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| Near the Sweat Lodge in Saskatchewan |
Angels visit a small, wooden shed that is nestled in a bluff of poplar and birch trees on a First Nation reserve in eastern Saskatchewan.
An Unforgettable School Field Trip
November, 2017
As our school van pulled into the yard, I reminded myself to be open to the experience. I had heard marvellous stories of the sweat lodge and was excited to see if I could have even a fraction of the same experiences that others had. Privately, I was worried that the Angels (referred to as Grandmothers and Grandfathers) wouldn't show because of my presence and that the students would lose out on the experience.
The Cradle and the Fire
A fire with rocks in a cradle of wood roars to the east of the shed. The sweat lodge ceremony begins when the rocks are hot enough and only then. The time on our watches means nothing. A few of our male students tend the fire. A couple of pitchforks lean against a log on the ground.The Shed & The Food
We haul in soup, sandwiches, berries, and drinks. A wood stove inside keeps the shed warm in the wintertime. Benches wrap around the northeast and southeast walls. Curtains outline a small change area in the south-west and north-west corners. A bison skull, rattles, and a pipe sit at the entrance to the lodge.
I sit on the north bench and thank the elder whose land we're on for holding the ceremony for our students, teachers, and me.
"I can get you a skirt if you like," he laughs. Men sit to the south and women to the north. I was sitting on the wrong bench.
Other members of the community join us. Men change into shorts and women wear skirts and shirts. We're all barefoot. Two men bring out their drums. In wintertime, they warm the drums by the stove.
The Lodge
In the middle of the shed sits the sweatlodge, a series of young poplar trees bent and stuck in the ground to make a structure about one meter high. Tarps and blankets cover the poplars entirely with only a small flap facing east. This small opening forms the doorway. The one I attended had the lodge inside the shed itself. Students bring the rocks in with a pitchfork when the rocks are hot enough.
Crawling on our hands and knees, we all make our way into the lodge. The men sit to the south, women to the north. The elder sits at the entrance. His "home-fire"(wife) joins us. They're a wonderful couple, warm and welcoming, and are the knowledge keepers of the Cree traditions and beliefs in that area.
After the elder closes the flap, I cannot see my hand in front of my face because it's so dark. We sit cross-legged and my feet almost touch the hot rocks in the middle. We're knee to knee in such a small space. There's no room in front of me or behind me.
The elder prays and then calls on me to speak and make the offerings. I offer my thanks and say that this sweat is for the healing of our students and everyone there. I offer tobacco as a way to say thanks.
The singing and drumming starts. The elder splashes water on the rocks and the steam rises. The sweat has begun.
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