ebooks Give Me Eighty Men: Women and the Myth of the Fetterman Fight (Women in the West) by Shannon D. Smith in History

Description

For centuries; a persistent and important component of Lakota religious life has been the Inipi; the ritual of the sweat lodge. The sweat lodge has changed little in appearance since its first recorded description in the late seventeenth century. The ritual itself consists of songs; prayers; and other actions conducted in a tightly enclosed; dark; and extremely hot environment. Participants who “sweat” together experience moral strengthening; physical healing; and the renewal of social and cultural bonds. Today; the sweat lodge ritual continues to be a vital part of Lakota religion. It has also been open to use; often controversial; by non-Indians. The ritual has recently become popular among Lakotas recovering from alcohol and drug addiction.