Following a Leading: Bill Miles and the Sweat Lodge Ministry in Maryland Prisons
By Library Committee
“A concern arose to spend some time with the Indians, that I might feel and understand their life and the Spirit they live in and if haply I might receive some instruction from them”. --John Woolman, 1760
Our history shows that just such a concern arose in a member of Stony Run at the turn of this century. In the late 1990s, Bill Miles joined Dellie James and others on the Indian Affairs Committee at Stony Run and began to attend the meetings of the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs (MCIA). With the knowledge and support of the Meeting for Business, Bill followed a “leading” to visit the Native American devotees at Eastern Correctional Institution (ECI), a state prison in Westover, on the Eastern Shore. It developed over time that the particular goal of his concern was to gain accommodation for Sweat Lodge (Inipi) practice for these Native American devotees.
Among Quakers, a “leading” first arises from a spiritual disquiet, typically generated in Worship, characterized by a growing sense of an action that needs to be done, usually something of practical benefit in the world. The "leading" originates with a Member of a Meeting, is brought to a Clearness Committee and with their support brought to the Monthly Meeting for Business where a Minute of recognition and support is considered.
This is the Spirit-led process that Bill followed. He received a Minute from Stony Run on February 6, 2001, that recognized him as the “fact-finding representative” of the Meeting and recommended him to the Native American devotees at ECI. It was this Minute that gained him entry there. Following an in-depth inquiry that he reported to us, the Meeting for Business produced another Minute on September 4, 2001, this one commending Bill’s report to the State Division of Corrections together with Friends’ request that they make accommodation for “sweat lodge ceremony for Native American devotees in Maryland prisons.”
Bill, together with others, helped the Eagle Speak Society first accomplish this on October 4, 2008. While following his leading during the course of a decade, Bill assisted in the construction of sweat lodge facilities in several state and federal prisons, and he took part in Inipi ceremonies many times, both in prison and out. For ten years, Bill was active in the concern for Native American devotees in many state and federal prisons. Early in this ministry, the Eagle Speak Society honored our Friend and all Stony Run Friends with the gift of a feather fan that is now on display in our Library.
He has a wealth of knowledge and information about Native American life and culture that he would be pleased to share with anyone interested.
