Terrence Paul, from Nazko, left yesterday for a trip to Europe, visiting Germany, Denmark, Poland and Spain to hold seminars and workshops about sweat lodges and Sun Dance ceremonies.
“I do piercing Sun Dance once a year in Lethbridge with the Blood tribe and we have sponsors and fellow dancers from overseas who are having a festival which I’m going to support,” Paul said.
Paul has been a Sun Dancer for eight years and is looking forward to his first trip to Europe.
Paul will be accompanied by George Desjarlais, from West Moberly, who runs a sweat lodge in Dawson Creek.
“Eight years ago I got involved with the Sun Dance when I was at a healing centre in Dawson Creek where I was dealing with the demons inside me,” Paul said.
“We attended sweat lodges every Sunday when we were at the healing centre and the particular sweat lodge was George Desjarlais’.
“I saw all these scars on his chest and I asked him what they were and he told me he was a sun dancer and he dances with the Blood tribe in Lethbridge.”
One year after his experience at the healing centre in Dawson Creek, Paul found sponsors in the area and the Young Warriors Foundation provided him with a bus ticket to Lethbridge for his first Sun Dance trip.
The Sun Dance is derived from a traditional aboriginal ritual and has mostly stayed the same through the years.
“Before colonialism, the Sun Dance was utilized to prepare a warrior for battle or for a hunting trip and now it’s pretty much the same analogy, but we have different enemies today,” Paul explained.
“Today we have anger, animosity, jealousy, apathy, alcohol, drugs, violence and abuse; this is what we work with in trying to keep people balanced and show them the direction through the Sun Dance way.”
Paul is hoping to be able to educate those who attend his workshops, seminars and sweats.
The sweat lodge is made of a willow frame and covered, the inside completely dark.
“We bring in hot rocks and sweat; it’s a prayer to our creator,” Paul explained.
There are four rounds of the sweats.
“The first round is a cleansing round, the second is a prayer request, the third is a prayer for yourself and the fourth is a thank you round,” Paul said.
“It’s basically to keep yourself balanced, your mind, your body, your spirit and to deal with the demons inside you.”
Paul is looking forward to the new experiences this trip will bring, but is most excited about helping people.
“I have this opportunity to help more people who are dealing with their demons,” he said.
“I like helping people who are going through hard times, tough times and times of sorrow.”
Although he’s excited about the trip, Paul is unsure what to expect and hopes to educate those who aren’t knowledgeable about the Sun Dance.
“I’ve never been to Europe so I don’t know what it’s like.
“I’m going over there to hopefully recruit and help and mentor people who want to be part of the Sun Dance.”
Paul is hoping to show there is a way to get back to a traditional way of prayer and healing.
“I’m hoping to show locals there is a way of regaining your identity, your culture, your heritage and through the Sun Dance way of life it’s possible,” he explained.
Paul is grateful to have been chosen as an ambassador, especially since there are Sun Dancers who have been doing it for much longer than he has.
“It’s just like winning the lottery, it’s a great honour.”