Sweat Lodges-Shyee'evet-curing place come
in many different sizes and shapes, but many of the principles are the same:"Purification" a place to cleanse the
body, mind and spirit. We ask all spiritual leaders on Tongva Land (the Entire LA Basin) to ask permission to put up your
lodges up out of courtesy as we would do so on your land. Legally we cannot stop anyone, but we ask if you build a lodge,
if you can try to build Turtle Lodges in the ground, this is one of our ways, yet we will honor all spiritual leaders
to practice their ways as they pour our water on our Ancestral Lands as long as it is done respectfully and without any monetary
incentive. We just ask that other tribes to follow our protocols when on our land. Aweskone Xaa
We honor all Sundancers as spiritual warriors,
leading us on a better path to enlightment, and invite them to participate in our "Red Road Programs."
4 years
running rocks, 4 years in purification ceremony, 4 years vision quest, 4 years sundancing
Sweat Lodge/Purification Ceremony
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
As Keeper of our Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle, I am concerned for the 2 deaths and illnesses
of the many people that participated in a sweat lodge in Sedona, Arizona that brought our sacred rite under fire in the news.
I would like to clarify that this lodge and many others, are not our ceremonial way of life, because of the way they are being
conducted. My prayers go out for their families and loved ones for their loss. 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
inikag¹a
(life within) when conducted properly. Today the rite is interpreted as a sweat lodge, it is much more then that. So the term
does not fit our real meaning of purification.
Inikag¹a is the oldest ceremony brought to us by Wakan Tanka
(Great Spirit).
19 generations ago, the Lakota/..Dakota/Nakota Oyate (people), were given
seven sacred rites of
healing by a Spirit Woman Pte San Win (White Buffalo
Calf Woman). She brought these rites along with our sacred
C¹anupa (pipe) to
our People, when our ancestors were suffering from a difficult time. It was
also brought
for the future to help us for much more difficult times to
come. They were brought to help us stay connected to who
we are as a
traditional cultural People. The values of conduct are very strict in any
of these ceremonies, because
we work with spirit. The way the Creator,
Wakan Tanka told us; that if we stay humble and sincere, we will keep that
connection
with the inyan oyate (the stone people), who we call the
Grandfathers, to be able to heal our selves and loved ones.
We have a
³gift² of prayer and healing and have to stay humble with our Unc¹i Maka
(Grandmother
Earth) and with one another. The inikag¹a is used in all of the
seven sacred rites to prepare and finish the ceremonies,
along with the
sacred eagle feather. The feather represents the sacred knowledge of our
ancestors.
Our
First Nations People have to earn the right to pour the mini wic¹oni
(water of life) upon the inyan oyate (the
stone people) in creating Inikag¹a
- by going on the vision quest for four years and four years Sundance. Then
you are put through a ceremony to be painted - to recognize that you have
now earned that right to take care of someone¹s
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 make shift 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 then good. No² mention²
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 Œafter¹ the ceremony, between the person that is being healed and the Intercessor who has helped
connect with the Great Spirit, the energy of money can 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 the
help, can now give the Intercessor what ever they feel their healing is worth. In our Prophesy of the White Buffalo Calf Woman,
she told us that she would
return and stand upon the earth when we are having a hard time. In 1994 this
began
to happen with the birth of the white buffalo, not only their nation,
but many animal nations began to show their sacred
color, which is white.
She predicted that at this time there would be many changes upon Grandmother
Earth. There
would be things that we never experienced or heard of before;
climate changes, earth changes, diseases, disrespect for
life and one
another would be shocking and there would be also many false prophets!
My Grandmother that
passed the bundle to me said I would be the last Keeper
if the Oyate (people) do not straighten up. The assaults upon
Grandmother
Earth are horrendous, the assaults toward one another was not in our
culture, the assaults against
our People (Oyate) have been termed as
genocide, and now we are experiencing spiritual genocide! Because of the problems
that began to arise with our rebirth of being able
to do our ceremonies in the open since the Freedom of Religion Act
of 1978,
our Elders began talking to me about the abuses they seen in our ceremonial
way of life, which was once
very strict. After many years of witnessing
their warnings, we held a meeting to address this very issue of lack of
protocol
in our ceremonies. After reaching an agreement of addressing the
misconduct of our ceremonies and reminding of the proper
protocols, a
statement was made in March 2003. Every effort was made to insure our way
of life of who we are as
traditional cultural People was made, because these
ways are for our future and all life upon the Grandmother Earth
(Mitakuye
Oyasin All my relations), so that they may have good health. Because these
atrocities are being
mocked and practiced all over the world, there was even
a film we made called ³Spirits for Sale².
The
non-native people have a right to seek help from our ³First Nation
Intercessors² for good health and well-being,
it is up to that Intercessor. That is a privilege for all People that we gift for being able to have good health and understand
that their protocol is to have respect and appreciate what we have to share. The First Nations Intercessor has to earn that
right to our ceremonial way of life in the ways I have explained. 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!
Namah¹u yo (hear my words),
Chief Arvol Looking Horse, 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle.
Guidelines to using lodges
1. Beginners- 3 months working with the fire
keeper
2. Needs a Sponsor if new to the purification
ceremonies
3. Must be drug & alcohol free for 4 days
4. No nudity
5. No women on their moon!!!
6. Anyone working w/children must be finger printed
7. Parents must watch their children at all times
Protocols
1. Men must ware shorts
2. Women dresses that cover body
3. Bring your own towel & water
4. Bring tobacco for the fire keeper and person pouring the water
5. Please maintain a quiet calm around the main sacred fire pit
6. Do not cross between the fire and lodges
when fire is lighted
7. Do not ware jewelry into the lodge
8. Be respectful at all times
9. Help set up and break down lodge
10. If you do not know something ask
11. While in the lodge to not speak without permission to speak: “Permission to Speak”
Tongva
Shwaanga Wish List
1. First Aid Kit (Large)
2. Containers (Large metal-for wood and supplies)
3. Wood Splitter
4. 2
weed whackers w/spools
5. 2 Chain saws
6. 6 fan rakes
7. 6 grass rakes
8. 3 spade shovels
9. 3 flat shovels
10. 4 pitch forks
11. 4
rock pullers (small metal rake like)
12. 4
axes
13. 6 wedges
14. 4 sledge hammers
15. 24 pair of work gloves
16. 24
pow wow chairs
17. 5
– 2x6 or 8’ tables (collapsible)
18. Tool
kit (hammer, screw drivers etc.)
19. 6
trash cans
20. Trash
bags
21. 3 large pry bars
22. 3 small pry bars
23. 12 tents
24. Rent “Back Hoe”
25. Rent
“Auger”
26. RV
w/large kitchen
27. Refrigerator
28. Freezer
29. Pot & Pan set
30. Kitchen supplies
31. Flat bed truck-1 ton w/lift
32. Custom Tarps for lodges
33. Blankets
34. 6 5gal. Buckets
35. 4
Hoses 100'
