Scarface Into The Other Three Sweat Lodges example essay topic

The sweat lodge is a key healing and spiritual practice of most, if not all, Native American cultures. A variant of the sweat lodge is seen in those cultures from the art ic to South America. It can be seen as a form of water therapy as it uses extreme heat and water to produce its effects. Specifically I will explain my personal journey and experience as a participant of a Mohawk sweat lodge.

Each tribe has its own unique way of performing the sweat even if they all share the same base upon which to persona lise it. The Mohawk sweat lodge that I attended on Thanksgiving last October is an experience I will not soon forget. It was an interesting blend of people coming together to share in a sacred experience for the spiritual healing of a friend. My friend is Mohawk and he gathered his five closest friends to join him; all of us Caucasians, the shaman / medicine man, the shaman's wife (a medicine woman in here own right), the fire keeper and the woman in Hudson who graciously allowed us to use her land for this occasion. Names have purposely been omitted for the sake of anonymity as the type of sweat was one of personal healing and not a general sweat.

The figures in the sweat are the shaman who directs and explains the procedure of the sweat and conducts it. The next figure is the fire keeper who tends the fire on which the stones for the sweat are heated and transfers them with the help of a pitchfork which he hands to the person closest to the entrance of the lodge as he does not enter the lodge. The final figure is the person being healed, in this case my friend. As this sweat was a personal healing we all had to be intimately involved in the preparations, we did not have to build the lodge only cover it with skins and tarps. The frame of the lodge had been built for a previous sweat. Before we could cover the lodge we had to lay down cedar on the floor of the lodge in an intricate manner based on the traditional beliefs of the Mohawk.

This task is normally done by the women and those men who are attuned with their feminine energy, as such I was asked to join in this task. Laying down the cedar branches that have been cut into small pieces was a very calming exercise; it also provided me with a chance to learn about some herbal lore from the other women. They taught me a few things such as the properties of cedar and I taught them some of my herbal lore from my grandmother. I was later told that that was a sign of trust and that my willingness to share my own knowledge was a sign of friendship. In essence the laying of the cedar is a form of sewing circle, where women can trade secrets and feel a sense of camaraderie.

While the women lay the cedar, the men go find wood and kindling in the forest. Once these two tasks are finished the lodge can be covered. During this time the fire keeper starts the fire and heats the stones. As the fire heats the stones the last touches are given to the lodge to protect it and those who are to enter. This involved showing reverence to the spirits sacred to the particular shaman. Then we enter the lightless lodge and begin the four rounds of the sweat.

At the beginning of each round freshly heated stones are brought in thus the temperature keeps rising. As this sweat is for personal healing each round is tailored to my friend to help him with his particular issue, in this case a spiritual one. Sweats can also be performed for physical healing. Throughout the entire sweat, tobacco plays a major role as an offering to the spirits. The shaman yells out "Tobacco" and the fire keeper, who never actually enters the lodge except when passing the pitchfork with the hot stones through the opening, then throws some into the fire.

I wish I could share more about this sacred experience within the sweat but they are all very personal in nature and keeping with the promise I made I can not say more. Knowing I would like to recount the process at some point I talked with the shamans present and they told me had it been a general sweat I could have talked more about the process. Suffice it to say it was a spiritual journey for all from start to finish. It was an honour to be chosen to partake in this spiritual healing process. Once the four rounds were completed and my friend had dealt with his hardship we had a feast.

We also had to set some aside in the forest for the spirits. The things I learnt from this experience that I can share are as follows. The cedar tree is a male plant and is usually laid out as a mat in a lodge. It being male it can be manipulated to ones work in the spirit realm, thus praying while holding a piece of cedar and then throwing it in the fire helps in the prayer.

The next thing I learnt was that the stones that break when water is poured on them are known as grandfather's bones and those that do not are known as grandmother's bones because women are seen as being stronger in the face of pain than men in this tribe. Also from start to finish the whole experience lasted from 10 am to 5 pm, this includes set up time and cleaning up time. Once the sweat was done I was very thirsty as one could imagine after sweating for close to four hours without anything to drink. I had to be careful not to drink to quickly or else I was informed that I could get cramps if I did. The other benefit from the sweat aside from the spiritual healing and feeling a connection with the universe but still worth is the effect on my skin. My skin was never so soft and glowed for days, the steam helps clear most complexion irregularities.

My skin never looked nor felt so healthy. It is interesting to note that in the United States sweat lodges were outlawed during the nineteenth century when reservations were being created. Yet due to the simplicity of building the lodges, it was assured that these practices would be carried on though underground till the laws were repealed. The Americans were not the only people who feared and misunderstood the sweat lodge; the European settlers from South America also attempted to exterminate this tradition. During the early years of Spanish conquest both the Spanish government and the Christian missionaries in the Americas saw the sweat lodge as a threat because of its religious and sacred status to the Native Indians. The greater they felt threatened by a particular tribe the more they would attempt to crush and stop the sweat lodges from happening.

In M' the tribes just removed the offending sections of sweat bathing and they were left alone by the Spanish conquerors. One tribe that has consistently fought off Europeans and kept the traditions alive and unchanged are the Sioux. They were punished greatly for their defiance but nonetheless they have maintained their traditions unchanged. In the past sweat lodges were used by men and women separately until times changed and both sexes could partake in the experience together. Some feel this change was done so Native communities could stay bonded together even as there numbers were dwindling. During the late 1970's up until today there has been a revival movement in the United States for the use of the sweat lodge.

It is a method of keeping a community united and strong, and allows for connection to one's roots. The three forms of sweat lodges indigenous to the Americas are the following: the hot rock method used by the Mohawk, Sioux and Navajos; this was the method I had experienced. The other two are the direct fire chamber method which is heated by blazing logs and finally a sophisticated heating duct system which is believed to have originated with the Mayans. Each tribe has its own myths and legends about how the first sweat lodge came to be. Most involve the intervention of animal spirits but each story I have read is unique and reflects the world surrounding that tribe.

The one that I found the most interesting from my research is that of the Piegan tribe from the headwaters of the Missouri River in Montana. The internal workings of a sweat are still very vague when one attempts to research the topic. The external trappings are talked about in profusion from how to heat the stones to how to build the lodge itself. I realise that many would like to know what they are getting themselves into if they were ever to participate in the sweat but it is not something that can be truly expressed in writing.

For each individual it is different what they take from the experience but from what I have seen and what I have heard from others who have done it, is that it is a positive experience that tests one's limits at times. I know the frustrations about the lack of answers in books because I tried to do research before I participated in my friend's sweat and I found very little concrete documented experiences about what happens inside the sweat lodge. Suffice it to say that I would recommend the experience to anybody who has the opportunity to partake. The sweat lodge is a great bonding, cleansing, spiritual and sacred experience.

I do not have any regrets from attending the sweat and look forward to the next one I shall be attending this summer or early fall. Appendix A The Piegan tribe was southernmost at the headwaters of the Missouri River in Montana, a subtribe belonging to the Sik sika Indians of North Saskatchewan in Canada. Piegans were of the Algonquian linguistic family, but warlike toward most of their neighbouring tribes, since they had horses for raiding and were supplied with guns and ammunition by their Canadian sources. Piegans also displayed hostility toward explorers and traders. Several smallpox epidemics decimated their population.

Now they are gathered on reservations on both sides of the border. A girl of great beauty, the Chief's daughter, was worshipped by many young handsome men of the Piegan tribe. But she would not have any one of them for her husband. One young tribesman was very poor and his face was marked with an ugly scar. Although he saw rich and handsome men of his tribe rejected by the Chief's daughter, he decided to find out if she would have him for her husband. When she laughed at him for even asking, he ran away toward the south in shame.

After travelling several days, he dropped to the ground, weary and hungry, and fell asleep. From the heavens, Morning-Star looked down and pitied the young unfortunate youth, knowing his trouble. To Sun and Moon, his parents, Morning-Star said, 'There is a poor young man lying on the ground with no one to help him. I want to go after him for a companion. ' 'Go and get him,' said his parents. Morning-Star carried the young man, Scarface, into the sky.

Sun said, 'Do not bring him into my lodge yet, for he smells ill. Build four sweat lodges. ' When this was done, Sun led Scarface into the first sweat lodge. He asked Morning-Star to bring a hot coal on a forked stick. Sun then broke off a bit of sweet grass and placed it upon the hot coal.

As the incense arose Sun began to sing, 'Old Man is coming in with his body; it is sacred,' repeating it four times. Sun passed his hands back and forth through the smoke and rubbed them over the face, left arm, and side of Scarface. Sun repeated the ceremony on the boy's right side, purifying him and removing the odours of earthly people. Sun took Scarface into the other three sweat lodges, performing the same healing ceremony.

The body of Scarface changed color and he shone like a yellow light. Using a soft feather, Sun brushed it over the youth's face, magically wiping away the scar. With a final touch to the young man's long, yellow hair, Sun caused him to look exactly like Morning-Star. The two young men were led by Sun into his own lodge and placed side by side in the position of honour. 'Old Woman,' called the father. 'Which is your son?' Moon pointed to Scarface, 'That one is our son.

' 'You do not know your own child,' answered Sun. 'He is not our son. We will call him Mistaken-for-Morning-Star,' as they all laughed heartily at the mistake. The two boys were together constantly and became close companions. One day, they were on an adventure when Morning-Star pointed out some large birds with very long, sharp beaks. 'Foster-Brother, I warn you not to go near those dangerous creatures,' said Morning-Star.

'They killed my other brothers with their beaks. ' Suddenly the birds chased the two boys. Morning-Star fled toward his home, but Foster-Brother stopped, picking up a club and one by one struck the birds dead. Upon reaching home, Morning-Star excitedly reported to his father what had happened. Sun made a victory song honouring the young hero.

In gratitude for saving Morning-Star's life, Sun gave him the forked stick for lifting hot embers and a braid of sweet grass to make incense. These sacred elements necessary for making the sweat lodge ceremony were a gift of trust. 'And this my sweat lodge I give to you,' said the Sun. Mistaken- for-Morning-Star observed very carefully how it was constructed, in his mind preparing himself to one day returning to earth. When Scarface did arrive at his tribal village, all of his people gathered to see the handsome young man in their midst.

At first, they did not recognize him as Scarface. 'I have been in the sky,' he told them. 'Behold me, Morning-Star looks just like this. The Sun gave me these things used in the sweat lodge healing ceremony. That is how I lost my ugly scar. ' Scarface explained how the forked stick and sweet grass were used.

Then he set to work showing his people how to make the sweat lodge. This is how the first medicine sweat lodge was built upon earth by the Piegan tribe. Now that Scarface was so very handsome and brought such a great blessing of healing to his tribe, the Chief's beautiful daughter became his wife. In remembrance of Sun's gift to Scarface and his tribe, the Piegans always make the sweat lodge healing ceremony an important part of their annual Sun Dance Celebration.

Bibliography

Books Francis, Lee. Native Time: A Historical Timeline of Native America. 1996. Saint Martin's Griffin Press: New York City. Internet web 037800 sweat lodge. htm web web web.