Brave Heart

Serena took small steps, unsure of her legs and balance. Little Swallow, who was shorter, placed her arm around Serena’s waist and invited her to lean on her if necessary. Gawking, Serena saw at least fifty tepees built along the winding river. There were children playing, large cooking fires here and there and warriors on horseback. Little Swallow led her up a small incline and down into a protected area lined with quaking aspen.

Serena saw a hut made out of willow and covered with two large buffalo hides. The river flowed ten feet away, hidden by the bulrushes. Nearby, an older gray-haired woman was tending a large fire that had many rocks placed in the flames.

“This sweat lodge,” Little Swallow explained. She stopped Serena next to the opening and allowed her to stand alone. Little Swallow took off her deerskin dress and stood naked. She placed the dress on a low-hanging limb.

“Come,” she invited, motioning for Serena also to undress.

Serena had no idea of what was going to happen. To have a woman undress in the open was unheard of! Further, she was ashamed of the burns upon each of her breasts, afraid of what the Lakota women would think. Little Swallow smiled and helped her because she was so weak. There was no choice, and Serena choked down a lump in her throat and tried to trust Little Swallow. She braced herself for their reaction as she stood naked, her breasts fully visible.

The old, gray-haired woman clucked sympathetically and began speaking in rapid Lakota, gesturing to Serena’s breasts, but Serena couldn’t understand what was being said. The look on the woman’s lined features showed compassion, and as she came over to Serena, gently placing her thin hand on Serena’s shoulder to pat her, tears rushed unexpectedly to Serena’s eyes. She stood there while both women discussed the burns on her breasts, which were red, swollen and seeping.

“Dreaming Bear says she has icahpe hu, purple coneflower root,” Little Swallow said in her best English. “She says it help heal wounds and it leave less scars. She bring the pejuta, medicine, after she tend rocks in fire pit.”

Blinking back her tears, Serena was overwhelmed with the sincerity and care on their faces. The shame she felt over her nakedness began to dissolve because these women acted as if nothing was wrong with being naked among other women. She didn’t know if it was proper to reach out and touch their shoulders, but she did, in silent thanks for their care.

“Yes, I’d like that.”

“Washtay, good,” Little Swallow praised. She gestured for Serena to follow her into the very low, concave lodge, getting down on her hands and knees. Moving in a clockwise circle around a deeply dug fire pit, Serena followed the Indian woman. The lodge was very dark except for the opening. After her eyes adjusted, she saw a wooden ladle in a birchbark basket that was filled with water, a pipe and ceremonially wrapped sage. Fresh, pungent-smelling silver sage had been plucked and scattered all over the floor of the sweat lodge. Serena watched as the Lakota woman placed tiny bundles in colored cloth up above them, weaving them in and out of the bent willow framework.

“These tobacco ties,” Little Swallow explained slowly. “I made these for you. Each tie is prayer to Wakan Tanka, the Great Spirit, to heal you and return strength. When spirits enter lodge and see ties for you, we will pray they answer my prayers for you.“ Sitting back down, she handed several sprigs of sage to Serena. “Place this over left ear. It tell spirits you serious about being here in lodge of Ina Maka, Mother Earth, and that you ask their help. If the heat too hot for you, make fresh sage into ball and place against nose and mouth and breathe through it. That way, you breathe the sacredness of this powerful herb, and it, too, is healing.”

Serena nodded and did as Little Swallow instructed. She watched as the Lakota woman took some of the fresh sage and vigorously rubbed her body with it. Serena followed her example and found the fragrant scent of the sage encircling her as she finished scrubbing herself with the plant. As she sat there cross-legged and naked, a sensation of peace blanketed her. Struck by the utter naturalness of being with nature in a way she’d never fathomed, Serena found herself eager to learn more from Little Swallow.

Dreaming Bear began bringing in glowing red rocks, one at a time, on the tines of an elk antler. Each of the first seven rocks to be placed into the deeply dug pit was blessed with the stem of a pipe held by Little Swallow. She told Serena to place a pinch of sage upon each rock to welcome it as her relative, for then the rock spirits would work their powerful healing on her for showing such respect. Soon there were twenty red-hot rocks in the pit.