A Christian Perspective of an Ojibwe Sweat for Women

Abstract

It is a rare privilege to be invited to participate in a Native American Ojibwe sweat and I was fortunate to experience this as an all-female event with other counselors from across the US. As a pastoral counselor who comes from a Methodist Christian worldview, I thought it may be helpful to share my perspective with other counselors who may work with Native American clients who engage in this type of religious experience. Oftentimes we have difficulty in finding “common ground” from which to connect with clients from different cultures, and this experience helped me to see how our shared view of the Creator was such an opportunity. My intent here is to write from a position of honor and respect for the Ojibwe tribe and the Anishinaabe people, who were gracious in inviting our group to this sacred event.