First Nations Sweat Ceremony...

Today started off as a regular day of work at the Red Cross. We were working on our receipting and paperwork when Janice suggested that Josue accompany her to Pelican Narrows, which is a First Nations community about 4 hours north of Prince Albert. Josue was overjoyed at the prospect of a trip up north, and off they went.

I continued with my regular work schedule. At around 12:00 one of Shannon's ex-coworkers from her time at police station showed up for a lunch date. It also so happens that she is on of the First Nation Elders within the Prince Albert community. We had a long conversation about the program, some past hosting experiences she has had, and about Canada in general. When it came time for her to leave she extended an invitation to attend one of their sweat ceremonies, which she was currently on her way to. I, of course, was overjoyed by the offer and gratefully accepted.

The sweat was to take place at the First Nations Men's Healing Centre, which is a facility where inmates of the provincial prison system are able to go for rehabilitation. An alternative to time in the prison system; the program focuses on using the spiritual roots of the indigenous people to put the men back on the right track. Roots which they may have not had any connection to prior to their incarceration.

I arrived and was introduced to everyone. All of the men at the healing lodge were very friendly, and made me feel as welcome as if I was part of the group. I made my offering of tobacco to the elder, as is custom for any guests, and he accepted my request to participate in the ceremony. The sweat lodge consisted of a small, squat building, with a large bonfire outside. Inside the building was a smaller, dome shaped structure. Imagine an igloo made out of many thick layers of canvas and other materials.

Before I get into the actual experience, I'll give you a little bit of background on the sweat ceremony. The ceremony is intended as a method of healing, praying for loved ones, and shedding any worries that have been burdening you. I realize that this description may not be completely accurate, but this is what I came to understand in my own experience. All of the men gather inside, and literally sweat for an hour. The hour is split into 4 rounds, as each 15 minutes takes quite a bit out of a person. I was the only non-First Nation person present.

Inside the small structure which I described there is no source of light. It is circular, and in the center is something which looks somewhat like an empty fire pit. I soon realized that the source of our heat for the sweat was underneath the bonfire, which was burning strongly outside.

Beneath the large logs on the fire lay a pile of rocks. The men carried all of the red hot rocks into the sweat lodge, and placed them in the pit.

Once everything was prepared and our rocks were in place we all changed into shorts and grabbed our towels. We all piled into the structure and began the ceremony. It began with sharing among the participants of the sweat. Sharing troubles, worries, prayers, etc. Each person who had a prayer to make publicly to the creator offered both tobacco and a couple lengths of cloth. The Ceremony is meant to symbolize a rebirth, the structure being a mothers womb, and the struggle that you go through during the ceremony being the difficult process of birth.

After all the prayers had been made we began the first round of the sweat ceremony. The flap which was used as an entrance was closed, and it became pitch black. The Elder said a prayer, and they began to douse the rocks in water, creating steam and heat. Immediately the sweat started pouring. The heat was intense. Imagine a sauna, now multiply that experience by 4.

During the ceremony the men of the group prayed and sang in their indigenous tongue, accompanying with drums.

The first round of this ceremony was easily one of the most intense, one of the hottest, and one of the most tiring experiences of my life. Before beginning the first round the Elder had given me instructions regarding what to do in the case that breathing becomes too hard. He gave me a handful of Sage, and instructed me to hold my head low, covered by the towel, and to breathe through the handful of Sage. Well, breathing quickly turned out to be the most difficult barrier opposing me. I held in for the entire first round, having to lie down at one point because I was having so much trouble.

Following the 15 minute round, the entire group steps out into the lodge for a quick break; to regain your breath, and cool down a little. I stepped outside in my shorts and bare chest, and didn't feel the cold for a good 5 minutes (it must have been at least -15 without the windchill, and the steam came off of me long after I left the lodge). After the first round I was almost scared to enter for the 2nd...scratch that, I WAS scared.

It turned out that the 2nd round was not as difficult as the first (I didn't even have to use my sage for this one! Wohoo!). The ceremony continued with the same kind of music and prayer that occurred during the first round. The 3rd and 4th followed in a similar fashion. Once the 4th round had been completed we made offerings of corn, tea, and strawberries to the spirits; placing a portion of each in the centre, on top of the rocks. We passed the bowl around and had a portion each. Following the food offering all of the sweat participants passed the peace pipe around our circle, each taking a draw of smoke. This completed the ceremony.

Following every sweat ceremony is a feast for the participants. Our feast consisted of stew, bannock, corn, and trout. The food was fantastic, and the company was enjoyable. You come out of an experience like that with a much better understanding of the individuals who shared it with you. I am so overjoyed by the fact that I was able to experience this wonderful part of First Nation culture. The fact that I was able to connect with a group of prison inmates, who I would have avoided prior to the experience, is just an added bonus. I developed more of an understanding towards people within the prison system, and had an experience which is not likely to present itself again within the span of my life.