Native Americans
Sweat lodges were a basic component of
Native American life. The Native
American completed a purification
ceremony in these sweat lodges. This ritual
dealt with purifying the human
body and soul. The layout of the sweat lodge, the
practice of the
purification ceremony, and the symbolism in each of these things
are all part
of Native American rituals The Navaho used to call sweat lodges
tq"ache. They
are made out of birch willow branches and resemble a beehive.
Outside of
the sweat lodges is a fire used to heat rocks. A dirt path from the
fire
outside goes through the door leading to the fire inside. The door is
always
facing toward the east. In the middle of the sweat lodge is a hole with
the
heated rocks from the fire outside. Sweat baths are filled with
symbolism.
Sweat represents the washing away of physical and moral
impurities. This
ceremony is meant to revitalize and allow the person to be
born anew. The lodge
is an image of the universe. The rocks inside symbolize
the center of the
universe. The heated rocks in the fireplace represent the
Mother Earth. The
stream created by pouring water over the rocks symbolizes
the Thunder Being. The
participants purify themselves with rocks, fire,
water, earth and air. The
practice of the purification ceremony is
essentially a sweat bath. When the
stones in the fire outside are hot enough
they are brought in. The participants
chant and sit in silence. After this is
done, a mixture of water, sage grass,
cedar, and pine needles is poured onto
the hot rocks. This produces a hot vapor
bath that leaves the fragrance of
burning needles and grass. This practice can
be done many times a day. There
are always sweat baths before important
ceremonies, warpaths, or the signing
of treaties. This ritualistic ceremony
shows many of the beliefs about God’s
relationship with the earth and humans.
This purification ceremony put
the American Indians in a frame of mind to make
important decisions. The
layout, practice, and symbolism in the sweat lodges are
a major part of
Native American rituals.