Sweat it out!

I'd like to write about a pretty amazing experience that my time in partner schools offered me last week.  One of the teachers I observe invited me and a fellow classmate to take part in a traditional Aboriginal Sweat Ceremony. Since I had never taken part in anything like that before, I figured it would be a great chance to try something new, and become more well versed in Native Studies, a class that intend to teach in addition to English.  The opportunity was also a great example of how beneficial place-based education can be for students.  There is so much to be learned BEYOND the written curriculum. 

First off, we boarded a bus and headed out to Brightwater, just south of the city. It was interesting to see how the Ceremony has experienced modernization.  I am not sure what I was expecting exactly, but once we got out there, the tent we sat in was nowhere to be seen. Instead there was a heated building with a sheet metal covering, complete with public washrooms and other amenities. Inside the building was where the tent was, and where we all huddled inside for the sweat to take place.

It really was quite an experience. The unfamiliarity of the situation seemed to open everyone's mind to what was about to take place. The ceremony ended with a sharing circle, where everyone got to say a little bit about what they were thankful for and how the ceremony had affected them.  I was rather impressed with their answers. Each of the students seemed to really respect the process and had definitely gained appreciation for the ceremony that had once been deemed illegal in the not-so-distant past. Trips like this are absolutely crucial for students - anyone really - to really gain an appreciation for other cultures.  Learning about a sweat in a classroom does not teach anything about what it is really like. We must experience these sort of ceremonies first-hand to truly gain an appreciation for it.