Healing Ways / Medicine Ways / The Key Role of Ceremony / Michael Hackwith, (USMC, Ret.), Lakota spiritual leader, and…
![Color image of a man standing in front of a modern-day sweatlodge, bending over with a fan made of eagle feathers in his right hand. Color image of a man standing in front of a modern-day sweatlodge, bending over with a fan made of eagle feathers in his right hand.](../../../../../assets/exhibition/detail/OB1317.jpeg)
Michael Hackwith, (USMC, Ret.), Lakota spiritual leader, and sweatlodge [Inipi], 2010
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 U.S. Air Force Photo/Monica Mendoza