Culture Vultures

In Sedona, Arizona, 3 people died in what amounts to a large, ill constructed, sauna created for the monetary gain of a self-proclaimed Shaman, and it is portrayed in the news as a Native American ceremony gone bad. The unfortunate deaths of these innocents, while tragic, had nothing to do with Native American culture. There are many contradictions between the Native inipi ceremony and what happened in Arizona.
To begin with, a monetary exchange for participating in a ceremony is tantamount to sacrilege. An exchange of tobacco may be made, as communication with the creator and grandfathers is facilitated through sacred smoke.

Second, the ceremony is more than purification and self-reflection. It is a means and opportunity to communicate with the creator.
Third, the lodge is constructed in prescriptive ways, generally using animal skins or canvas, not plastic sheeting. The lodge must breath. So must the people inside. It is usually large enough to hold 15-20 people, not 50-60. Ceremony generally lasts less than an hour, or slightly longer for those acclimated to the practice. Not two hours or longer with neophytes.
The fact that some new age charlatan portrays what he does as Native doesn't make it so and the news media should not report it as such.

According to Lakota belief, 19 generations ago the people were given a pipe and seven ceremonies by a Wakan (holy) woman. An explanation and plea from the 19th keeper of that pipe follows.
From Arvol Looking Horse......

"As Keeper of our Sacred White Buffalo Calf PipeBundle, I am concerned for the 2 deaths and illnesses of the many people thatparticipated in a sweat lodge in Sedona, Arizona that brought our sacred riteunder fire in the news. I would like to clarify that this lodge and manyothers, are not our ceremonial way of life, because of the way they are beingconducted. My prayers go out for their families and loved ones for their loss.

Our ceremonies are about life and healing, from thetime this ancient ceremonial rite was given to our people, never has death beena part of our inikag¹a (life within) when conducted properly. Today the rite isinterpreted as a sweat lodge, it is much more then that. So the term does notfit our real meaning of purification.

Inikag¹a is the oldest ceremony brought to us byWakan Tanka (Great Spirit). 19 generations ago, the Lakota/Dakota/ Nakota Oyate(people), were given seven sacred rites of healing by a Spirit Woman ­ Pte SanWin (White Buffalo Calf Woman). She brought these rites along with our sacredC¹anupa (pipe) to our People, when our ancestors were suffering from adifficult time. It was also brought for the future to help us for much moredifficult times to come. They were brought to help us stay connected towho we are as a traditional cultural People. The values of conduct arevery strict in any of these ceremonies, because we work with spirit. Theway the Creator, Wakan Tanka told us; that if w e stay humble and sincere, wewill keep that connection with the inyan oyate (the stone people), who we callthe Grandfathers, to be able to heal our selves and loved ones. We have a³gift² of prayer and healing and have to stay humble with our Unc¹iMaka(Grandmother Earth) and with one another. The inikag¹a is used in all ofthe seven sacred rites to prepare and finish the ceremonies, along with thesacred eagle feather. The feather represents the sacred knowledge of ourancestors.

Our First Nations People have to earn the right topour the mini wic¹oni(water of life) upon the inyan oyate (the stone people) increating Inikag¹a- by going on the vision quest for four years and four yearsSundance. Then you are put through a ceremony to be painted - to recognize thatyou have now earned that right to take care of someone¹s life throughpurification. They should also be able to understand our sacred language, to beable to understand the messages from the Grandfathers, because they areancient,they are our spirit ancestors. They walk and teach the values of ourculture; in being humble, wise, caring and compassionate.

When you do ceremony - you can not have money onyour mind. We deal with the pure sincere energy to create healing that comesfrom everyone in that circle of ceremony. The heart and mind must beconnected. When you involve money, it changes the energy of healing. Theperson wants to get what they paid for; the Spirit Grandfathers will not bethere, our way of life is now being exploited! You do more damage thengood. No² mention² of monetary energy should exist in healing, not evenwith a can of love donations. When that energy exists, they will not evencome. Only Œafter¹ the ceremony, between the person that is bein g healed andthe Intercessor who has helped connect with the Great Spirit, the energy ofmoney can be given out of appreciation. That exchange of energy is fromthe heart; it is private and does not involve the Grandfathers! Whatever giftof appreciation the person who received the help, can now give the Intercessorwhat ever they feel their healing is worth.

In our Prophesy of the White Buffalo Calf Woman, shetold us that she would return and stand upon the earth when we are having ahard 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 sacredcolor, which is white. She predicted that at this time there would be manychanges upon Grandmother Earth. There would be things that we never experiencedor heard of before; climate changes, earth changes, diseases, disrespect forlife and one another would be shocking and there would be also many falseprophets!

My Grandmother that passed the bundle to me said Iwould be the last Keeper if the Oyate (people) do not straighten up. Theassaults upon Grandmother Earth are horrendous, the assaults toward one anotherwas not in our culture, the assaults against our People (Oyate) have beentermed as genocide, and now we are experiencing spiritual genocide!

Because of the problems that began to arise with ourrebirth of being able to do our ceremonies in the open since the Freedom ofReligion Act of 1978, our Elders began talking to me about the abuses they seenin our ceremonial way of life, which was once very strict. After manyyears of witnessing their warnings, we held a meeting to address this veryissue of lack of protocol in our ceremonies. After reaching an agreementof addressing the misconduct of our ceremonies and reminding of the properprotocols, a statement was made in March 2003. Every effort was made toinsure 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 fromour ³First Nation Intercessors² for good health and well-being, it is up tothat Intercessor. That is a privilege for all People that we gift for beingable to have good health and understand that their protocol is to have respectand appreciate what we have to share. The First Nations Intercessor hasto earn that right to our ceremonial way of life in the ways I have explained.

In a Sacred Hoop of Life, where there is no endingand no beginning!

Namah¹u yo (hear my words),"