Healing Ways / Medicine Ways / The Key Role of Ceremony / Sweatlodge used in Midewiwin [Medicine Man] ceremony, Squaw…
![Black and white image of a single, dome-shaped structure standing by itself. Black and white image of a single, dome-shaped structure standing by itself.](../../../../../assets/exhibition/detail/OB1286.jpeg)
Sweatlodge used in Midewiwin [Medicine Man] ceremony, Squaw Point, Leech Lake Indian Reservation, Minnesota, 1946
The sweatlodge ceremony was first practiced by the Plains Indians and has spread to many other tribes. A sweatlodge is typically a tent-like structure that traps heat under blankets or animal hides, promoting wellness by cleansing and purifying the body and spirit.
Courtesy Minnesota Historical Society