Blackfeet Dreams

The Sweat

After two weeks on the Blackfeet Indian reservation in Browning Montana, I was sitting around the tiny community health clinic of Heart Butte thinking about community service projects. I knew that I wanted to experience the spiritual side of traditional medicine and had heard that certain tribe members practice sweat lodge ceremonies. The only way to be invited to one of these is through word of mouth, as they are not advertised in the local paper. Also, I wanted the lodge to be a learning experience for all those involved, where I could learn things and also teach others about health. As fate would have it, I worked with a half-blood doctor that day who invited me to a sweat lodge.

The sweat lodge is a ceremonial sauna and an important ritual used by some North American First Nations or Native American peoples. There are several styles of sweat lodges that include a domed or oblong hut similar to a wickiup, or even a simple hole dug into the ground and covered with planks or tree trunks. Stones are typically heated in an exterior fire and then placed in a central pit in the ground. The traditions vary from tribe to tribe, but a few themes remain the same:

1. Orientation- the door usually faces the fire (we faced a lake)

2. Construction- the lodge is built with great care and respect to the local environment (skins, furs, wood)

3. Clothing- native american participants usually wear simple garments: a short dress or shorts (swim trunks)

4. Offerings- various types of plant medicines are used to make prayers (tobacco, sage)

5. Support- one or more participants will remain outside the lodge to provide protection (fire-keeper)

6. Darkness- it is important to provide complete darkness, except for the stones (dark as night)

The doctor told me that I should come with an open mind, swim trunks and a towel. As I approached the lodge, I noticed a man stoking a fire next to a lake, where the setting sun was reflected off the waters and two geese played with each other in the distance. As I entered the lodge I noticed eight other people, grouped by gender, surrounding an open pit. Soon flaming red stones were rolled into the pit and sprinkled with sage, and the door was sealed. I thought to myself that maybe this was a mistake as the temperature continued to rise, Dante’s Inferno had begun. The leader of the sweat was an older chief who spoke mostly in Blackfoot, but occasionally in English for my convenience. Hand carved tobacco pipes were passed around and one by one people prayed for whatever they wanted or just talked about life. Some talked about the need for healing of the earth, praying for a sick friend, stories of old ways, and ways to live by in the future. As the eagle feather was passed to me, indicating my turn to speak, my mind groped for something appropriate. It’s not as easy as it sounds when you’re barely clothed minority in the dead of winter among a group of strangers and drenched in perspiration.

Finally, I took a deep breath and said my thanks to everyone for allowing me to sweat with them, and to the community as a whole for making me feel welcome.

I said that I had learned a great deal from hearing others speak and would like add something to the evening. I decided to speak about metabolic syndrome, a disorder consisting of hypertension, high cholesterol, elevated blood sugar, and obesity. I stated that I was not there to talk about modern pharmaceutical and technological procedures, but simply lifestyle. There was a time that before the white man when there was no need to worry about this epidemic. However, in modern times, as the lifestyle has become more “Americanized” indigenous people around the world were experiencing this disease at higher rates than other ethnic groups. I explained that in the early 1900s, groups of scientist had traveled around the world to societies untouched by modern civilization, and found that little to no hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart disease, gout, etc. existed. These groups ate a variety of different diets consisting of fish, meat, vegetables, animal milk and blood. The only consensus the scientists could agree on was that as the groups were introduced to civilization, namely processed foods, and their health correspondingly deteriorated.

I defined each component of the disease and stated that each has at its root cause the same element, eating processed foods and lack of exercise. In addition to utilizing the advances of modern medicine, we needed to focus on our eating habits and activities of daily living. With a change in these, we could limit the need for pharmaceutical drugs and expensive testing procedures. Finally, I stated that ceremonies like these, which used to be repressed by the government, where exponentially beneficial to health as body, mind, and spirit were aligned in a holistic way. I ended my ramble with a prayer about the need for two simple commodities that all could agree on, the need for clean air and clean water. With that I passed the eagle feather to the next person and looked around the lodge to see others nodding with approval. Three more rounds of stones were introduced into the lodge, as prayers and songs were sung into the night. .

The heat, darkness seemed to intensify with each round, as one passed between states of unconscious meditation and the discomfort of the flesh. It hard to describe the beauty of the sweat, I guess it’s akin to the struggles of life being the only ones you remember. As I sat there in my swim trunks dripping with sweat, I felt a communal sense of well-being rarely experienced. Why do the simplest things provide the greatest pleasures in life?

Timothy M. Brinker

Blackfeet Indian Reservation

April 9, 2008

A Samoan Family Reunion

When you move to a remote outpost in the world having visitors takes on the atmosphere of a carnival, where you want your visitor to sample all of the exotic delicacies and vistas that make your location unique. My mother and sister braved 2 days of flying across 7 time zones from the east coast of the U.S. Wanting to combine some vacation time where we could share something new, with the desire to show where i had been living required weeks of preparation.

Finally, the biweekly Hawaiian air flight arrived in Pago amid a downpour and Michelle & I welcomed our family with lei's and hugs. After a few glasses of Australian wine, we all slept comfortably in our bedroom (Michelle and I took the air mattress) serenaded by a mix of rain hitting the window and the methodical drone of the air-conditioning. The next morning we departed for Apia, Western Samoa on a different airline then planned, as our airline was waiting on an engine part from Florida. We planned to explore the sultry islands of 'Upolu and Savai'i over the next week, followed by a home-coming on Tutuila.

Western Samoa has been labeled "Best kept secret in the Pacific! A cultural gem with beautiful lonely beaches against a background of magnificent volcanoes and rain forest" & "Beautiful sandy beaches, many without large crowds. Culture is important. Tourists advised of and expected to comply with Fa'a Samoa—the Samoan way of life." by the National Geographic. By chance the taping of the series Survivor was also being shot on location in Upolu, Samoa- not to squash any one's pipe dream- but they were actually staying at the posh, 5 star hotel in Apia.

Samoa shares a common language/culture with American Samoa, yet has remained very traditional: with music, social hierarchy, division of labor, agriculture, fishing, diet, and lifestyle maintained at similar levels to pre-European contact. The difference between the Samoa's (west vs east) is vast and illustrates the trappings of modernization upon traditional indigenous life. I explored these issues through my masters thesis "Troubles of Modernization," which draws upon the impacts of modernization on lifestyle, more precisely the deterioration of overall health. Another stark difference is the road system, which for the most part is better is western, clocking 50+ mph for the first time in 6 months, as Tutuila's roads are too windy for more than 20 mph. With the compass set for Virgin Cove on the south side of the island, we took a sketchy back road where we forded a river, peeled wheels up the side of a mountain, and dodged voluminous chickens, pigs, and humans.

Western Samoa or Samoa declared its independence in 1962 from New Zealand. A brief colonial history of the Samoan archipelago, saw Germany, Britain, and the United States competing for its submission. As the Germans began to show more interest in the Samoan Islands, the United States laid its own claim to them. Britain also sent troops to express its interest. There followed an eight-year civil war, where each of the three powers supplied arms, training, and in some cases combat troops, to the warring Samoan parties. All three sent warships into Apia harbour, and a larger-scale war seemed imminent, until a massive storm damaged or destroyed the warships, ending the military conflict. At the turn of the twentieth century, the Tripartite Convention partitioned the Samoan Islands into two parts: the eastern island group became a territory of the United States (the Tutuila Islands in 1900 and officially Manu'a in 1904) and is today known as American Samoa; the western islands, by far the greater landmass, became known as German Samoa after Britain vacated all claims to Samoa and accepted termination of German rights in Tonga and certain areas in the Solomon Islands and West Africa. Germany went onto develop extensive copra (dried coconut meat) plantations and the U.S. developed Pago Harbor (the deepest in the South Pacific) for a naval coal refueling station.

Michelle & I stayed in a traditional fale (palm roof, open sides, no toilet) on stilts perched over a ribbon of sugar, while mom/molly were tucked away in the mangrove in a quaint chalet with private facilities. We all swam the first night in the aquamarine lagoon and were indeed living in the moment. The next morning, we traveled out the pot-hole lined road up the mountain to the Robert Louise Stevenson Estate, famed writer of Treasure Island and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. The prolific Scotsman suffered from tuberculosis and took refuge in the alpine domain of 'Upolu, where the local people referred to him as Tusitala or teller of tales. After a brief tour of his house, we climbed a very steep track to his tomb- overlooking the flood plain of Apia.

Feeling nostalgic, we scampered back down the hill, paused briefly at the thundering 300 foot Papapapai-tai falls, and zoomed down to the sandy outpost of Lalomanu Beach. After a refreshing swim in Sopo'aga falls, we reached the wide sandy confines of Lalomanu. Feeling a bit too touristy we retreating back to the confines of secluded Virgin Cove. On our last night we were treated to a traditional Fiafia performance of dancing, singing, & music. The highlight of the evening was Molly dancing with one of the warriors to the coconut song (what happens on 'Upolu stays in 'Upolu). Good fun was had by all and we watched the sun set over the picturesque cove- God is Samoa.

The next day we traveled over the mountain pass and dropped Michelle off at the airport, as she had a project to finish on Tutuila. A trip to Apia is not compete without a visit to the Papasee'a Sliding Rock, accessed via 200-odd steep and slippery steps. The ritual involves a 16 foot slide down a waterfall into a jungle pool; mom balked at the idea and molly conceded after some persuasion to make the plunge- living la vida loca. We passed the afternoon with lunch at the iconic Aggie Grey Hotel, and introduced molly to snorkeling at the Palolo Deep Marine Reserve. Vivid hues of blue, green, & yellow corals, laid the backdrop against the kaleidoscope of fish species. Following an well-timed ice cream we retreated to Dave's Eco-lodge overlooking Apia. Only problem was Dave didn't know we were coming and had closed the lodge for the week because of local swine flu outbreak. After some coaxing, he reluctantly agreed to to provide room & board (which gave 2 out of 3 of us gastroenteritis). After using the bathroom around 2000 times, I drove us toward the ferry doc leading to Savai'i.

The scenery outside the ferry must have been amazing, unfortunately we were locked in an airtight room with little ventilation, with front row seats to the latest Australian hip-hop videos (of course the volume was all the way up). Feeling claustrophobic, we piled out the ferry and made our way to Luisa's Lagoon Chalets. A dream-like setting was waiting, our fale was overhanging the lagoon, with a ladder into the lagoon from the balcony. That night we swam under Afu Aau falls and marveled at the Alofaaga Blowholes, resembling a pacific version of old faithful. Exhausted, yet content we watched the sunset on our private balcony overlooking the lagoon.

The last day we circumnavigated the island, and briefly stopped at Vaisala Beach hotel, where mom learned to snorkel and after some coaching was motoring around the lagoon without abandon. The beach was a large swath of powder, which was pleasing to all senses. After climbing up a 10-story tree house in the Falealupo Peninsula rain forest, we leisurely cruised around the beautiful south shore and returned to Luisa's.

The return back to Tutuila was uneventful and later that night we feasted Polynesian style at a traditional umu feast at Tisa's barefoot bar. The setting was festive as they roasted shrimp, octopus, pig, chicken, fish in the underground oven. In total there were 59 participants, with doctors, politicians, teachers, pirates, and visitors sharing the merriment. The next day it rained cats n dogs, which gave us time to just relax and process the adventure of Samoa. The following day the sun peaked out from behind the clouds as we ascended a very muddy Mt Alava trail in the National Park. The 5.5km trail resembled a riverbed, with hug pieces of earth displaced. After agonizing to the top we were rewarded with beautiful vista of the harbor and surrounds. Luckily, the trail cutting crew was also on top and they offered us a ride back down. The ride turned out to be similar to Mr Toad's wild ride, as we slipped, skidded, and bucked our way down to Fagasa Pass- which sure beat walking. The evening closed with a dip in the secret lagoon and viewing of Pola Tai bird sanctuary. For dinner we cooked fresh lobster and pink snapper at Chez Brinker.

The itinerary proceeded along with a trip to serene Aunu'u island, where we circumnavigated the island. We had a wonderful picnic at the Natural Arch and did the dead man float under the verdant slopes of Pofala Hill. The ferryman took us back across to Tutuila for $1 each. No cars, very few stray dogs, and great weather provided a superb backdrop for the day trip. The last day of their visit we toured the National Marine Sanctuary and hiked to Larsen's Cove. One of the more pristine coves on Tutuila, we swam in the calm waters in the peaceful cove. To be comprehensive, I provided a tour of the LBJ Tropical Medical Center primary care clinic, which was abbreviated due to the lock down next door of a mental patient at the psychiatry clinic. Despite this, mom & molly were able to see were I toil my hours away, providing service on a 2-year contract for the National Health Scholar Corps, 1 hospital= population 69,000.

How quickly the 10 days of their visit passed. We really enjoyed entertaining and showing our family this part of the world and a glimpse into the Fa'a Samoa vortex. A person cannot fully experience a place until they personally visit and let go of their otherworldly trappings.

"I was an outsider before i was a traveler; I was a traveler before I was a writer; I think one lead to the other." Paul Theroux, Writer/Peace Corps Volunteer, Malawi 1963-65.