Traditional Lakota Inikagapi ('sweat lodge')

Hau Mitakuyapi,
Hello my relatives: as the leadership of this group seems to have been abandoned, after 32 years on the Canku Wakan (Sacred Road of the Lakota), i have decided to pick up this mantle for a little while.

I have been following the Lakota Ways (Canku Wakan - the Sacred Road) for over 32 years. I was given the Sacred Canupa in 1992 after attending 'sweats" (inikagapi - "the making of new breath") for a year at that time and going to Pine Ridge Reservation to witness my first Wiwang Wacipi - "the Staring at the Sun dance."

Since that time i have attended over 2,500 sweats, taken care of over 1,500 fires, attended over 90 Sun Dances, over 50 hanbleceyapi camps, danced the Sun Dance now 21 times, been "on the hill" for hanbleceyapi many times and been at other ceremonies among the Lakota many many times.

I have been given permission to carry Canupa ("the sacred pipe") and to sing the wakan olowan (sacred songs) and to perform the inikagapi as i have now for 17 years-over 500 lodges to date.

We have regular Lodges up here at my place and, as the new person heading up this group, the main offering will be the Traditional Lakota Inikagapi several times a month here in Loveland (just south of Fort Collins).

On the 24th of September we will gather up about 10 am to prep the fire and light it by 11. Then we will go in about noon. We'll be out of lodge by 2.30-3.00 and you'll be on your way by 4.00.

This will be a Traditional Lodge: Men please wear long shorts - like basketball shorts, Women please wear either long shorts and t-shirts or more traditional sweat lodge dresses (sort of like a mumu).

As this is a Traditional Lakota Lodge, if you are a born woman and on "moon time" we ask you to stay home and rest. Women on their moon time are in a very very sacred and powerful time. They do not come to ceremony. (this is not meant as unkindness or punishment or being dirty - it is truly considered a very very powerful time and to be respected, rest and to be away from all ceremonies, work etc).

Participants are asked to bring a tobacco offering, a donation and some food to share after the lodge for "wopila" (thank you).

The lodge is quite large, but i will limit this first one to 25 to see how things fare with this new group. There are over 1,000 members. i do not know how much interest there will be.

i welcome questions and will do my best to gently inform and guide as i have been.

the Altar is a Sobriety Altar which means that we ask you to be 24 hours off all alcohol and socially used drugs (if you use psychotropics or MEDICAL marijuana those are not drugs but medicine. i'd appreciate you letting me know but you are welcome). if you have health concerns or do take medications, you should speak with your MD before attending a ceremony of this sort.

the accommodations here are rustic. (two port-a-pots) plenty of parking and the first 25 respondents.