Sweat Lodge, 1 (Jeffrey George) _ Matted Prints
$16.00
1 in stock
Description
“A ceremonial cleansing for the mind, body and spirit. Connecting to the great spirit of life through prayer and mediation. The sweat lodge is like a mother’s womb. When people go inside seeking guidance, they come out when the ceremony is over, being reborn like a snake shedding its skin.
There is drumming, singing, and rattles shaking, which help call on the spirits to do their work.
A firekeeper stands outside, protecting the fire. As he watches the fire, his responsibility is to light the fire to heat the rocks with wood that is on the fire. These rocks are called grandfathers. The firekeeper brings the ricks in with a pitch fork. These rocks are glowing.
Sometimes one may see a vision while inside the lodge. An animal may come to you – an eagle, a buffalo, a wolf, a turtle, or a bear. A bucket of water is used, along with a bundle of cedar tied together, to splash the rocks to create steam.
A conductor coordinates the ceremony. The lodge is made of maple trees – long and skinny, easy to bend, and tied together. The men are responsible for gathering the materials to build the lodge. They offer tobacco before taking the life of a tree. Tobacco is sacred to our people; it is used for prayer.
The sweat lodge has four doorways: east, west, south and north. In the centre of the lodge is a shallow pit filled with rocks. The pit is the womb of mother earth. The sweat lodge was given through a little boy who went on a vision quest in his desire to help his people.”
