Реферат: Native Americans Essay Research Paper Sweat lodges - Refy.ru - Сайт рефератов, докладов, сочинений, дипломных и курсовых работ

Native Americans Essay Research Paper Sweat lodges

Темы по английскому языку » Native Americans Essay Research Paper Sweat lodges

Native Americans Essay, Research Paper

Sweat lodges were a basic component of Native American life. The Native

American completed a purification ceremony in these sweat lodges. This ritual

dealt with purifying the human body and soul. The layout of the sweat lodge, the

practice of the purification ceremony, and the symbolism in each of these things

are all part of Native American rituals The Navaho used to call sweat lodges

tq?ache. They are made out of birch willow branches and resemble a beehive.

Outside of the sweat lodges is a fire used to heat rocks. A dirt path from the

fire outside goes through the door leading to the fire inside. The door is

always facing toward the east. In the middle of the sweat lodge is a hole with

the heated rocks from the fire outside. Sweat baths are filled with symbolism.

Sweat represents the washing away of physical and moral impurities. This

ceremony is meant to revitalize and allow the person to be born anew. The lodge

is an image of the universe. The rocks inside symbolize the center of the

universe. The heated rocks in the fireplace represent the Mother Earth. The

stream created by pouring water over the rocks symbolizes the Thunder Being. The

participants purify themselves with rocks, fire, water, earth and air. The

practice of the purification ceremony is essentially a sweat bath. When the

stones in the fire outside are hot enough they are brought in. The participants

chant and sit in silence. After this is done, a mixture of water, sage grass,

cedar, and pine needles is poured onto the hot rocks. This produces a hot vapor

bath that leaves the fragrance of burning needles and grass. This practice can

be done many times a day. There are always sweat baths before important

ceremonies, warpaths, or the signing of treaties. This ritualistic ceremony

shows many of the beliefs about God?s relationship with the earth and humans.

This purification ceremony put the American Indians in a frame of mind to make

important decisions. The layout, practice, and symbolism in the sweat lodges are

a major part of Native American rituals.