About the Author

In nearing my 5th decade of life, I am slowly working back to my roots. My tribe at that time was Catholicism, 8 years of catholic grade school, or as I like to call it, catholic boot camp. The rituals, ceremonies and rigidity of Catholicism were presented to me as a pathway to become closer to God. Mass was Monday through Friday, and Sunday. Back then it was in Latin, not a word of which I understood, and I would spend my time in church with fantasies and daydreams running rampant of where I would go next to fish or hunt. I suppose in retrospect, this was a good path for me to take. I had many questions, and actively sought answers. I asked my father why he never attended church. His response to me was, “I go to church every time I am out in the woods looking for morel mushrooms, fishing or hunting.” My father felt closest to God when he was nearest to nature.

As I have gotten older, this concept has become much clearer to me. I have sought answers to questions in various religions, and have grown to realize that Native American Spirituality is what I have been practicing throughout my entire life. As a child in southern Illinois, I would frequently walk the fields looking for Native American artifacts. I have in my possession quite a few. I felt an incredible connection to the indigenous peoples of the region, having found a piece of their history, tools used to hunt, cook, or live off the land.

In 1992, about a year after my second divorce, a friend of mine gave me a book called Dancing Healers by Carl Hammerschlag, M.D., a Yale trained psychiatrist with 29 years experience with Native American healing. It was at this point that my spiritual path took a major turn. In brief, Dancing Healers interweaves Dr. Hammerschlag’s autobiography with many Native American stories and beliefs, which directly challenged the methods of his medical school teachings and assumptions. In one of the most powerful moments of the book, Dr. Hammerschlag was introduced to a patient, a Pueblo priest, who asked Dr. Hammerschlag where he learned to heal. Dr. Hammerschlag responded by citing his medical credentials by rote. The old man replied, “Do you know how to dance?” To humor the patient, Dr. Hammerschlan shuffled his feet at the bedside of the Pueblo priest. Despite his condition, the patient got up and demonstrated some Native American steps, and said, “You must be able to dance if you are to heal people.” He went on to state, “I can teach you my steps, but you will have to hear your own music.” So simple, yet so profound.

In therapy, we can teach people to dance. We can show them the steps, we can guide them-but they have to find their own music. This is critical for the healing process to be successful.
Dr. Hammerschlag has written other books I believe are just as powerful. Please see the recommended book section on Peace and Healing.com for books I strongly recommend.

After reading the book Dancing Healers, I felt compelled to call Dr. Hammerschlag. I wanted to thank him. I called the University of Arizona School of Medicine, and they then provided me his office phone number. I called that number, assuming that a secretary would answer. Lo and behold, Dr. Hammerschlag answered the phone! A believer in fate would find this to be a beautiful example. I explained my background to Dr. Hammerschlag as a physician assistant with a doctorate in clinical psychology, and my desire to learn more about what he had learned, and to incorporate that into my own practice. That was not the only reason I wanted to meet him, and I believe he picked up on the fact that I was in search of a different path for myself. Ah yes, nothing like using your credentials to cover up the real reasons, I always say!

I have learned it is not uncommon for people to cover up real issues when they experience a certain degree of anxiety, falling back on what is most comfortable, the road already traveled, hiding behind credentials, avoiding the real reasons why they are moving in a certain direction.

While on the phone, Dr. Hammerschlag educated me on the Turtle Island Project, where individuals come in and participate in a weekend retreat in order to learn more about the integration of Native American spirituality and medicine, as well as participating in sweat lodge and other Native American ceremonies to facilitate growth. I immediately registered, and booked a flight to Phoenix, AZ the very next day.

Upon arrival in Phoenix, I traveled by taxi to his office. Along the way, I noted that many of the homes were adobe, and the scenery was decidedly different from that with which I was familiar. It was as if I had entered a whole other culture.

I arrived at Dr. Hammerschlag’s office, and within 5-7 minutes of sitting there, a 12-14” snake crawled right in the front door and onto his steps. The receptionist picked up the snake, took it outside and released it. Ironically, Dr. Hammerschlag’s spirit animal is the snake, something I found that out within the next few days. I look back on this moment as clearly welcoming me to my new journey.

Other individuals began arriving with their luggage and sleeping bags. Soon the bus was ready to trek out to the northwestern area of Phoenix. We reached a rather good sized home. Inside were a large fireplace, a large kitchen table, and a deck overlooking a dry creek bed with many Saguaro cacti. (Many mornings and evenings I saw California quail, beautiful birds with a black crest dangling from their heads.)

I walked to the base of their steps, surveying the surroundings where I would be for the next few days. I looked at the top of the steps, and there stood a tall man, perhaps 6’6”, thin, clean-shaven with graying hair. Before I could acknowledge him, he looked at me and said, you must be Dan from Chicago.” It is important to note that he had never met me, as yet had not heard my voice, and no description of me was provided to him. As he walked down the stairs, I reached my out my hand shake his and introduce myself, and he reached out with both hands and embraced me with a warm hug. His arms were enveloping. I felt as if I had been wrapped in a warm blanket. Clearly here stood one of the warmest, most sensitive men I had ever met. I must admit I was mildly uncomfortable, but allowed the hug to continue.

The next three days can only be described as one of the most intense, life-changing events I have ever experienced. It was as if my heart and soul were taken out of my body, scrubbed completely clean and replaced. The theme that resonated with each and every session was, “The way you once learned it is not necessarily the way it is now.” These words will forever be imbedded in my cerebral hemispheres. They are words to live by. We must look at things from all angles, as per Dr. Hammerschlag, if we are to continue to grow, change and proceed on our paths in life.

Sweat lodge ceremony
Many Native Americans perform the sweat lodge ceremony across North America. It is used to cleanse, and is a quite powerful. The symbolism is astounding! I discovered that as part of their culture, Native Americans pray possibly more than any culture or any religious group I have ever studied. Their prayer is to one God, Wakan Tanka.

The sweat lodge is made from willow branches. There are 12 willow branches placed onto Mother earth in the shape of an oval or circle, forming a hut, 12 representing each month of the year. Willow branches are used because they bend and do not break easily. These are symbolic for the ribs of our mothers. A hole is dug out in the center of the branches where hot rocks will be placed. The entrance to the sweat lodge faces eastward, for that is the direction the sun rises at the beginning of each day. We enter the sweat lodge crawling on all fours, as when we are first born. However before this, we walked around the sweat lodge, feeling the structure, the ribs of our mother’s womb. We covered the sweat lodge with cloth. Traditionally, it would have been covered with buffalo hides.

Ideally it is important for the leader of the sweat to fast for 4 days with no food or water in order to feel closer to our dead spirits, our dead relatives.

There are four stages of a sweat lodge ceremony, significant for the four stages of life. The hot rocks are symbolic of all of our dead relatives, the two-legged, four-legged, winged ones, and the ones that swim in the water. The rocks are first intensely heated first, and are brought inside while red, and placed in the previously dug hole in the middle of the lodge. Next, the leader of the sweat pours water onto the rocks. Water is symbolic of life.

During the first stage of the sweat, there are 4 rocks brought in, symbolizing the four directions, North, South, East and West. Isn’t it ironic that the acronym for North, South, East and West is NEWS?

During the second phase of the sweat 7 rocks are brought in, for there are 7 stars in the Big Dipper, and no matter where you are on Mother earth, you can always see the Big Dipper. This adds a sense of direction in our lives.

During the 3rd and 4th stages, various rocks are brought in. This may differ from tribe to tribe, and there are variations in sweat ceremonies throughout North America.

The heat is intense. Likewise are the thoughts and feelings that flood our minds, hearts and spirits. Combined with the prayers, chanting and singing, it was one of the most powerful experiences I have ever had, in terms of feeling closer to God.

After each sweat, we hugged each other or shook hands, whatever each individual felt comfortable with. We would then go back to the house, drink water and eat a variety of fruits and nuts. It was extremely refreshing. There was not much conversation after the sweat ceremony, but we felt a connection to one another. We knew at that point that this weekend would transform each of us to a certain degree. That evening, we were involved in a talking circle ceremony. Dr. Hammerschlag gave a brief presentation about the foundation for the talking circle and where it started. An eagle feather was passed around. We were allowed to hold it, and talk for as long or as short as we wanted. Some did not speak at all. There was no feedback from others, which was unlike any group process I had been in before. Anything we said was right, anything we said was appropriate, anything we said was good. Nothing was criticized, nothing was wrong with the amount of disclosure we offered. This was the most accepting, most powerful group experience I had ever had. It reminded me, and spiritually forced me to realize that I needed to be more connected to my roots. I felt very fortunate that my personal roots were so connected to Mother earth.

My second sweat ceremony came as a personal invitation from Dr. Hammerschlag. This ceremony was conducted at his home, where he has a sweat lodge built behind his house. Some of the members from the Turtle Island Project were there. This also was an opportunity for more one-on-one time with Dr. Hammerschlag. Harrison, a Pima Indian, was the pourer of the water. Many tattoos ran up and down his arms. He was a heavyset man with long, jet-black hair. His eyes were very soothing. He spoke very little, but when he did speak, you listen, for it was usually something you would want to hold onto. I was asked to bring the rocks into the lodge with the pitchfork. This was a tremendous honor, as I knew what the rocks represented. I was shocked that I was asked to do this, and felt some anxiety and stress because I did not want to fail. I could see myself dropping one of my dead relatives onto the ground before the sweat, or accidentally burning someone, and I was very concerned that I would not live up to the expectations. After the first stage of the ceremony, things were going quite well. However, I laid the pitchfork down with the sharp pointy blades up. I had been instructed many times by my father in my youth never to lay a pitchfork or rake with the points up for obvious reasons. I could hear his voice ringing in my ears regarding the dangers of leaving a pitchfork with points up. I find it intriguing to say the least, then, that at the beginning of the second sweat, as I opened up the front door and crawled out, I left the door partially opened, backed up into the pitchfork, running the pitchfork blade into my right heel. Not wanting to appear weak, I winced, but did not grab my heel, and continued in my duties of bringing in the rocks. I grabbed the pitchfork, extremely frustrated with myself, blood pouring from my heel, and began to bring in the rocks. Little did I know that Harrison saw the whole incident. At the time, I didn’t realize the importance of what had happened. The sweat continued without incident. Afterwards, Harrison came up to me, looked at my heel, and stated, “You did well.” He offered me a gift of a bag of tobacco and a red bandana that he had been wearing. This gift was extremely meaningful, and I will always cherish it. He also instructed me to go to the desert that evening, and showed me the greasewood plant that he actually used to help pour water onto the rocks. He said “it holds good medicine,” and that I should take the leaves and make a paste, and apply this to the wound on my heel. I went to the desert, picked some greasewood plants, made a paste, and put it on my heel along with a cloth bandage. Imagine my surprise the next morning when there was no redness, no pain, no drainage, and my heel felt fine.

Dancing Between Two Worlds, Jung and the Native American Soul, by Fred Gustafson is a book that not only reinforces what I experienced with Dr. Hammerschlag, but reinforces my own beliefs in terms of a personal grounding with Native American Spirituality and mental health. In his book, Mr. Gustafson describes John Dunbar in the movie Dances with Wolves as having injured his foot. He was on the verge of an amputation before he started the journey on his new path, symbolic of the Achilles heel, the weakness of Man.

In examining the pitchfork incident, and my interaction with Harrison, I was forced to look at areas I had refused to look at over the years, despite individual therapy and counseling I had been in, despite my own personal group work. There was still an area I was refusing to address. The pitchfork incident I experienced, like John Dunbar’s foot injury in Dances with Wolves, was the beginning of my new path. Based on the pitchfork incident, I carefully begin to look at my shortcomings. I examined my frailties. What makes for a strong individual if not the acknowledgement of one’s weaknesses? Recognition of and insight into one’s shortcomings makes an individual much stronger and wiser, and better able to help others and themselves.

As per Native American spirituality, the mind, heart and spirit need to be in balance. It is not easy. It takes effort. It takes a daily reminder to do this. I have found that individuals, including myself, are much more at peace, less anxious, if this becomes part of one’s daily ritual.

Growing up as an only child, my brothers, sisters and close peers were literally the flowers, trees and birds, for I was with them every day. I spoke to them as a child. I had not spoken to them in many years. Since my experience with Dr. Hammerschlag, I now speak with them daily.

In closing, we need to continue the Sacred Hoop, we need to continue the Circle. We need to teach our children, so our children will teach their children, so others will be more involved and more respectful of Mother Earth. We need to actually implement this, not just talk about it. We need to show God that we are appreciative of what He has given us, for we are rapidly losing His precious gifts due to misuse and abuse. Trees are diminishing throughout the world, the rain forest is shrinking, and our water is polluted. Currently there is no safe water to drink in North America or Canada. I believe demonstrating a greater respect for Mother Earth and all of nature will lead to a healthier, symbiotic relationship, a win-win situation.