Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Bill Introduced to Regulate Off-Reservation Native American Practices

Arizona State Sen. Albert Hale, D-Window Rock, has introduced a bill to regulate “traditional and authentic Native American practices” conducted off tribal lands.

If made law, the Arizona Department of Health Services, in consultation with the Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs, would be required to adopt rules for the regulation of any individual or business that charges people to participate in what the individual or business claims are traditional and authentic Native American practices.

The bill is in response to an incident last October, when two people died and more than a dozen were injured in a sweat lodge ceremony at a retreat located near Sedona.

9 comments:

  1. according to our teachings, only certain individuals are taught to use the sweatlodge, it is not for everyone, especially non Indians.

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  2. Indians don't commercialize their spirituality. Therefore, the bill should expressly specify "Cavieat Emptor!" and outline the definition of fraud with a legal disclaimer that non of these practices are in anyway related to native cultures.

    This form of exploitation is simply criminal and must cease!

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  3. There are many teachings that go with the sweatlodge ceremony. Non-native people or people who don't know what these teachings are, shouldn't be running a sweat, period. These things are not for sale. They cannot be learned like in a book. This is a way of life for us. The shog'nosh (whites) will never understand this. People need to understand that if you don't know what you're doing, and have the full understanding of the teachings, which takes a long time, bad things can and will happen. People can and will get hurt. This only leads to their demise, but unfortunately, gives our people and ways a bad taint, because THEY didn't know what they were doing. These ways are not for sale, by anyone....you reap what you sow. And who's to say that anything is 'authentic'? Who will that be judged by? Some non-native, no doubt.

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  4. I'm Native and so are many of my friends and to be very specific we own land and it is not with in a reservation and to say that the ceremonies can be only conducted on tribal lands is not right. We have and will always use our own private property to pray and we have told individuals that we don't accept people who are not related to our circle; many whites think because they have privilaged status they can come to our ceremonies and it is their right....not here at my lodge. I don't feel bad; I think it is my responsibility to protect our heritage with all our cultural values and our traditional practices on all levels that have remained in our family. I think there are so many tresspassers; they seem to so lost and think our spiritual identity is a solution to their many problems i live with in my treaty territory where my ancestors have walked and lived until it was their time to leave. I know the gravesites and to me this is one of my most valuable assests to my identity as a Native. I live in my homeland.

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  5. I dont believe in putting our traditions and spirituality on paper to monitor. Who is and who is not to run it is given this right by ceremonies and the great spirit/grandfather. There is a protocal for those who have that right given. Something a non-native knows nothing about. Andd that incident made our tradtions/spirituality look bad to those who dont know. Bad things happen when you use it the wrong way. This will only make our spirituality into an organized religion like christianity. Because every one of the nations in North American have simular but also different ways of spirituality.

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  6. Senator Albert Hale has missed the point completely and is blaming the Native community for it. Natives weren't involved in those sweatlodge deaths.

    I encourage the entire Native community to not re-elect this idiot and send a strong message to his office and constituents.

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  7. Smart and bold move by our Senator. This should include all ceremonies like peyote ceremonies, and please, please, including ban of commercialization of peyote songs and instruments since the peyote ceremony is recognized as a bona fide traditional ceremony by public law 103-344. If only our thicked skull members can study the sacredness of this ceremony we can maintain, protect and preserve these ceremonies for the coming generatios rather then the quick buck they can make.

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  8. It is easy to be confused by all these remarks, though, a sweat ceremony!!! A person has to have the right to run a lodge. In fact some of our native americans sold some of the sacred things way out there, when they belong to the people as natives. If justice is to be done then so be it. Something will happen if it is sold and yes....this thing called publicity is truly not a native attitude!!!!!!! Well at least for some of us who have been taught, "To all the people as Indian...keep it real" and Free Leonard Peltier..!!!!!!!! Amen!!!!!!

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  9. I am white, and have participated in Lakota Native American sweat lodge ceremonies in the past (no charge!). I greatly respect this practice, and consider many similar traditional practices to be extremely sacred. I was shocked and disappointed to hear about these deaths, and perhaps with the mainstream fast-paced lifestyle and lack of respect for slowly unraveling layers of spirituality - more of this is likely to happen. I agree, the white way of living is not prepared to take on this type of power. Thank you for keeping 'the way' held sacred and practiced with respect for not only the spirits, but also ourselves.

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