The Inipi and the Lakota Sweat Lodge Tradition

Steven Lane Taylor's exceptional article (Being in the Flow is "No Sweat") reminded me of a specific chapter in the classic book, Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions. John (Fire) Lame Deer was a Lakota Sioux holy man who lived between 1900 – 1976, and his book depicts the rich history and culture of the Lakota people, as well as an autobiographical account of his remarkable life.

In his book, Lame Deer spoke of the old traditional tale of the inipi, or sweat bath — what we currently call the sweat lodge. The ancient purification ceremony in the inipi was the first sacred rite of the Lakotans and many times is used as the opening ceremony for many other traditional Lakotan rites.

Every part of the bringing together of materials for the construction of the inipi has a deep and holy significance for those holding the ceremony — from the selection of the willow branches to form the frame, the type of wood for the fire, the choice of rocks and the importance of their initial location and then their placement within the inipi, to the direction of the opening of the structure. For the sun-dance sweat lodge, the best blankets from the village were always chosen to cover the frame.

The following passage from Lame Deer powerfully defines the wholly sacred and spiritual nature of the inipi's use:

The sweat lodge is small, but to those crouching inside it represents the whole universe. The spirit of all living things are in this hut. This we believe. The earth on which we sit is our grandmother; all life comes from her. In the center of the lodge we scoop out a circular hole into which the stones will be put out later. We pray to the Great Spirit as we do this. His power will be there in this little pit, which, when it is used in a sacred manner, will become the center of the whole world. We save the scooped-out earth carefully and form it into a little ridge, a path for the spirits, leading about ten steps out of the sweat house. At the end of it we make a little mound, called unci — grandmother — because this is what the earth means to us. The center pit also represents wakicagapi — the beloved, dead relative who has returned to the earth. You have to remember him when you put the rocks into that hole. This pit is a circle within the circle formed by the hut. This symbol, a circle within a circle, stands for life, for that which has no end. Plants, animals, men are born and die, but the Indian people will live.

Everything about the sweat lodge represents the universe, nature, and the spirits, and during the ceremony the Lakota people maintain reverence and gratitude for all that these elements bring to sustain the people's well-being. Most importantly, the sweat lodge symbolizes the interconnectedness of all things — that we are part of the universe and all these things are a part of us.

While inside, the small group of people, usually six or seven, contemplate the importance of the inipi, paying attention to the wise messages coming from the hissing steam on the stones, and feeling the earth-power from the stones' heat penetrate and heal their bodies and minds.

The leader now pours, or sprinkles, water over the glowing rocks. If he does this in the old way, he uses a sprig of sage or sweetgrass, otherwise he takes a dipper. The water is ice-cold and the stone red-hot, so here is a unifying, the earth and the sky, the water of life and the sacred breath of the spirit, grandfather and grandmother coming together. There is a great surge of power. You inhale that breath, drink in the water, the white steam. It represents clouds, the living soul, life. The heat is very great. Your lungs are breathing fire, and if you can't stand it you can say, "Mitakuye oyasin — all my relatives," and somebody will open the flap and let the cool air in for you.

After finishing other important rites within the sweat lodge, including prayers and smoking of a pipe, each individual will rub down his body with dry sage leaves and drink cold water. Afterward, there is a sense of peace and well-being, knowing that their ceremony not only benefited everyone who participated, but all living things.

Perhaps the recent sweat lodge tragedy is a great reminder for many seekers that there is a need to return to the revered way the ceremony was originally intended — to be held as an honoring of the interconnectedness of everything in the universe, and undergoing such remembrance brings about profound healing and higher awareness of the sacredness of all life.

This text by Linda Anderson of HolisticFuture.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.