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A rough draft of the spiritual autobiography of Joseph B Wilson. The history that lead to Toteg Tribe.
Copyright 2003 by Joseph B Wilson
- In Early December of 1985 Glen Schiffman telephoned me and asked me if I would like to meet
Sun Bear. I said, "sure". This is an account of that meeting.
A SUN BEAR SWEAT LODGE CEREMONY
by
Joseph Bearwalker Wilson
I met Sun Bear on a Saturday evening in December 1985.
A few days earlier Glen Schiffman invited me to meet him. I had been looking forward to the
meeting since then. Glen told me that Sun Bear would be in town for a couple of days and that he
would be conducting a-sweat lodge ceremony that Saturday night. I could come and meet him if I
wanted.
In keeping with tradition I prepared for the meeting by buying a bag of tobacco to give to this well
known medicine man. Late Saturday afternoon I approached the sacred tobacco tree that grew in
my garden. I made offerings to it, then chose four leaves that I tied to the tobacco bag. I kept the
package with me in the pocket near my heart.
When I arrived at the appointed place I found several men and women sitting around a large fire.
The fire was in a deep pit containing many rocks that were red hot. Sun Bear was relaxing in a
chair by the fire and chatting with those near him. The only other person I recognized was Glen,
who gave me warm greetings.
The Sweat Lodge was a few feet to the west of the fire pit. It was a low oval dome of willow
branches covered with blankets. The entrance was an oval of blackness large enough for a person
to stoop through. It faced east, toward the fire.
After Glen welcomed me he asked me if I would like to participate in the Sweat Ceremony. I told
him that I would love to. I had not expected to be invited to participate. A few minutes later Glen
handed me one of his own towels and a pair of swimming trunks. I was surprised, and pleased.
I told Glen that I thought I should give Sun Bear the tobacco I brought. He agreed and told me to tell
Sun Bear that I was a first timer.
When I approached the Medicine Man I said, "Excuse me, Grandfather. I am a first timer and have
brought this tobacco for you."
He looked pleased as he accepted the tobacco. "Thank you Brother, this is very good medicine."
He welcomed me with encouraging words. I told him that I had waited many years for this, then left
him to get back to what he was doing.
A few minutes later Sun Bear said it was time to begin, and that we would begin by honoring the
fire. He explained the importance of fire through the ages, and our reasons to be grateful to it.
Then he walked around the circle with a bag of tobacco. As he stopped in front of us we each took
a pinch and thanked him. When he returned to his place at the east of the fire he took a pinch of it
himself and prayed. He touched his forehead and lips with his pinch of tobacco, and we all did the
same.
Then he told us that when we felt it was the right time we should give our tobacco to the fire. We
each did so as we offered our private prayers of thanksgiving.
Sun Bear then told us that we could get undressed to get ready to enter the lodge. We went into
the darkness, took off our clothing, and slipped on the swimming attire.
"Now Brother Glen and I will go inside the lodge and pray over the rocks," said Sun Bear. They
took in sage to drive away evil spirits and sweet grass to attract good ones. With this they
smudged the lodge.
After Sun Bear and Glen entered the lodge two of the men and a woman began to get the rocks.
One fire man used a pair of tongs to pull the red-hot rocks, one at a time, out of the fire. Then he
placed them on the blade of a shovel at the edge of the fire pit. The fire woman brushed them off
with a whisk broom. Then the other fire man took the rock on the shovel to the pit in the Sweat
Lodge. I could hear Sun Bear and Glen's voices as they made prayers while the rocks were
placed in the fire pit.
When seven glowing rocks had been placed in the Lodge, Sun Bear and Glen came out. Sun Bear
said it was time to begin, so we all followed him into the darkness. The Medicine Man was first,
followed by two women, and then followed by the men. We went around the lodge clock wise until
we could go no further. As each person got down on their hands and knees and crawled into the
lodge they spoke the word "metakliasus" to recognize and honor all beings as our family. This
Lakota word means "all my relatives." I followed Glen and his example as best I could. Glen sat at
the far west of the lodge, and I sat touching him on his right hand side.
While the last few people entered the lodge Sun Bear told us to make room by moving closer to
each other. "It's good to be close," he said. "This is the womb of the Mother, and in your Mother's
womb you will be close." After the last person sat in the circle, the fire tender closed the door to the
Sweat Lodge. We were close, and the lodge was dark, lit only by the red glow of the super heated
rocks. That which happened the next few moments is vague in my memory. I know I felt the heat of
the rocks and wondered just how hot the lodge would become.
I remember that Glen made a prayer of thanks that this spiritual man had agreed to take the
responsibility of pouring the water. We were indeed grateful. He then addressed Sun Bear as
uncle and asked permission to explain to the first timers what was about to happen. He told us
about the prayers, and the increasing heat. He told us how to lean forward with our head between
our knees to reduce the intensity that we felt, and assured us that everyone would be doing that.
He explained that leaning back would only increase the heat that we felt. He whispered to me that
the part of the lodge he and I sat in would be hotter than areas closer to the door. Glen explained
that if we felt like we couldn't take any more, or felt that we would become ill that we could
respectfully ask permission to leave the lodge. He assured us this permission would be granted.
"It's not wrong to be sick in the Sweat Lodge," he said, "but it's not very pleasant."
Then Sun Bear talked about the rock people and our gratitude to them for the heat. He asked us to
be mindful of others who need our prayers. He explained that we are all just little people doing
things differently. He said we must each just do the best we can, and that is why his Lodge is
different from some others. I felt his own humility as he said this.
Then he called for the sacred pipe. A fire tender handed it into the Lodge. Sun Bear talked about
the pipe and the prayers that it represented. After he offered it to the six directions he touched a
match to the bowl and lit it. He puffed a prayer, then handed the pipe to the person who sat on his
left hand side. Each person puffed the pipe, then passed it on in the direction the sun travels
around the earth. When the pipe got back to Sun Bear he asked us to leave the Lodge. He said
the spirits wanted more rocks.
We left the lodge by retracing the steps we took when we entered. We stood near the fire as the
fire tenders took seven more rocks and placed them inside the lodge. Then Sun Bear asked us to
come back inside, and we did so in the same order as we had originally entered.
When we were all seated the fire tender shut the door. Sun Bear sprinkled water on the glowing
rocks and the heat increased. I felt the steam burning on my back and in my lungs, so I bent
forward and made my breathing shallow. I began to sweat profusely and Glen whispered to me to
rub the sweat into my body.
The Medicine Man prayed and talked about the White Buffalo, Waboose, spirit keeper of the
north, and about the importance of the Buffalo to the Native American peoples. He spoke about
how the buffalo gave of itself its hide for shelter, its flesh for food, its bones for tools, and how no
part of it was unused. He spoke about the winter season the White Buffalo represents, and of
renewal and purity. Then he asked that the Lodge door he opened as we invited the white Buffalo
to be with us. When the door opened I felt good power come in along with brief coolness. The door
closed and the drummer began to play as the people sang a song in a Native American tongue.
When we had sung the song four times we prayed, and we directed the prayers for ourselves. We
all prayed simultaneously, aloud or silently as we chose. I felt our voices rise with the heat. I heard
humility and compassion reflected in the upraised voices.
When we finished Sun Bear poured more water on the hot rocks and the lodge got even hotter.
Then he spoke about the Golden Eagle, Wabun, the spirit keeper of the east. He told us the
meanings of the farseeing eagle; of the season of Spring, and of illumination and wisdom. When
he had finished speaking he asked the fire tenders to open the lodge door, and he invited the
Golden Eagle into the sweat. Again I felt the good presence enter before the fire tender closed the
door. The sacred drummer began again and we sang songs in the same tongue. After we sang
them Sun Bear poured more water. Again I felt a stinging on my back and in my throat, and again I
leaned forward and put my head between my knees.
We prayed again. This time we prayed for others; our relatives and friends whether they are
human or animal, insect or mineral. We prayed without regard for the paths that our relatives and
friends might be following. I felt the compassion of the people in the lodge reach out to all our
relatives. When our prayers had risen with our voices and the heat, Sun Bear asked us to leave the
lodge. Again we went out the way we came in. This time we went to the grass where we lay in its
coolness. I felt the love of the Earth as I watched the stars.
While we lay on the grass, the fire tenders took more glowing rocks from the fire and placed them
in the pit in center of the Lodge.
A few minutes later Sun Bear lead us back into the lodge where we took our places as before.
After the fire tenders closed the lodge door Sun Bear poured more water on the red hot rocks. He
told us about Coyote, Shawnodese, the spirit keeper of the south, of summer and of love, growth,
and trust. He talked about the laughing trickster who teaches although we might not want to learn.
He said he saw Coyote the other day and asked how he was getting along.
Coyote laughed and replied, 'Very well! Sometimes it's cat food and sometimes its cat; but I get
along."
Then Sun Bear asked the fire tenders to open the door and we invited in Coyote. Again I felt the
good presence enter with the brief coolness of the night air. After the door closed and Sun Bear
had added more water to the rocks, the drummer began and we sang another song four times. I
noticed that I was beginning to pick up the words though I did not understand the language.
After we finished singing we offered prayers for all of the worlds religious and secular leaders,
whether we agreed with the leader's philosophy or not. I felt the need for wisdom and tolerance
rise with our voices and prayers.
When we had finished with these prayers Sun Bear again poured water on the rocks, and the
lodge got even hotter.
He asked if everyone was all right, then spoke of Grizzly Bear, Mudjekeewis, spirit keeper of the
west; of the autumn and the strength and introspection of that season. When he asked for the door
to be opened and Grizzly Bear invited in, my minds eyes filled with vivid images of this powerful
force. The drummer began and the people sang another song. I added my voice as best I could.
Sun Bear added more water to the rocks and the heat rose higher than it had before. The heat felt
good. My back did not sting like it did before, nor did the steam hurt my throat or nose. This time I
did not need to lean further forward and put my head between my knees.
Then Sun Bear asked for prayers for the Earth Mother, and to Her. This time he asked each sister
who was with us to offer separate prayers. When they had finished he asked two brothers to do the
same. Their prayers brought a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes.
At the end of the ceremony a brother told of the plight of a sister and her child, of their suffering in
Montana, and asked for assistance for her. Sun Bear added his voice of encouragement and
suggested we give her pictures of dead presidents -- like Lincoln, Jefferson, and Washington.
When it was time to leave the lodge we went out the way we came in. Each of us stopped and
shook Sun Bear's hand and thanked him for the ceremony. The others called him Brother, but I
called him Grandfather again. We went outside and lay on the cool grass and felt the love of the
Earth as we watched the stars. I felt better than I've ever felt in my life.
After I dried and dressed, I again gave my thanks to Sun Bear and Glen and then drove home.
When I walked into the house my wife reacted to me with surprise. "You look ... look all slicked
back," she said.
She told me that I radiated calm and purity, and demanded to know everything that went on. She
said she felt dirty compared to what I was radiating. "You've taken a scrub brush to your insides!"
She kept repeating. So I told her the story and we talked until midnight.
Although I slept only three hours, because I needed to get up early for work, I woke up completely
refreshed. My feeling of peace and calm lasted all that day, and the next, and I feel it as I write.
I have much to learn.
Copyright © 1986, 1996 by Joseph B. Wilson. All rights reserved.
The above article was intended for comparison with the "New Age" sweats which have become so
popular. These psuedo-native ceremonies are misleading and confusing to people who are
searching for understanding of the Native cultures and/or their own Native heritage. While the
sweat described may vary on some strictly traditional points, and details vary from one tribal nation
to another, this description is generally consistant with other sweat lodge ceremonies I have
attended. If you are truly interested in learning about a culture, you are better off even in a 'tourist'
type ceremony, than in a New-Age-Fluff-Bunny sweat. Your bank account will certainly appreciate it.
I am aware of the controversy surrounding Sun Bear, the books co-written by Wabun Wind, and the
accusations against some of his followers. I have no desire to speak on the subject. He has
passed, and I hold his memory in respect.
