Source: The New York Times
On September 15, 2002 The New York Times reported that "until Aug. 11, 1978, when Congress passed the American Indian Religious
Freedom Act, ceremonies like the sweat lodge were illegal. Today, Mr. Charles Thom and
others are turning sweat lodge ceremonies into commercial enterprises, making
their way into spas and 12-step groups and mounting carnival-like tours. The sponsoring group for last weekend's sweat lodge in Baiting Hollow, north
of Riverhead, was the Earth Circle Association, a Fort Jones, Calif[ornia]-based...
Read more about Commercialization of Native American Sweat Lodges Creates Differing Opinions