Shaking tent ceremony

[1] This ceremony is more commonly used by specific indigenous tribes long ago but is still practiced around the continent today.

Although, the origin of this ceremony is not quite known, Samuel Champlain wrote about it in the early 17th century as he travelled to present-day Canada for France.

[5] The Cree showed spikes in using this ceremony in the 1960s and went to another tribe for their strong spiritual leader for cures to their ailments.

[2][7] The overarching theme of this ceremony is to bring spirits into the tent to gain knowledge of a mystery or event they need to know about.

[7] The ceremony is started at night with the leader smoking a pipe and then singing songs that help summon the spirit.

[8] The leader will exit the tent when all of the questions have been answered and they tend to be exhausted after the long conversation with the spirits.

Another difference is some tribes will have only one spirit come to the tent, which tends to be related to the leader conducting the ceremony.

The tribes with multiple spirits coming into the tent tend to have a more joking sense of humor and will banter with the leader while they are there.

[7] The knowledge that is sought depends on their current surroundings and how the tribe is partial to using the shaking tent ceremony.

They connected to their ancestors for guidance, support, unity, and to keep their identity as a member of a Native American tribe.

The less wealthier people had access to a common spiritual leader and were able to make or have a smaller, weaker tent created.

[9] Medicine people can be men and women, they just need to have the knowledge and spirituality to be able to connect and perform to the rituals.

Most tents or lodges were constructed in more of a cylindrical shape, with the frame made out of sticks which was then covered with some kind of canvas or material, depending on what resources were available.

The tents were made to offer sacrifices in, and were constructed to keep and filter the different smoke and incense involved in the ceremony.