Educating Our Educators Guide for Staff - Algoma District School ...

construction of the arbour ( an open walled hut with a cedar floor and willow thatched roof that houses the hostdrum).The host drum is specifically invited to sing traditional songs, handed down over the centuries at theOpening and Closing Ceremonies.During certain times of the Pow-Wow no pictures are allowed (e.g., Grand Entry, honour songs or flagsongs).Men: traditional dancers wear their deerskin regalia, grass dancers wear their colourful regalia andlong flowing fringes, and fancy dancers wear brilliantly coloured regalia and dance in a very energeticmannerWomen traditional dancers (wear deerskin dresses with fringes and carry fans and shawls staying firmlyconnected with the earth when they dance), traditional dancers jingle dancers (do healing dances and weardresses covered in metallic cones) and fancy shawl dancers (look like beautiful butterflies as they whirl with theirlong fringes and shawls).It is important for students to understand all components and it is appropriate to ask an individual tocome in and share their teaching with the class. It is not appropriate to organize a Pow-Wow in yourclass by having students make drums and dress upSweat Lodge CeremonyThe sweat lodge ceremony is used by Aboriginal peoples as a way to seek prayer, healing and purification. Not allAboriginal peoples participate in a sweat lodge ceremony which goes back to keeping the Cultural Continuum in mind.The ceremony didn't exist until the influence of European culture (alcohol) had corrupting effects such as wife andchild abuse behaviour on the Aboriginal culture. Prior to the pre-contact with the Europeans, no alcohol existed forAboriginals. Participating in a sweat lodge ceremony brought one back to the traditional ways of living. The sweatlodge would make the peoples sweat out the toxins in their body, repair the damage done to their spirits and acquireanswers and guidance from the spirits, creator and mother earth. A medicine man and/or woman would be present inthe ceremony.The sweat lodge ceremony occurs in a lodge (varies in size) which is at least 10 feet long across and 3-4 feet high in themiddle. There's a pit of red-hot firestones in the middle which is referred to as the belly button of Mother Earth. Theentrance is closed and the ceremony begins once the Grandfather spirits are present in the pit. The water drumcalls for the spirit guides and the four directions. The sweat lodge keeper pours water until the spirits tell the keeperto stop, at which point, prayers, songs and chants occur in the lodge to purify one’s spirit. The sweat lodge keeperdeciphers.Educating Our Educators – Educating Our Aboriginal StudentsRevised March 201156