My ordeal ceremony was around 15 years ago and was pretty similar. IIRC I had a sleeping bag plus tarp and and no tent (you are definitely not allowed a tent wh

My ordeal ceremony was around 15 years ago and was pretty similar. IIRC I had a sleeping bag plus tarp and and no tent (you are definitely not allowed a tent when participating). I remember this rather vividly because the night of the ordeal it rained and I had to roll up in my tarp like a burrito to stop from getting wet. Yes, you are not allowed to speak during the labor part. I remember this vividly also as we were assembling large teepees as our given task (~20ft in height) and we were very briefly given a rare exception of being allowed to speak if there was some imminent danger of the teepee falling over and injuring someone. What they fed me in terms of food was honestly pretty gross. IIRC I didn’t get any lunch and only got basically a nasty green hard boiled egg plus a tiny mandarin orange for breakfast. by the time you’re allowed to talk again when the ordeal is over there is a feast shortly thereafter though. The “brotherhood” second stage ordeal is actually a whole lot easier, it basically involves a night ceremony with a lot of rituals and a handwritten letter to your local “lodge” if I am remembering things correctly.