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My practice encompasses a variety of experimental processes that animate both natural and constructed environments, seeking to form connections between culture, nature and place. I am concerned with how physical, tactile interactions in nature can shape our inner experiences and understanding of the world. I currently live and work in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Sweat Lodge

As I was leaving Waterton Lakes National Park, I stopped outside the park gates at the Maskinonge and found this sweat lodge. Maskinonge in Chippewa means, "big ugly fish," a name for pike which thrive in these waters. This area is north of Chief Mountain, a mountain considered sacred by the Blackfoot. The sweat lodge described by Jim Eagle is to "cleanse you of all the baggage you will be bringing with you. Once cleansed, you will find it difficult to stay this way. That is the reason you should attend as many sweat lodges as possible. It is for your benefit that I say this. In the sweat lodge you will learn specific songs, along with how to eliminate ego and judgment from your life. You will also learn how to welcome being humble into your life."

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