ETST 012 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Ceremonial Pipe, Sweat Lodge
2 Jul 2018
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ETST 012 Lecture 6: Recreating Ritual: Re-membering Community
Lecture 2.1: Inipi Rites Introduction
●Occasions for Inipi rites
○After military conflict
○To regain spiritual power
○For change of heart of intention
○For protecting the elders and the young ones
○For material help
○For blessings
○For healing
●Prayers and Prayer-Songs
○“The songs perpetuate the life breath of the people: as long as the songs are sung,
the ceremonies can continue, carry the life breath of the ancestors, linking present
and future generations with the old ones and the ancient teachings. The life breath
that carries the songs today keeps alive the strength and wisdom of the ancestors
and makes that strength and wisdom available to the people”
●Songs are tradition bearers
○“The songs for inipi
and other Lakota sacred rites make it possible for the
ceremonies to be conducted. The songs perpetuate the life breath of the people: as
long as the songs are sung, the ceremonies can continue and as long as the
ceremonies continue, the people will live.”
●Beyond extremes
○“Your whole body is screaming and yelling and you want to get out but you just
reach out and pray and sing spiritual songs. There is no way out because of your
commitment. The person that runs the lodge brings it as hot as you can stand it
and then past that point. You have a choice of burning or praying. When you
reach beyond yourself, all of a sudden you have some tremendous strength and
your body suddenly becomes one with the earth, air, fire, and water. You don’t
feel pain - you’re sort of above it. You’re pushed to a point where you sense you
are a spiritual being, you see the life force in yourself and in other people.”
Lecture 2.2: The Inipi Rite Experience
●Telescopic perspective: the lodge contains the entire universe
○The practitioner of the inipi rite is not only constructing the universe when
building the sweat lodge, but also sitting in the midst of it
●Microscopic perspective: the sweat lodge is purifying the individual or group, bringing
healing to the practitioner, or meeting any other need that the individual might be
pursuing
●The inipi rite not only brings an individual experience but it also helps the individual to
connect with the larger scope of the universe as well as elements of their unseen order
Document Summary
Etst 012 lecture 6: recreating ritual: re-membering community. For protecting the elders and the young ones. The life breath that carries the songs today keeps alive the strength and wisdom of the ancestors and makes that strength and wisdom available to the people . The songs for inipi and other lakota sacred rites make it possible for the ceremonies to be conducted. The songs perpetuate the life breath of the people: as long as the songs are sung, the ceremonies can continue and as long as the ceremonies continue, the people will live. Your whole body is screaming and yelling and you want to get out but you just reach out and pray and sing spiritual songs. There is no way out because of your commitment. The person that runs the lodge brings it as hot as you can stand it and then past that point. You have a choice of burning or praying.
