h order must be followed exactly. The day came closer and we were all very nervous. The ceremony was to take place at Baiting Hollow Boy Scout Camp. Everything was coming together and the next weekend the healing would take place. We were all anxiously awaiting the day. It finally arrived, and as my mom and I drove down the small, dirt, boy scout camp road, you could almost slice through the tension in the car. I walked up the path, my heart echoing the faint sound of a beating drum. As we came upon a clearing I began to feel nervous and a bit unsure. No one knew what to expect. Familiar faces came into view. Some were faces I hadn’t seen in years. We felt the urge to display our excitement, but we were told there was a sweat lodge nearby, and to resist the temptation. I wandered amongst the blur of faces saying hello to my large “extended family,” of life-long friends. I eventually found the man I was looking for. Our reason for gathering in the sweltering heat. The common bond we all shared. Looking upon his withered body almost broke my heart. He looked frail, nothing but brittle bones beneath his skin. His head is nearly bald with a few patches of the deep, dark hair I remembered that the chemotherapy left behind. His thin tank top exposed the scars the surgeries had left on his body. More difficult for me was noticing the emotional scars apparent in his sunken in eyes, that were once jolly and humorous. I can’t even describe the specific events and emotions I felt that day. The whole experience was so surreal and out of this world it was like being in a haze. Even three years later I still get goose bumps sitting here typing this. However I was glad to finally have the opportunity to share such a wondrous event with people. The whole experience was emotionally, spiritually, and physically cleansing. Many people who took part in the ceremonies, or in the sweat lodges we...
