SUN DANCE.<O:P>

  A group of warriors mounted on their ponies enter the village. They scatter a pack of dogs in all directions as they thunder along the line of tipis whooping and shouting as they urge everyone to gather outside. Men, women, and children leave their lodges and quickly make their way to the edge of the village. There we wait silently, hoping to be the first to spot the Wicasa Wakan (holy men), and the others chosen by our chief, to appear before us. For to them fell the duty of carrying back to the village the central pole that will become, during the duration of the Sun Dance, the center of our world. They have been gone many days and nights in their search for this most sacred symbol. And now to everyone’s great joy and excitement the pole has been found!
   Suddenly upon the plains before us something stirs. People move their heads to get a better look over the shoulders of those standing in front. Then we hear their chants, carried to us upon the wind. They are the prayers of the holy men as they carry the pole ever nearer to the village. They are giving thanks to the Great Spirit for giving them the strength and the courage to bring about this victory over such a worthy opponent as the tree. All those watching soon take up this chant. As the holy men draw nearer to the village the men and women allow them through their ranks, ensuring that the children do not touch with their hands the sacred pole, before we fall into line behind them. And then together we walk back into the village singing a song extolling the bravery of all Human Beings such as we.<O:P> </O:P>
   After the pole has been placed before the elders of the village, who begin the sacred task of stripping the bark and preparing the pole for painting in time for the Sun Dance ceremony, the medicine men move away and go and sit down outside their own lodges. They wait for the people of the village to gather before them so that they can begin the story of how they conquered the center of the universe.

   “For three sun’s we travelled,�?Walks Like A Bear begins after the crowd has settled, “and during that time we did not see what we were looking for. We did not eat and we did not sleep. We prayed to Wakan-Tanka to guide us. On the morning of the fourth day as we straddled a hill, there before us standing tall and alone, stood the Center of the Universe!�?His words drew gasps of astonishment from the younger ones while their elders waited with baited breath for Walks Like A Bear to continue on with his story. “We climbed down from out ponies so that the tree would not see us before we began our attack. I was the one chosen to make the first strike. With great care I painted myself ready for battle. My pony was also painted so that when I made my attack the tree would see that I was a Human Beings and therefore would soon realize that to try and resist me would be useless. When all was made ready, I offered up a final prayer. And, as is our custom, we all sang a death song for our brother, the tree.�?The men, including I, murmured our approval. For not to have done such a thing would have reflected badly upon all of us gathered there. “I gave a war cry and launched into the attack. The tree stood tall and proud before my onslaught. He made a fine and worthy opponent. I sank my tomahawk deep into the trunk and as I did so I felt the power from the tree flow down my arm and into my body!�?BR>   The men now gathered there looked down upon the smiling face of Walks Like A Bear. Their eyes shining with both awe and new found respect for one so filled with the power and holiness of the universe. The women turn to each other and begin expressing their own astonishment at what they were hearing. The children, of all ages and sizes, stare opened mouthed at one so brave.

   “The tree could not last for long.�?Walks Like A Bear continued, his voice now showing the emotion that he felt for the demise of the tree. “The strength of attack from the Oglala Lakota was far too strong for even he. And soon he started to fall towards the ground, and we were careful not to let him come into contact with the earth, and so laid him upon our shoulders. The work of our battle-axes completed. Then so we carried him away from the place where he had stood. Our hearts were heavy from having to do such a thing. We carried him with all due reverence and honor to our village and placed him down before our elders. Now go and prepare yourselves for soon the Sun Dance shall begin and once more the center of the universe will stand tall and proud above us!�?BR>   There is a sense of excitement in the air. I prepare myself for the time when I will become connected as one with the universe. I need to cleanse my body and mind before I begin my own dance. A holy man, Running Antelope, will help me in my preparation. He has been the one who has guided me in the ways of how to become a true Human Being. Everything I know and everything that I am is all due to him.
   For two sun’s I go without food and drink. During this time the tree is stripped and painted. A nest of twigs is made and placed atop the thick trunk. This will be a resting place for any Thunderbirds that come to join us during the Sun Dance. The trunk is further decorated with sage and sweet grass. Then with much feasting by those who will not dance the tree is erected.

   The next morning, before the sun begins to rise, I wash my body for the last time until after the dance. Then I sit silently while Running Antelope sings songs and offers up prayers on my behalf. He spreads buffalo fat upon my hair and flattens it against my skull. Next, he ties it tightly so that it will not fall across my eyes during the dance. Then we paint my body and face. After all these preparations have been completed he leads me to my place within the circle. Placing sage upon my body Running Antelope continues singing and offering up prayers to the Great Spirit on my behalf.
   He then grabs the fatty flesh around my left breast, holding it between his finger and thumb, and into this he pushes a piece of sharpened bone through the skin and muscle. The pain explodes within my head but I have been taught how to ignore such things. I do not move neither do I make a sound. To do so would be seen as a sign of weakness and I could not then go on and dance. He then pierces my right breast with a piece of bone the same length as the first. His fingers are now coloured red with my blood.
   I become aware as his hands grip my arms, I look towards the center of the circle. Oh how my heart sings to see such a sight! There before me tall and erect and reaching all the way up into the great beyond is the universe! And I can faintly see, in the first rays of the new day, the leather thongs that have been placed around both ends of the bones in my breasts, connecting me to it!
   I can hardly contain the joy within my heart. I look towards the rising sun and I feel as one with the world. Beneath my feet I can feel the heartbeat of my mother and the rhythm is such that I want to begin my dance. Softly I begin my song as my feet rise and fall to the rhythm of the earth. My eyes remain focused upon the rising sun. I do not blink neither do I look away as my brother grows bigger, stronger, and brighter before my eyes.

   My mind is oblivious to everything else around me. I do not see the other dancers nor do I see those family and friends who gather nearby to watch us. I am totally focused and alone in both my thoughts and in my deeds. My words are intended for the Great Spirit and he alone. They are words beseeching him to protect and watch over my wife who is large with child. She is frail and the impending birth, after the loss of one unborn child already, weighs heavily upon her mind. I know she wants to please me and therefore does not tell me of the sickness and the fears that have haunted her waking hours since the time of our great loss. But I have seen the fear in her eyes when we are alone together in our tipi. But my words to her seem not to offer her the comfort that she needs and that is why I now dance.

Give her strength Great Spirit.<O:P> </O:P>
I pray.<O:P> </O:P>
Ease her mind.<O:P> </O:P>
I beg.<O:P> </O:P>
Bless her with the light of life.<O:P> </O:P>

   At the end of each request I blow into my eagle bone whistle very loudly so that my words are then carried high into the air so that the Great Spirit may hear them. To give others around the circle their chance to look directly into the sun we begin slowly to move around. With each completed circle I stand still and then lean backwards so that the thongs are pulled taunt against my chest. The bones pull the flesh away from my breast and the pain is all encompassing. I only relax when the circle begins to move again. The skin has held and I can continue to dance.

   Throughout the long day we continue to dance. By the time the Sun is directly above us the first of the dancers to be released are quickly gathered up and carried away. Their skin around the bone having been broken and ripped, releasing them from the center of the universe, their energy and strength all but spent. They are carried away from the circle and handed over to members of their own families who will carry them back to the lodges of the dancers where their wounds will be treated by the holy men.
   I am blessed to dance a little longer. The paint upon my face and body is spoiled because of the sweat that runs like a swollen river down to my waist. It has long since washed away the dried blood that once marked my chest. My eyes have grown heavy and tired and my vision is now blurred from looking at the Sun. When I blow into my whistle I can no longer hear the sound that it makes. My limbs are tired and weary.
   But still I dance. I continue to offer up the prayers for the safe passage of my unborn child. And when I stop I slowly lean backwards. The leather thongs become taunt and the skin around my breast is pulled to breaking point. I cannot keep the grimace from my face as the pain explodes like a thunderous waterfall over me. I grit my teeth and stay in this position for a little longer.
   The bone skewered within the flesh of my right breast suddenly breaks free. I begin to fall, the weight of which then pulls the bone from out of my left breast, and before I know what is happening I crash to the ground. I cannot move. I feel as if my body is floating high above the ground. I have found a peace of mind that I have never known before. It seems I now know all the answers to my questions. I have nothing to fear. Death will not visit with me again for a very long time. Before all goes black before me I offer up a mumbled prayer to the Great Spirit for blessing me thus.<O:P>