History: Canada and United States Sweat Lodge (Introduction)

The sweat lodge or sweat house (also called purification ceremony, ceremonial sauna, or simply sweat) is a ceremonial or ritual event in some cultures, particularly among some North American First Nations, Native American, Scandinavian, Baltic and Eastern European cultures. There are several styles of structures used in different cultures; these include a domed or oblong hut similar to a wickiup, a permanent structure made of wood or stone, or even a simple hole dug into the ground and covered with planks or tree trunks. Stones are typically heated and then water poured over them to create steam. In ceremonial usage, these ritual actions are accompanied by traditional prayers and songs.

"Vapour baths were in use among the Celtic tribes, and the sweat-house was in general use in Ireland down to the 18th, and even survived into the 19th century. It was of beehive shape and was covered with clay. It was especially resorted to as a cure for rheumatism." These structures were built of stone, and square or corbelled "beehive" versions are often found, mostly in the Irish and Gaelic-speaking areas of Ireland and Scotland, though most seem of relatively recent date. The method of construction, heating the structure, and usage was different from the North American examples, and they seem to have been regarded as therapeutic in function, like the sauna, and perhaps typically used by one person at a time, given their small size.

Native Americans in many regions employ the sweat lodge. For example, Chumash peoples of the central coast of California build sweat lodges in coastal areas in association with habitation sites.

When Finnish immigrants came to America in the 17th century, local Delaware natives called them "sweat lodge men" or "white-men-like-us" because of their habit of going to sauna. Because of that, the Finns got along with native peoples so their houses were not destroyed in the French and Indian Wars.