The Raping of American Indian Culture! Part One - The "Inipi"

    The American Indian has seen a tremendous injustice done to not only their culture but even more devastating is the fact that they have had their beliefs and ceremonial practices preyed upon!  Non Indians proclaiming the absurd  title of shaman and acting as medicine people practice ceremonies in return for payment, setting fee’s and advertising events for the reason of financial gain or self recognition. 
    For countless generations the American Indian has provided healing and spiritual guidance with no expectation of reward.  Gifts of appreciation were accepted but were never suggested and in most cases these gifts came in the form of tobacco, food, money and similar trade goods.  Ceremonies were for the benefit of all people and healing  was performed by the spirits working through the medicine person with the assistance of herbal remedies which were in most cases determined by the spirit helpers.  The American Indian language also plays a critical role in all ceremonies. To charge a fee  for ones services in the healing and the spiritual realms was unheard of !
     A good example of the rape of American Indian culture is the mis-use and mis-understanding of the "Inipi" Ceremony of the Lakota Nation  known by most as the Sweat Lodge.  Though several Plains and Western American Indian Nations used some form of sweat lodge,  the "Inipi" is a sacred ceremony of the Lakota. Today sweat lodges are performed throughout the United States and even abroad. Sadly to say, the vast majority of these lodges serve no more purpose then a steam bath or sauna. They are mostly performed by Non Indian's, who at best, have attended  a few real Inipi's and develop a following with claims of being given the "authority" to perform this sacred ceremony!  Many claim to be Indian and dress to reflect their adopted bloodline.  The truth is that American Indians are enrolled members of their "Nation" or tribe.  That does not mean that somewhere in their bloodline an ancestor was Indian or Part Indian.  Many in the United States have "a little" American Indian blood, just as others have African American,  German, Chinese or so forth.
   If you attend "Lodges" and have a "Teacher" use extreme caution!  Non Indians can be very gullible when seeking spirituality. If the lodge you attend is performed by an "Intercessor" that speaks English in the songs and prayers be skeptical. The indigenous language is a critical and vital part of this ceremony. If not then consider it no more then a group sauna and social gathering!