask that 7 stones be bought in
to start the first round .
Just so you know, there are four rounds in the ceremony to signify calling
in the spirits from the 4 directions. You may be wondering as to how the
fire keeper brings the hot stones into the lodge, well, a long handled
pitch fork is used in most cases as we wouldn’t want the keeper
to get burned from the heat. The hot stones are then placed into the hand
of the Creator (pit), starting from the east and then to the other scared
directions. When the stones are bought into the lodge, we all say, Wacchii
Mishshomis which means, hello grandfathers, we are glad that you are here.
While the stones are being heated,
a big pot is placed near the fire to cook up the medicine water that we
will use to splash on the stones during the ceremony. We use cedar and
mint (beaver grass) and may use sage and sweet grass as well. The medicine
cooks until it looks like a strong colored tea and then is put into a
5 gallon bucket.
We share the sweat lodge teachings
with everyone before beginning, smudge up and enter the lodge. The fire
keeper brings in the heated stones and then closes the door flap. The
opening round starts by splashing medicine ware on the stones and then
a calling in prayer is sung to call in all the Grandfathers, Grandmothers
and all of our relations. Other songs are shared during the ceremony along
with teachings of the lodge or teachings that may come to the conductor.
Everyone shares their prayers or teachings with the participants, which
serves to enhance our lives. It becomes very hot in the lodge but people
may cool off between rounds by going outside the lodge for a short period
of time. The intent of the ceremony is too be healing and spiritual not
how much heat one can take. This teaching varied from lodge to lodge but
I was taught to be gentle and caring with people, not to make them suffer
from the heat in the lodge.
After the sweat is complete, which usually takes about 3 to 4 hours, a
feast of food is shared with the people, who hopefully have brought some
good home cooking People then bid each other farewell by sharing hugs
and good wishes to all. I
have never experienced a negative sweat and always leave  feeling
cleansed and renewed as is the intention of the sweat ceremony, even in
a winter time sweat. Sweats are conducted anytime during the year and
are rebuilt, usually in the spring and fall time as the seasons change.
As I shared with
you, the building of the sweat is done with kindness and gentleness and
in my teachings, when we build a new lodge, it is an all day affair and
ends with the sweat being conducted before the sun sets. There are also
night time sweats and the doorway is in the westerly direction, which
provides guidance from the west who sits in that direction.
Meegwetch (thank
you) for sharing this journey with me and I hope to see you in a sweat
lodge ceremony some day.
May you walk Mother
Earth in a good way and may you share your kindness and caring with others.
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