~Hanblecheyapi, "Crying for a Vision"~

The techniques of communication and purification present in the pipe and Inipi ceremonies offer Lakotas a powerful way of orienting themselves to the world around them. The pipe serves to recognize and activate kinship relationships with the various wakan beings people the world around them. Inipi serves to strengthen and purify one in those relationships. Both serve to orient the practitioner to symbolic notions of space, time and proper relationships. Both also serve as the foundations of Hanbleyapi, more commonly referred to by English speakers as "the vision quest."

George Sword, Thomas Tyon and others instructed James Walker that:

Hanblecheyapi is very old. It is very wakan. It should be undertaken before attempting to do anything of great importance. One should always perform the ceremony of the sweat bath before seeking a vision. To seek a vision is done in different ways. For most of the things one goes alone on a hill after doing certain things according to the customs, and there awaits the vision. If a vision is sought for things that are of great importance, he should seek the advice of a shaman who is wise on these matters, and do as he directs (in Walker 1991: 105).

Sense there has never been an orthodox or codified doctrine of belief among Lakotas, vision is one of the principle means through which Lakotas gain knowledge of the universe and themselves. It is believed to be one of the oldest ceremonies of the people, sense even before Wohpe gave them their sacred pipe. Traditionally both men and women, boys and girls have sought visions (hanbleceya, "to go cry for a vision"). Visionary wisdom might be sought if one's relative was ill, if one wished for success in something, if one must prepare one self for something important, or if one wished very earnestly for something. Girls might seek a vision during the isolation phase of their tatanka lowanpi, or "Buffalo Ceremony," while the Hanblecheyapi might function as a boy's puberty ceremony in which he might seek a vision of his place and power in the universe.

While both men and women might hanbleceya, or "go cry for a vision," there is very little written on women's practice of seeking a vision. Almost all of the literature is given to the men's practice of Hanblecheyapi.

If a pubescent boy or man felt the need to hanbleceya, he would first seek the guidance of a respected wicasa wakan, or "holy man," whom he knew to be knowledgeable in these things. He would bring a pipe with tobacco and cansasa and offer it to the wicasa wakan and tell him of his desire for a vision. They would then smoke the pipe and Inipi together, and the wicasa wakan would give him instructions on what and how to prepare for this. He might, for instance, be instructed to build an initi, or purification lodge. He would also be instructed on any medicines he should gather, such as sage and sweetgrass, or any implement he should construct, such as a pipe or tobacco and cansasa.

When the lamenter had prepared everything necessary, he would return to the wicasa wakan and they would again smoke the pipe and Inipi together. During this time the lamenter would be instructed in the details and protocol of crying for a vision. For instance, he would be instructed to find an isolated place where he will not be disturbed. He should then clear the space of every living thing within a diameter at least as wide as he is tall. He might also be instructed to post poles from which to hang spirit banners in the west, north, east and south quarters of this space. He would be instructed not to talk to anyone except the Wakanpi and not to leave his space until the ceremony was over. They might also prepare a pipe for the lamenter to take with him. Black Elk provides a description of this rite:

The holy man holds the pipe over the smoke, pointing the stem first to the west, and then to the north, the east, the south, and to heaven, then he touches the earth with his foot. He purifies all the sacred equipment: the buffalo robe and all the offering sticks; and then he makes little bags of tobacco which he ties on the ends of the offering sticks. The old holy man, now seated at the west, takes the tobacco cutting board and begins to chop and mix the kinnikinnik [tobacco and cansasa blend]. He first judges carefully the size of the pipe, for he must make just enough to fill the pipe bowl and no more. Each time that he shaves off a little piece of the tobacco, he offers it to one of the quarters of the world, taking great care that no piece jumps off the board, for this would make the Thunder-beings very angry. When the mixing has been finished, the old man takes up the pipe with his left hand, and holding up a pinch of the kinnikinnik with his right hand, he prays [facing west]....

The holy man places this tobacco in the pipe, and then he holds up another pinch towards the place in the north where Waziah the Giant lives....The Power of this direction is placed in the pipe, and a third pinch of tobacco is held toward the east....In the same manner the Power of the east is placed in the pipe; and now a pinch of tobacco is held towards the south, the place towards which we always face....In this manner all the Powers of the four directions have been placed within the bowl of the pipe, and now a pinch of the sacred tobacco is held up towards the heavens, and this is for Wanbli Galeshka, the Spotted Eagle, who is higher than all other created beings, and who represents Wakan Tanka....With [a] prayer the Spotted Eagle is placed in the bowl of the pipe, and now a pinch of the tobacco is held towards the Earth, and the old man continues to pray....Thus the Earth, which is now in the tobacco, is placed in the pipe, and in this manner all the six Powers of the universe have here become one. But in order to make sure that all the peoples of the world are included in the pipe, the holy man offers small grains of tobacco for each of the... winged peoples....The pipe is then sealed with tallow, for the "lamenter" will take it with him when he goes to the top of the mountain, and there he will offer it to Wakan -Tanka; but it will not be smoked until he finishes the "lamenting" and returns to the holy man (in Brown 1953: 49-52).

After all of these things are prepared, the lamenter would go away to cry for a vision. He would prepare the space as he was instructed and would prepare himself to cry to the Wakanpi for a vision. George Sword explains the process like this:

If one goes to a hill in this manner, he should remain there until he receives a vision or until he is nearly perished....He should put a banner, first at the west side of the place he has prepared; then one at the north side; then one at the east side; then one at the south side. He should have a pipe and plenty of cansasa and tobacco mixed. He should then light his pipe and point the mouth piece first toward the west and then toward the north and then toward the east and then toward the south. Then he should point it toward the sky and then toward the earth and then toward the sun. He should have some sweetgrass and very often he should burn some of this and some sage. If he does these things in the right way, he will surely receive a vision (in Walker 1991: 85-86).

While the lamenter is crying for a vision, he must also sharpen his perceptions. The communication may come in many different forms. It may come in a dream, it may come as an animal, insect or plant. It might only be heard and not seen. One's senses must be sharp to recognize the vision when it comes. Thomas Tyon relates this experience in Lakota (translated by Raymond J. DeMallie and Elaine A. Jahner):

So now the vision quester, wearing only a furred robe around his shoulders and with a pipe and kinnikinic, carrying a filled pipe and wearing the robe, he stands ready, they say....Now the vision quester wraps his robe around himself with the fur side out, and until the sun rises, he stands looking east, pointing with the pipe that he holds, praying as hard as he can. All night long he stands in this way, it is said. At last the dawn seems to be visible and so he stands, rejoicing greatly, it is said. And then possibly, he becomes very drowsy, so very slowly he lies down flat, they say. And with his arms very properly uplifted in prayer, now as he lies there, he hears something stamp the ground behind him, coming towards him, creeping up stealthily, little by little. He is very excited. So perhaps, all of a sudden, he thinks to raise up his head as it goes by, they say. And he looks at the thing that comes stamping the earth. And then it is very little even though he heard the sound of its breath, it is said. It was only a grasshopper walking although it came stamping the ground, they say (Walker 1991: 151-52).

After all of this, one still might not receive a vision. If one does, however, the lamenter returns to the wicasa wakan to relate it to him. Often visions come in mysterious ways or in hanbloglaka, the language of the spirits. For these reasons the vision must be related to the wicasa wakan for its meaning to be understood for the lamenter and for the people.