Uncovering and Building Your Own Native American Sweat Lodge Ceremony

It may be hard to believe, but thermaculture is more deeply rooted in America than Finland. The Sweat Lodge was central to tribal culture from the Alaskan Eskimos to the Mayan cultures of South America.

Like the Finnish Sauna, the sweat lodge serves to clean the body deeply, but the reasons go much deeper than that. It is as much about the spirit as it is about the body.

“We sit and discuss and we learn and we talk about things that cannot be discussed outside the sweat lodge. It is a very sacred place. We are told that was the first structure that was made when our people came from the previous world into this world.”

Wally Brown – Navajo Elder and Historian

The Native American sweat lodge is a unique and traditional form of sauna used by various indigenous cultures across North America. It is typically characterized by the use of heated stones, which are warmed outside and then brought into an enclosed space.

Unlike other types of saunas, sweat lodges often serve a spiritual purpose and are used as part of ritualistic ceremonies. The heat in a sweat lodge is more radiant compared to the convective heat found in other saunas. This distinct sauna experience is deeply rooted in the cultural practices of many Indigenous American communities.

Powered by glowing red rocks, the sweat lodge is a sacred place for ceremonies, cleansing, and reconnecting with the earth and ancestors.

When English settlers began noticing that sweat lodges were important to their religion, they considered the practice a threat. Government officials and Christian Ministries banned the use entirely. In fact, sweat lodge ceremonies were outlawed until August 11, 1978 when Congress passed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act.

For some tribes, like the Navajo, there were many sacred topics, chants, and procedures that could not happen outside of the sweat lodge. Unfortunately, squashing the sweat lodge was an effective way to squash much of the cultures, some which would be lost forever.

Thankfully, a few tribes were remote enough to preserve the tradition unbroken, while others have reconstructed and brought back the practice of their ancestors.

Indian Sweat Lodge Ceremony

Calling upon spirits is central to the ceremony. In Anishinaabe sweat lodges, the following spirits are part of the practice:

… All those that sit in the Four Directions;
… those witnessing from the Spirit World via the Western Doorway;
… the Spirits in each of the heated rocks (the Grandfathers);
… Mother Earth – whose womb we are inhabiting;
… the Spirit of the Lodge itself, Mide Oshkawbewis;
… the Little Boy who resides in the water drum that is passed around the Lodge;
… the Spirit in the pipe and so on.

Outside of the Lodge, there is the Spirit of the fire, the Firekeeper and helpers, and the trickster Spirit must always be kept in mind.

Don’t forget that each and every one of us that participates in the ceremony has a Spirit. We are all called, acknowledged, do our work and are fed in the Lodge as well.

It is a serious practice that can’t be done by new age gurus. We caution, whatever you are doing – don’t call it a sweat lodge unless you have a native guide.

A must read resource for understanding the reasons and rituals of sweat lodge ceremony is Mikkel Aaland’s book ‘SWEAT’, where he was actually invited to take part and document ceremonies with several tribes.

Aaland notes several interesting similarities and differences between the rituals.

Hot Rock Method – Construction and Ceremony

The hot rock method is by far the most common practice among North America tribes. Rocks are heated in the open outside the sweat lodge, much like a regular bonfire. When the rocks glow red, often several hours after starting the fire it’s time to move them into the lodge with antlers, a pitchfork, or shovel.

The lodge for the hot rock method is typically a low dome, or hive structure made of sticks (willow is popular) or reeds, and covered with canvas, cloth, and/or animal skin. These were an ancient precursor to the “mobile sauna” movement that is popular in modern times.

Permanent structures, typically in warmer climates could be constructed of mud, sod, stone, or timber. These are similar to ‘Hammam’ saunas in the Middle East, and southern Europe except they use hot rocks for heat, instead of steam.

In either case, the dark interior of the sweat lodge was often meant to represent the womb of Mother Earth, particularly in Sioux tribes.

Once glowing red, rocks are placed into the sweat lodge, a few at a time by firewatchers. There is typically a depression near the door or center of the sweat lodge where the rocks are carefully placed.

The leader will enter the lodge and prepare the space, inviting the group in when the space reaches the proper temperature.

Water is poured on the rocks, as it is in traditional Finnish sauna. Instead of a ladle, native tribes would often use a buffalo horn or broom to sprinkle water on the rocks.

A Note On Protecting Sacred Traditions and Culture

The Sweat Lodge is a sacred tradition, and while elders want to keep their traditions alive, we respect that it shouldn’t be commercialized, co-opted, or marketed by those outside the community.

Sweat lodges are easy to make, but “without a medicine man or spiritual leader, it is not an Indian sweat.”

However, a full picture of ancient steam bathing cannot be complete without including the sweat lodge traditions in the Americas.

We think it’s possible to learn from ancient traditions, and create our own practices that may be strongly influenced by sweat lodges but by another name. Paying homage without claiming to be practicing a sacred tradition of others.

Tribes still carrying on sweat lodge traditions today include Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Navajo, and Oglala Sioux, Pawnees, Anishinaabe, Omahas, Wintu, and Punchas. American settlers were surprised to see the practice was widespread among tribes that otherwise shared few similarities.

Understanding that thermaculture is as deeply rooted in the Americas as in Finland shows just how wide spread and core to our human existence sauna and sweat culture are.

Similarities With Finnish Saunas

The similarities between native tribes and unconnected cultures throughout the world beg the question, “is there something deep within humans that is fed by thermaculture?”

DIY How To Guide

Estimated Cost: 200 USD

Supply:

• Willow Branches or alternative Sticks
• Twine, leather rope, or zip ties
• Rocks
• Firewood

Tools:

• Digging Tools

How To Build a ‘Sweat Lodge’

Recommended Reading:

Sweat: The Illustrated History and Description of the Finnish Sauna, Russian Bania, Islamic Hammam, Japanese Mushi-Buro, Mexican Temescal, and American Indian & Eskimo Sweatlodge Kindle Edition