Since ancient times, Native American and Alaskan Natives have shown great respect to warriors. The native people have developed prayers, ceremonies and traditions to honor returning soldiers and ease their way back into the community. One of the most common is a traditional steam bath, known as a "sweat." This tradition is believed to have started with the Plains Indians. It is now practiced, in different forms, by many American tribes. The U.S. Veterans Administration has recognized the value of sweats to Native service members. Since the 1990s, the government has permitted tribes to hold sweats at several VA medical centers across the country. Now, non-Native veterans have started the tradition. Darrin Coldiron is a Spokane firefighter and president of Veterans Community Response, an all-volunteer group that holds several gatherings a year. Coldiron told VOA that he learned about the importance of native traditions in college. He said "I learned that in so many societies, when you send a warrior off, there's a ceremony, and you bring them home with ceremony."