Sweat lodge
The sweat lodge is a ceremonial sauna used by North American First Nations or Native American peoples. There are several styles of sweat lodge including a domed or oblong hut similar to a wickiup, a teepee, or even a simple hole dug into the ground and covered with planks or tree trunks. Stones are heated in an exterior fire and then placed in a hole in the middle of the floor.
Traditions
Rituals and traditions vary from region to region but often include prayers, drumming and offerings to the spirit world. Some common practises associated with sweat lodges include:
- Placement - The lodge is placed in a location that will facilitate communication with the spirit world.
- Orientation - The location of the door may be based on the purpose of the sweat lodge.
- Construction - The lodge is generally built with great care and with respect to the environment and to the materials being used.
- Offerings - Tobacco and other plants are often used as an offering. They can be smoked in a traditional pipe, sprinkled on the hot stones or offered to the fire.
- Dog soldiers - Sometimes one or more persons, called 'dog soldiers', will remain outside the sweat lodge to tend the fire, place the hot stones, protect the ceremony and assist the participants.