Seasonal Ceremonies are held at the Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre four times a year at each change of season. Watch our events calendar for these and other sweat lodge ceremonies held throughout the year, with our partners Family Ways Lodge.
Sweat lodge ceremonies provides us all with an opportunity to be on the land, to honour and give thanks for all of creation, to have some quiet reflective time around the fire and to renew and refresh our mind, body and spirit.
The ceremony begins with the lighting of the sacred fire. This is the fire that will heat the grandfather and grandmother rocks that will be used in the sweat lodge. Participants will be invited to offer tobacco and prayers to the fire. A firekeeper or scabe tends the fire throughout the time to make sure it doesn’t go out. He/she also places the grandfather stones into the fire in preparation for the ceremony.
The sweat is led by a lodge keeper. Each lodge keeper has their unique way of teaching. There are four “rounds” of prayers and songs honouring each of the four directions. At each round some of the grandfather rocks are brought in. The door flap is closed for each round so that the lodge is womb-like.
For the sweat, you will need a towel to keep around your neck. Women should wear a long skirt and t-shirt or a flannel nightgown – a dress that allows you to sweat. Men wear shorts and a t-shirt. You will need dry clothes to change into after the sweat. Bring your drum or rattle if you have one. Bring tobacco to offer, either in a package or tied into a piece of red cloth.
If you don’t wish to go into the sweat lodge, you are invited to sit by the fire during the ceremony to offer support and prayers along with the firekeeper.
After the sweat, there will be a potluck feast in the hall. Everyone is asked to bring a contribution of food to the feast. A spirit plate will be made up of bits of all the food and offered to the fire by the firekeeper. This is a way of honouring and giving thanks to the ancestors. The feast is a time of good food and good community.
Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre welcomes donations to support the land, supplies and work to upkeep the ceremony site. These donations allow us to offer our community access to ceremony year-round. These donations can be made online, when you register, or in person (a basket with envelopes is provided in the dining rooms where we share in the feast). Tax receipts are issued for all gifts made online, and for gifts of $20 and over made in person, when you provide your name and mailing address.
It is also customary to offer a gift to the lodge keeper who is performing the ceremony.
Remember to Bring:
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- Tobacco
- For the sweat lodge: shorts (men) or cotton nightgown or skirt/top (women) & towel
- For outside the sweat lodge: any hat, jacket, rain gear, sun or bug protection you need to be comfortable and safe outside, depending on the weather of the day
- Water bottle
- Food – to share in potluck feast after the sweat
- Your own bowl, plate, cup, knife, fork, spoon may be required at some of our ceremonies.
- Donation for the Centre encouraged (if you don’t donate online when you register, you can bring cash or cheque made to Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre)
- Gift for the lodge keeper encouraged (cash or any item that expresses your gratitude for the ceremony)
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Please refer to the event page of each specific sweat lodge ceremony on our calendar for further instructions that may apply.