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Monday, October 12, 2009

The sweat lodge deaths, my Lakota perspective

I'm very upset over the deaths and injuries in the Sedona, Az situation.

There are so many things wrong in that situation, I don't even know where to begin.

First of all, people were doing something they had no business doing.
The sweat lodge is a sacred ceremony that wasicu's have no right trying to replicate. Oh wait, they have tried, it's called a sauna.


The man, or people, (because I'm sure this Ray guy was not the ONLY one who runs these)who was running this, was collecting money for it. First of all, to replicate something that isn't even YOUR culture, and a SACRED ceremony no less, but then to take an asinine amount of money, is unbelievably wrong, unethical and heinous. Personally, I hope this man is charged with manslaughter. Because if this were a native running things where people had died, you'd better believe they'd be slapped with a law suit so fast, their heads would spin.

Now, also, I'm so sick of people thinking if they get a little "Native spirituality" their lives will be better. Stop guru-ing us. New Ager's piss me off. They are so busy trying on other people's beliefs that if they'd just stop running from themselves, explore their own culture, or belief system; they might find the answers. If you can't fix your own problems and your own lives, don't look to us to do it. We can't wave a magic buffalo horn and say a few special words and make YOUR life better. Everyone is responsible for their own happiness, no matter HOW much money you have, or WHO you pay to play "Indian medicine man."

The bottom line I see is this, a wasicu was playing with things he had NO RIGHT to be playing with, and people (sheep) were more than willing to follow along blindly. And now, bad choices ALL AROUND have cost people a dear price.

Hopefully the sweat lodge at that resort, will be shut down, and people will start thinking twice about blindly following something they don't know the real story behind.

As I write that last line, I realize I better clarify. When i say follow blindly, I mean, thinking you can go to some white "medicine Man" who you think is going to fix your life. No one can fix your life, except you. If you didn't have the tools you need to succeed in life before you went into that sweat lodge, you're not going to suddenly gain them when you walk out. Lakota( Native) spirituality is not something you can dabble in, something you can see, something you can touch. It is something you are born with, or into, it's a way of life. Many people try to "Show" their spirituality, but it's something that must be lived, must come from within. If someone is "wearing" their spirituality on them, (or showing it, in whatever form) that to me, says a lot more about that person than what they believe (or don't) in.

2 comments:

MariJo Moore said...

I agree with you, Mary.

Spirit is biting ass these days.....

mb said...

I feel your words in my gut.