I wrote this paper on women’s moon time & ceremonies, which apply to the sweat lodge ceremonies that I conduct. I learned from Lakota Medicine Man, Pete Catches Fire, in 1983. He said, “All Medicine Men (Lakota) have a difference in their ceremonies and their teachings according to their visions and their powers. It’s just like Christianity, all different denominations.” It was at that point that my confusion over the differences in teachings ended. Some Medicine Men or Women have a Medicine that protects them, their pipe and sacred items from the moon-time. Unfortunately, we don’t all have this Medicine. Therefore we must go by the Moon-time rules.
Just as the moon has a monthly cycle which culminates with a full moon, a woman also has a monthly cycle culminating with menstruation. This is why a woman’s menstrual flow is called her Moon. During her Moon time, a woman is going through her own natural purification process. While her body is going through this natural purification, she is also recharging her own body’s powers and energies, so it is a cleansing and restorative time for her. Because a woman’s power is being renewed during this process, she must stay away from all sacred ceremonies, Eagle Feathers, Pipes, and the food which is to be eaten following a ceremony. A woman’s power during her moon time is so strong that it can draw the power away from the sacred Sweat Lodge, Sundance, and Pipe ceremonies. Her power during this time can interfere with the power in the Sacred Pipe, Eagle Feathers, and the food offered for the feasts following ceremony. This interference can sometimes cause others to become sick.
All women on the Red Road want to be respectful of the sacred ceremonies and sacred items. Therefore, it is important that they stay away from the sacred Sweat Lodge and the Sweat Fire at this time. They can attend if they stay a good distance from the Sweat Lodge. They must not cook or handle food (cooked, uncooked, or store bought) used for the feast following Ceremony. If a woman wishes to contribute, she can give money to another sister to buy something for the feast following the ceremony.
In the past, traditionally, women never smoked the Pipe or participated in the Sweat Lodge ceremony until after menopause. During the early 1900s, the men were becoming weak from alcohol abuse. This caused a decline in the participation at the Sundance Ceremony. The Elders had a meeting to resolve this problem and at that time, they opened up the Sundance for women to dance behind the men. This helped to bring back the men into the Sundance. Also at that time, it became possible for women to have pipes at an earlier age,and to participate in the Sweat Lodge ceremony for purification because the Elders saw that the women were also suffering from the negative effects of alcohol abuse. With this change, it became necessary to be mindful of the effects of a woman’s moon time, so rules were developed to protect the people from those harmful effects.
Men do not have their own natural purification and renewal process, therefore they must come to the Sweat Lodge ceremony for purification. It is also necessary for men to sacrifice and suffer for their people through the Sundance Ceremony so that our people will live. Woman, be proud! We do not have to do any of this, but we choose to. It makes our Grandfather, the Great Spirit, and our Grandmother Moon very happy!
Megwetch, Pilamiya,
Barbara Omaha
White Earth Ojibwe