Upcoming Purification Ceremony

Kwai kwai nidobak,

I have never done a lodge in which there were only newbies. Several Indians, along with several non-Indians will be coming. However none of them have ever been to a Purification ceremony. It's kinda funny but two of the Indians took a college class at Cuyamaca College in which the professor taught them about the Inipi ceremony - yet he did not every bring them to a Sweat lodge so they could experience it firsthand. I was talking with these two guys and they had some pretty weird ideas. I don't know who this professor was but he obviously did not really know anything about the Inipi ceremony. These two guys were attempting to teach me the proper way of setting up the lodge, alter and fire pit. They thought that because they had taken a class that they were somehow experts. I had a great time just watching and listening to them argue with each other about proper protocol and so forth. I guess the professor had told them that the people go into the lodge nude since this was the only way to make contact with Mother Earth. They tried to tell me that I had to take the carpet pieces off the ground inside the lodge because that was sacred ground and should not be covered with anything man made. They wanted me to move the alter off to the side of the lodge because it would get in the way of the person carrying the rocks into the lodge. They also informed me that the rocks I had selected (volcanic) were not the right type of rock and that I should be using granite. Then they wanted me to rebuild the lodge so that people could completely stand upright inside the lodge. They wanted to know if I was going to have peyote, marijuana, mushrooms, or jimsonweed as part of the ceremony. They asked me if I was a Roadman or a Medicine Man. I guess their professor did not know the difference between the Teepee ceremony and the Inipi ceremony. I was very patient with these guys and told them to just come to the ceremony so they could experience it for themselves firsthand. That seemed to satisfy them and I am looking forward to teaching them what their books and professor could not.

I do have one friend who is going to be my assistant who does know the ceremony very well. Other than that we are going to have to teach everyone everything. This is OK, because I am a professor by vocation so I have the ability to teach people. I know the proper way to conduct the Inipi ceremony and have been given permission by my tribal elders to conduct the ceremony. I have a young man who has volunteered to be the fireman. I will have to spend a lot of time with him to ensure he knows proper protocol. I told him it was a four year commitment and this did not seem to phase him, so I probably have someone I can depend upon. We will be having our first sweat in this new lodge this coming Saturday, and I am looking forward to it.

Walk in peace,
Steve

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