Option: should I get out of my slightly warm sleeping bag to stoke the fire or conserve the little bit of heat left? Better yet--head for the shower to beat the lineup and warm up at the same time.
Just for those among us who hail from warmer climes, a dusting of snow fell as we breakfasted.
It’s Thanksgiving Day today and no tofurky in sight. Instead, we have been invited to share in a very special experience among the Algonquin community in which we will be working this week. I recognize how rare this opportunity is and am honoured that I have been invited to spend a couple of hours inside a sweat lodge. This is a custom that has been resurrected only recently. It involves a communal experience within a hot smoky steamy dark tent that signifies returning to the womb among one’s ancestors. Red hot stones representing the ancestors are placed inside a pit, the entrance is sealed pitching us into utter darkness. Water is thrown onto the stones to produce the healing steam. Tobacco and cedar boughs are added for extra flavour to the experience.
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