The First Sweat Lodge (Lakota)
According to Lakota tradition, the sweat lodge was given to the people by the spirits as a means of purification and healing. A warrior who had been wounded in battle was near death when a spirit appeared and instructed him to build a framework of willow branches and cover it with buffalo hides. He was to heat stones in a fire, place them in a pit at the center, and pour water over them. The steam would purify his body and spirit. The warrior followed these instructions and was healed. The inipi (sweat lodge) ceremony became one of the Seven Sacred Rites, used for physical healing, spiritual c