source: indiancountrytoday.com

For those who have not heard, three people died after taking part in a sweat lodge ceremony on October 9, conducted by new age self-help guru James Ray at a spa in Sedona, Arizona. Ray claims to help people achieve both spiritual and financial wealth. The two-time Oprah guest led a week long Spiritual Warrior workshop that included a 36-hour fasting vision quest, followed by a breakfast buffet in the morning and 2 hour sauna experience in the afternoon. Those who survived recounted that Ray pushed people to stay inside the blistering space way past their limits.

Between 55 and 65 people were crowded into a homemade 415-square-foot structure covered with plastic tarps, sweating out toxins without proper air circulation. Traditionally, Native Americans have no more than 12 in a purification ceremony, there is ample air circulation, only natural materials like cotton and wool are used as coverings, and people are allowed to drink plenty of water and are encouraged to leave if they feel they need to. Retreat participants – whose ages ranged from 30 to the 60s – paid between $9,000 and $10,000 to attend.

Twenty-one people had to receive medical care at nearby hospitals and a fire station after taking ill, many vomiting, some passing out. A 38-year-old female surfer and a 40-year-old father of three were pronounced dead soon after and a third female went into a coma and died earlier this week. The deaths are being investigated as homicides but no arrests have been made so far.

The Native American community has been deeply saddened by these events, in particular, as this Western appropriation of their sacred ceremony has cast a bad light on this time-worn ritual. Arvol Looking Horse, the 19th generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle, has published an article with his thoughts on the tragedy. His article was published prior to the third death.

He reminds us:

Our ceremonies are about life and healing. From the time this ancient ceremonial rite was given to our people, never has death been a part of our inikaga (life within) when conducted properly. Today, the rite is interpreted as a sweat lodge. It is much more than that. The term does not fit our real meaning of purification…

…Our First Nations people have to earn the right to pour the mini wiconi (water of life) upon the inyan oyate in creating Inikaga by going on the vision quest for four years and four years to Sundance. Then you are put through a ceremony to be painted, to recognize that you have now earned the right to take care of someone’s life through purification. They should also be able to understand our sacred language, to be able to understand the messages from the Grandfathers, because they are ancient, they are our spirit ancestors. They walk and teach the values of our culture in being humble, wise, caring and compassionate.

What has happened in the news with the makeshift sauna called the “sweat lodge” is not our ceremonial way of life.

When you do ceremony, you can not have money on your mind. We deal with the pure sincere energy to create healing that comes from everyone in that circle of ceremony. The heart and mind must be connected. When you involve money, it changes the energy of healing. The person wants to get what they paid for. The Spirit Grandfathers will not be there. Our way of life is now being exploited. You do more damage than good. No mention of monetary energy should exist in healing, not even with a can of love donations. When that energy exists, they will not even come. Only after the ceremony, between the person that is being healed and the intercessor who has helped connect with the Great Spirit, can the energy of money be given out of appreciation. That exchange of energy is from the heart; it is private and does not involve the Grandfathers. Whatever gift of appreciation the person who received help can now give is acceptable. They can give the intercessor whatever they feel their healing is worth…

…At this time, I would like to ask all nations upon Grandmother Earth to please respect our sacred ceremonial way of life and stop the exploitation of our Tunka Oyate (Spiritual Grandfathers).

In a Sacred Hoop of Life, where there is no ending and no beginning, namahu yo (hear my words).

read the rest of Arvol Looking Horse’s essay

Sweat lodge frame – Cheyenne / Edward S. Curtis