The

Sacred Pipe; : Black Elk's Account of

the Seven Rites of the Oglala Sioux
title:
Civilization of the American Indian Series ;
[V. 36]
author: Black Elk.; Brown, Joseph Epes
publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
isbn10 | asin: 0806121246
print isbn13: 9780806121246
ebook isbn13: 9780585148663
language: English
Oglala Indians--Rites and ceremonies,
subject
Dakota Indians--Religion and mythology.
publication date: 1953
lcc: E99.O3B5eb
ddc: 970.62
subject: Oglala Indians--Rites and ceremonies,
Dakota Indians--Religion and mythology.
 Page i

The Sacred Pipe

THE CIVILIZATION OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN SERIES

 Page ii

Black Elk (Photograph by J. E. Brown)

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The Sacred Pipe

Black Elk's Account of the Seven Rites of the Oglala

Sioux
Recorded & Edited by Joseph Epes Brown

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PRESS : NORMAN

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Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 538810
ISBN: 0-8061-0272-1
ISBN: 0-8061-2124-6 (pbk.)
The Sacred Pipe is Volume 36 in The Civilization of the American
Indian Series.
Copyright © 1953, 1989 by the University of Oklahoma Press,
Norman, Publishing Division of the University. All rights reserved.
Manufactured in the U.S.A.
22 23 24 25 26

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To my people the Sioux

Black Elk

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Table of Contents
Preface to Seventh Printing xi
Editor's Preface xiii
Foreword, xix
by Black Elk
I 3
The Gift of the Sacred Pipe
II 10
The Keeping of the Soul
III 31
Inipi: The Rite of Purification
IV 44
Hanblecheyapi: Crying for a Vision
V 67
Wiwanyag Wachipi: The Sun Dance
VI 101
Hunkapi: The Making of Relatives
VII 116
Ishna Ta Awi Cha Lowan: Preparing a Girl for
Womanhood
VIII 127
Tapa Wanka Yap: The Throwing of the Ball
Index 139


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Illustrations
Black Elk frontispiece
Black Elk (Hehaka Sapa) 12
Black Elk in France 13
Black Elk with his wife 60
Black Elk and Yellow Hand 61
Sitting Bull (Tatanka Yotanka) 92
Little Warrior (Ozuye Chikala) 93
Seven Sioux Warriors 124
Black Elk and J. E. Brown 125

 Page xi

Preface to the Seventh Printing

I first learned of the Lakota Sioux sage, Black Elk (Hehaka Sapa),
through John Neihardt's Black Elk Speaks, a poetic work of great
value that first appeared in 1932, published by William Morrow and
Company of New York. Because of the war effort at that time, the
original copper plates had to be destroyed, and the first edition was
out of print soon after publication. During several trips to Europe
immediately after the war, I was able to make arrangements through
close friends for French, German, and Italian translations, all of which
became very popular and have since appeared in many continuing
editions.
As a lifelong student of Native American history, traditions, and
lifeways, I understood the importance of the Black Elk lore and
wished to meet the old man, even though Neihardt had advised me
that Black Elk would not speak to me. After much traveling, however,
I found Hehaka Sapa in an old canvas wall

 Page xii
tent in Nebraska, where his extended family was engaged in digging
potatoes. I entered into the tent with great anxiety because of
Neihardt's discouraging advice. On my journey west an old
Assiniboin had given me a traditional Plains ceremonial pipe, which
the old Sage and I smoked in silence. When the ritual smoking was
completed, the old man turned to me and asked why I had taken so
long in getting there, for he had been expecting my coming. He then
invited me to spend the winter with him and his extended family at
their home on Wounded Knee Creek, Pine Ridge Reservation. He
wished to relate the history and meanings of the seven sacred rites of
his people, a project that was completed over several years with much
of the translating being done by his son Benjamin Black Elk.
I wish to express great gratitude to all members of the Black Elk
extended family and am honored by continuing contacts over the
years that affirm that here adoptions into a family are permanent and
continuing, never casual, and they involve continuing mutual
responsibilities.
JOSEPH EPES BROWN
STEVENSVILLE, MONTANA
JANUARY, 1988

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Editor's Preface

Black Elk first became known to a wide range of readers in 1932

through John G. Neihardt's Black Elk Speaks: The Life Story of a Holy
Man of the Oglala Sioux. Neihardt's poetic and sympathetic treatment
of the old man's life and mission raised the question as to who, in fact,
Black Elk really was. For if the account was faithful to only the
essential qualities of the man, it was clear that even from a people
noted for their large share of great personalities, here was an unusual
man of vision; a holy man in the full sense of this term, and a man
upon whom destiny, in a time of cultural crisis, had placed a heavy
burden of responsibility for the spiritual welfare of his people. Here,
also, could be an important message for the larger world.
I went to find Black Elk in the fall of 1947. After I had followed his
traces across many of the Western states, we finally met in an old
canvas wall tent on a Nebraska farm where his family and other


 Page xiv
members of their band were employed in harvesting potatoes. During
that first encounter we simply sat side by side on a sheepskin, and
silently smoked the red stone pipe which I had brought with me as an
offering in the traditional manner. Partly crippled, almost completely
blind, he seemed a pitiful old man as he sat there hunched over,
dressed in poor, cast-off clothing. But the beauty of his face and the
reverent quality of his movements as he smoked the pipe revealed that
Neihardt had given to us the essence of the man, and the subsequent
years spent with Black Elk have confirmed this initial impression.
Knowing that Black Elk usually had refused to talk with many other
people, it was with relief and wonder that I heard his first words: he
had anticipated my coming, and wished me to spend that winter with
him, for he had much to tell of the sacred things before they all should
pass away.
I lived that very cold winter with Black Elk and his generous family in
their little hewn-log house under the pine-covered bluffs near
Manderson, South Dakota. Everything the old man told me I recorded
in the time available when we were not hunting for wild game, or
hauling water from the nearest hand-pump eight miles away, or
cutting hardwood in the valley bottom for the iron stove, and I
profited from this rigorous life which his family and my many new
relatives shared with me.
I am fortunate in having met at least some of those men of the old
days who possessed great human and spiritual qualities. But Black Elk
had a special quality of power and kindliness and a sense of mission
that was unique, and I am sure it was recognized by all who had the
opportunity of knowing him.
According to his account, Black Elk was born in 1862. Therefore he
had known the times when his people still had the freedom of the
plains and hunted the bison; he had fought against the white men at
the Little Big Horn and on Wounded Knee Creek. He was a cousin to
the famous chief and holy man, Crazy Horse, and had known Sitting
Bull, Red Cloud, and American Horse. Although Black Elk spoke no
English, he had observed much of the white man's world, having
traveled with Buffalo Bill to Italy, France, and England, where he
danced for Queen Victoria

 Page xv
''Grandmother England.'' But whether hunting, traveling, or fighting,
Black Elk was not as other men are. During his youth he had been
instructed in the sacred lore of his people by the great men, among
whom were Whirlwind Chaser, Black Road, and the sage Elk Head,
Keeper of the Sacred Pipe, from whom he learned the history and
meanings of his people's spiritual heritage. With this understanding
Black Elk prayed and fasted at length, until he himself became one of
the wise men, receiving many visions through which he gained special
powers to be used for the good of his nation.
This responsibility to "bring to life the flowering tree of his people"
haunted Black Elk all his life and caused him much suffering.
Although he had been given the power to lead his people in the ways
of his grandfathers, he did not understand by what means the vision
could be fulfilled. It was certainly due to this pervasive sense of
mission that Black Elk wished to make this book, explaining the
major rites of the Oglala Sioux, in the hope that in this manner his
own people, as well as the white men, would gain a better
understanding of the truths of their Indian traditions.
It has now been more than twenty years since Black Elk last spoke,
and there have occurred many changes which demand that his
messageand, indeed, similar messages of other traditionally oriented
peoplesbe placed in new perspective and in a new light. At the time
when Black Elk was lamenting the broken hoop of his people's nation,
it was generally believed, even by the specialists, that it would be only
a matter of timevery little time in factuntil the Indians, with their
seemingly archaic and anachronistic cultures, would be completely
assimilated into a larger American society which was convinced of its
superiority and the validity of its goals.
We are still very far from being aware of the dimensions and
ramifications of our ethnocentric illusions. Nevertheless, by the very
nature of things we are now forced to undergo a process of intense
self-examination; to engage in a serious re-evaluation of the premises
and orientations of our society. The inescapable reality of the
ecological crisis, for example, has shattered for many a kind

 Page xvi
of dream world, and has forced us not only to seek immediate
solutions to the kinds of problems which a highly developed
technology has fostered, but also, and above all, to look to our basic
values concerning life and the nature and destiny of man. The new
generations today may not as yet be sure of the most effective means
by which to further this process of re-evaluation, but many are looking
with sincerity to the kinds of models which are represented by the
American Indians.
In their relationships to this troubled America, Indian groups are seen
to be situated across a wide spectrum of positions. On the one hand
are the few traditional and conservative groups which, against
enormous pressures, have miraculously remained very close to the
essence of their ancient and still viable life-ways; and on the other
hand are those groups which have been completely assimilated within
the larger American society. Yet today, virtually all Indian groups who
retain any degree of self-identity are now also re-evaluating, and
giving positive valuation to, the fundamental premises of their own
traditional cultures. They are also re-examining, through a wide range
of means and expressions, their relationships to a larger society which
today tends to represent diminishing attractions.
If there is validity to the above statements, it seems clear that it is too
early to say that Black Elk's mission to bring his people back to "the
good red road" has failed as he thought it had. Rather, it may be
succeeding in ways which he could not have anticipated.
As an Oglala Sioux, Black Elk belonged to one of the seven sub-
bands of the Western Teton, all of which speak the Lakota dialect of a
Siouan language. These Western Teton are one of the seven bands, or
"Seven Council Fires," of the Dakota (the "Allied"), which is one of
the nations belonging to the large Siouan linguistic family. This
linguistic group also includes the Assiniboin, Crow, Hidatsa, Iowa,
Kansa, Mandan, Missouri, Omaha, Osage, Oto, Ponca, and Quapaw.
According to the early history of the Dakota, they were established in
the sixteenth century on the headwaters of the Mississippi, and in the
seventeenth century they were driven westward from Minnesota by
their enemies the Chippewa. In

 Page xvii
leaving the forests and lakes the Dakota substituted the horse for the
bark canoe with remarkable ease, and in the nineteenth century they
were known and feared as one of the most powerful nations of the
prairies; indeed, it was these Dakota Sioux who offered perhaps the
strongest resistance of all the Indian groups to the westward
movement of the whites.
This account of the sacred pipe and the rites of the Sioux, was handed
down orally by the former "keeper of the sacred pipe," Elk Head
(Hehaka Pa), to three men. Of these three, Black Elk was the only one
living at the time this history was written. (Black Elk died in August,
1950.) When Elk Head gave this account to Black Elk, he told him
that it must be handed down. For as long as it is known, and for as
long as the pipe is used, their people will live; but as soon as the pipe
is forgotten, the people will be without a center and they will perish.
I wish to acknowledge my gratitude to Benjamin Black Elk, who
acted as interpreter for this work and who is the son of Black Elk, to
whom we owe this book. It is unusual to have an interpreter who
understands both English and Lakota perfectly, and who is also
familiar with the wisdom and rites of his people. I wish also to
mention Benjamin's wife, Ellen Black Elk, a remarkable person of
strong faith and character, who with quiet dignity always saw to it that
everyone in her warm home was fed and cared for. Her death in
September of 1970 was a loss for all who knew her. Black Elk's close
friend Little Warrior assisted us in many ways.
I also acknowledge my gratitude to the Smithsonian Institution for the
Barry photograph of Sitting Bull, and to the Illuminated Photo-Ad
Service of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, who gave permission for the
use of their photograph of the seven Sioux who participated in the
battle of the Little Big Horn. These warriors were all close friends of
Black Elk.
 JOSEPH EPES BROWN
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA
FEBRUARY, 1971

 Page xix

Foreword

In the great vision which came to me in my youth, when I had known

only nine winters, there was something which has seemed to me to be
of greater and greater importance as the moons have passed by. It is
about our sacred pipe and its importance to our people.
We have been told by the white men, or at least by those who are
Christian, that God sent to men His son, who would restore order and
peace upon the earth; and we have been told that Jesus the Christ was
crucified, but that he shall come again at the Last Judgment, the end
of this world or cycle. This I understand and know that it is true, but
the white men should know that for the red people too, it was the will
of Wakan-Tanka, the Great Spirit, that an animal turn itself into a two-
legged person in order to bring the most holy pipe to His people; and
we too were taught


 Page xx
that this White Buffalo Cow Woman who brought our sacred pipe will
appear again at the end of this "world," a coming which we Indians
know is now not very far off.
Most people call it a "peace pipe," yet now there is no peace on earth
or even between neighbors, and I have been told that it has been a
long time since there has been peace in the world. There is much talk
of peace among the Christians, yet this is just talk. Perhaps it may be,
and this is my prayer that, through our sacred pipe, and through this
book in which I shall explain what our pipe really is, peace may come
to those peoples who can understand, an understanding which must be
of the heart and not of the head alone. Then they will realize that we
Indians know the One true God, and that we pray to Him continually.
I have wished to make this book through no other desire than to help
my people in understanding the greatness and truth of our own
tradition, and also to help in bringing peace upon the earth, not only
among men, but within men and between the whole of creation.
We should understand well that all things are the works of the Great
Spirit. We should know that He is within all things: the trees, the
grasses, the rivers, the mountains, and all the four-legged animals, and
the winged peoples; and even more important, we should understand
that He is also above all these things and peoples. When we do
understand all this deeply in our hearts, then we will fear, and love,
and know the Great Spirit, and then we will be and act and live as He
intends.
BLACK ELK
MANDERSON, S.D.

 Page 1

 Page 3

Chapter I
The Gift of the Sacred Pipe
Early one morning, very many winters ago, two Lakota were out
hunting with their bows and arrows, and as they were standing on a
hill looking for game, they saw in the distance something coming
towards them in a very strange and wonderful manner. When this
mysterious thing came nearer to them, they saw that it was a very
beautiful woman, dressed in white buckskin, and bearing a bundle on
her back. Now this woman was so good to look at that one of the
Lakota had bad intentions and told his friend of his desire, but this
good man said that he must not have such thoughts, for surely this is a
wakan woman.1 The mysterious person was now very close to the
men, and then putting down her bundle, she asked the one with bad
intentions to come over to her. As the
1 Throughout this work I shall translate the Lakota word wakan as "holy"
or "sacred," rather than as "power" or "powerful'' as used by some
(footnote continued on next page)

 Page 4
young man approached the mysterious woman, they were both
covered by a great cloud, and soon when it lifted the sacred woman
was standing there, and at her feet was the man with the bad thoughts
who was now nothing but bones, and terrible snakes were eating
him.2
"Behold what you see!" the strange woman said to the good man. "I
am coming to your people and wish to talk with your chief
Hehlokecha Najin [Standing Hollow Horn]. Return to him, and tell
him to prepare a large tipi in which he should gather all his people,
and make ready for my coming. I wish to tell you something of great
importance!"
The young man then returned to the tipi of his chief, and told him all
that had happened: that this wakan woman was coming to visit them
and that they must all prepare. The chief, Standing Hollow Horn, then
had several tipis taken down, and from them a great lodge was made
as the sacred woman had instructed.3 He sent out a crier to tell the
people to put on their best buckskin clothes and to gather immediately
in the lodge. The people were, of course, all very excited as they
waited in the great lodge for the coming of the holy woman, and
everybody was wondering where this mysterious woman came from
and what it was that she wished to say.
Soon the young men who were watching for the coming of the wakan
person announced that they saw something in the dis-
(footnote continued from previous page)
ethnologists. This latter term may be a true translation, yet is not really
complete, for with the Sioux, and with all traditional peoples in general,
the "power" (really the sacredness) of a being or a thing is in proportion to
its nearness to its prototype; or better, it is in proportion to the ability of
the object or act to reflect most directly the principle or principles which
are in Wakan-Tanka, the Great Spirit, who is One.
 2 Black Elk emphasized that this should not only be taken as an event in
time, but also as an eternal truth. "Any man," he said, "who is attached to the
senses and to the things of this world, is one who lives in ignorance and is
being consumed by the snakes which represent his own passions."
3 The Sioux ceremonial lodge is constructed with twenty-eight poles. One of
these poles is the "key," holding up all the others, and this pole the holy men
say represents Wakan-Tanka, who sustains the universe, which is represented
by the lodge as a whole.

 Page 5
tance approaching them in a beautiful manner, and then suddenly she
entered the lodge, walked around sun-wise,4 and stood in front of
Standing Hollow Horn.5 She took from her back the bundle, and
holding it with both hands in front of the chief, said: "Behold this and
always love it! It is lela wakan [very sacred], and you must treat it as
such. No impure man should ever be allowed to see it, for within this
bundle there is a sacred pipe. With this you will, during the winters to
come, send your voices to Wakan-Tanka, your Father and
Grandfather."6
After the mysterious woman said this, she took from the bundle a
pipe, and also a small round stone which she placed upon the ground.
Holding the pipe up with its stem to the heavens, she said: "With this
sacred pipe you will walk upon the Earth; for the
4 The sun-wise or clockwise circumambulation is almost always used by
the Sioux; occasionally, however, the counter-clockwise movement is used
in a dance or some occasion prior to or after a great catastrophe, for this
movement is in imitation of the Thunder-beings who always act in an anti-
natural way and who come in a terrifying manner, often bringing
destruction.
The reason for the sun-wise circumambulation was once explained by Black
Elk in this manner: "Is not the south the source of life, and does not the
flowering stick truly come from there? And does not man advance from there
toward the setting sun of his life? Then does he not approach the colder north
where the white hairs are? And does he not then arrive, if he lives, at the
source of light and understanding, which is the east? Then does he not return
to where he began, to his second childhood, there to give back his life to all
life, and his flesh to the earth whence it came? The more you think about this,
the more meaning you will see in it." (Black Elk Speaks, recorded by John G.
Neihardt).
5 Standing Hollow Horn, as leader of his people, should be seated at the west,
the place of honor; for in sitting at the west of a tipi, one faces the door, or
east, from which comes the light, representing wisdom, and this illumination
 a leader must always possess if he is to guide his people in a sacred manner.
6Wakan-Tanka as Grandfather is the Great Spirit independent of
manifestation, unqualified, unlimited, identical to the Christian Godhead, or
to the Hindu Brahma-Nirguna. Wakan-Tanka as Father is the Great Spirit
considered in relation to His manifestation, either as Creator, Preserver, or
Destroyer, identical to the Christian God, or to the Hindu Brahma-Saguna.

 Page 6
Earth is your Grandmother and Mother,7 and She is sacred. Every step
that is taken upon Her should be as a prayer. The bowl of this pipe is
of red stone; it is the Earth. Carved in the stone and facing the center
is this buffalo calf who represents all the four-leggeds8 who live upon
your Mother. The stem of the pipe is of wood, and this represents all
that grows upon the Earth. And these twelve feathers which hang here
where the stem fits into the bowl are from Wanbli Galeshka, the
Spotted Eagle,9 and they represent the eagle and all the wingeds of the
air. All these peoples, and all the things of the universe, are joined to
you who smoke the pipeall send their voices to Wakan-Tanka, the
Great Spirit.
7 As in the distinction made within Wakan-Tanka between Grandfather
and Father, so the Earth is considered under two aspects, that of Mother
and Grandmother. The former is the earth considered as the producer of all
growing forms, in act; whereas Grandmother refers to the ground or
substance of all growing thingspotentiality. This distinction is the same as
that made by the Christian Scholastics between natura naturans and
natura naturata.
8 The buffalo was to the Sioux the most important of all four-legged animals,
for it supplied their food, their clothing, and even their houses, which were
made from the tanned hides. Because the buffalo contained all these things
within himself, and for many other reasons, he was a natural symbol of the
universe, the totality of all manifested forms. Everything is symbolically
contained within this animal: the earth and all that grows from her, all
animals, and even the two-legged peoples; and each specific part of the beast
represents for the Indian, one of these "parts" of creation. Also the buffalo has
four legs, and these represent the four ages which are an integral condition of
creation.
9 Since Wanbli Galeshka (the Spotted Eagle) flies the highest of all created
creatures and sees everything, he is regarded as Wakan-Tanka under certain
aspects. He is a solar bird, His feathers being regarded as rays of the sun, and
when one is carried or worn by the Indian it represents, or rather is, the "Real
Presence." In wearing the eagle-feathered "war-bonnet," the wearer actually
 becomes the eagle, which is to say that he identifies himself, his real Self,
with Wakan-Tanka.
The Spotted Eagle corresponds exactly, in the Hindu tradition, to the Buddhi,
which is the Intellect, or the formless and transcendant principle of all
manifestation; further, the Buddhi is often expressed as being a ray directly
emanating from the Atma, the spiritual sun.
From this it should be clear what is really being expressed in the often
misunderstood Ghost Dance song: "Wanbli galeshka wana ni he o who e,"
"The Spotted Eagle is coming to carry me away."

 Page 7
When you pray with this pipe, you pray for and with everything.''
The wakan woman then touched the foot of the pipe to the round
stone which lay upon the ground, and said: "With this pipe you will be
bound to all your relatives: your Grandfather and Father, your
Grandmother and Mother. This round rock, which is made of the same
red stone as the bowl of the pipe, your Father Wakan-Tanka has also
given to you. It is the Earth, your Grandmother and Mother, and it is
where you will live and increase. This Earth which He has given to
you is red, and the two-leggeds who live upon the Earth are red; and
the Great Spirit has also given to you a red day, and a red road.10 All
of this is sacred and so do not forget! Every dawn as it comes is a holy
event, and every day is holy, for the light comes from your Father
Wakan-Tanka; and also you must always remember that the two-
leggeds and all the other peoples who stand upon this earth are sacred
and should be treated as such.
"From this time on, the holy pipe will stand upon this red Earth, and
the two-leggeds will take the pipe and will send their voices to
Wakan-Tanka. These seven circles11 which you see on the stone have
much meaning, for they represent the seven rites in which the pipe
will be used. The first large circle represents the first rite which I shall
give to you, and the other six circles represent the rites which will in
time be revealed to you directly.12 Stand-
10 The "red road" is that which runs north and south and is the good or
straight way, for to the Sioux the north is purity and the south is the source
of life. This "red road" is thus similar to the Christian "straight and narrow
way"; it is the vertical of the cross, or the ec-cirata el-mustaqim of the
Islamic tradition.
On the other hand, there is the "blue" or "black road" of the Sioux, which
runs east and west and which is the path of error and destruction. He who
travels on this path is, Black Elk has said, "one who is distracted, who is
ruled by his senses, and who lives for himself rather than for his people."
 11 The seven circles are arranged in this manner:

12 According to Black Elk, two of these rites were known to the Sioux prior
to the coming of the sacred Woman; these were the purification rites of the
sweat lodge, and the Hanblecheyapi (crying for a vision); the ritual of the
pipe was, however, now added to both of these.

 Page 8
ing Hollow Horn, be good to these gifts and to your people, for they
are wakan! With this pipe the two-leggeds will increase, and there will
come to them all that is good. From above Wakan-Tanka has given to
you this sacred pipe, so that through it you may have knowledge. For
this great gift you should always be grateful! But now before I leave I
wish to give to you instructions for the first rite in which your people
will use this pipe.
"It should be for you a sacred day when one of your people dies. You
must then keep his soul13 as I shall teach you, and through this you
will gain much power; for if this soul is kept, it will increase in you
your concern and love for your neighbor. So long as the person, in his
soul, is kept with your people, through him you will be able to send
your voice to Wakan-Tanka.14
"It should also be a sacred day when a soul is released and returns to
its home, Wakan-Tanka, for on this day four women will be made
holy, and they will in time bear children who will walk the path of life
in a sacred manner, setting an example to your people. Behold Me, for
it is I that they will take in their mouths, and it is through this that they
will become wakan.
"He who keeps the soul of a person must be a good and pure
13 In translating the Lakota word wanagi, I have used the term "soul" in
preference to "spirit," which has been used by many ethnologists; I believe
this term, understood in its scholastic Christian sense, to be more accurate,
for what is kept and purified in this rite is really the totality of the psychic
entities of the being, which, although localized within a particular gross
form (usually the lock of hair), are really of a subtle nature, intermediate
between the gross body and the pure spirit. At the same time it should
always be remembered that it is the pure spirit, which is the presence of
Wakan-Tanka, which is at the "center" of both the subtle and gross entities.
The soul is thus kept in the manner to be described so that there may be a
prolongation of the individual state and, thus, that the subtle or psychic
 part of the being may be purified, so that a virtual liberation will be
achieved. This corresponds very closely to the Christian state of Purgatory.
For further explanation of this important question, see René Guénon, Man
and His Becoming (London, 1945).
14 "It is good," Black Elk has said, "to have a reminder of death before us,
for it helps us to understand the impermanence of life on this earth, and this
understanding may aid us in preparing for our own death. He who is well
prepared is he who knows that he is nothing compared with Wakan-Tanka,
who is everything; then he knows that world which is real."

 Page 9
man, and he should use the pipe so that all the people, with the soul,
will together send their voices to Wakan-Tanka. The fruit of your
Mother the Earth and the fruit of all that bears will be blessed in this
manner, and your people will then walk the path of life in a sacred
way. Do not forget that Wakan-Tanka has given you seven days in
which to send your voices to Him. So long as you remember this you
will live; the rest you will know from Wakan-Tanka directly."
The sacred woman then started to leave the lodge, but turning again to
Standing Hollow Horn, she said: "Behold this pipe! Always remember
how sacred it is, and treat it as such, for it will take you to the end.
Remember, in me there are four ages.15 I am leaving now, but I shall
look back upon your people in every age, and at the end I shall
return."
Moving around the lodge in a sun-wise manner, the mysterious
woman left, but after walking a short distance she looked back
towards the people and sat down. When she rose the people were
amazed to see that she had become a young red and brown buffalo
calf. Then this calf walked farther, lay down, and rolled, looking back
at the people, and when she got up she was a white buffalo. Again the
white buffalo walked farther and rolled on the ground, becoming now
a black buffalo. This buffalo then walked farther away from the
people, stopped, and after bowing to each of the four quarters of the
universe, disappeared over the hill.
15 According to Siouan mythology, it is believed that at the beginning of
the cycle a buffalo was placed at the west in order to hold back the waters.
Every year this buffalo loses one hair, and every age he loses one leg.
When all his hair and all four legs are gone, then the waters rush in once
again, and the cycle comes to an end.
A striking parallel to this myth is found in the Hindu tradition, where it is the
Bull Dharma (the divine law) who has four legs, each of which represents an
age of the total cycle. During the course of these four ages (yugas) true
 spirituality becomes increasingly obscured, until the cycle (manvantara)
closes with a catastrophe, after which the primordial spirituality is restored,
and the cycle begins once again.
It is believed by both the American Indian and the Hindu that at the present
time the buffalo or bull is on his last leg, and he is very nearly bald.
Corresponding beliefs could be cited from many other traditions. See René
Guénon, The Crisis of the Modern World (London, 1942).

 Page 10

Chapter II
The Keeping of the Soul
I
It is through this rite that we purify the souls of our dead, and that our
love for one another is increased.1 The four pure women who eat the
sacred part of the buffalo,2 as I shall describe, must always remember
that their children will be wakan and thus should be raised in a sacred
manner. The mother should sacrifice every-
1 By an extraordinary act of either ignorance or ill will, this rite for the
"keeping of the soul" was prohibited by the government in 1890, and it
was even required that on a certain day, established by law, all souls kept
by the Sioux must be released. For a description of this rite as performed
in 1882, see Alice C. Fletcher, "The Shadow or Ghost Lodge," Annual
Report of the Peabody Museum, Vol. III, Nos. 3, 4 (1884).
2 The bison, which represents the universe, contains all things; but that part
which represents mankind, and especially the holy White Buffalo Woman, is
a certain meat from the shoulder of the animal. This meat is regarded by the
 Sioux in much the same way as is the holy Eucharist by the Christian.

 Page 11
thing for her children, and must develop in herself and in her children
a great love for Wakan-Tanka, for in time these children will become
holy people and leaders of the nation and will have the power to make
others wakan. At first we kept only the souls of a few of our great
leaders, but later we kept the souls of almost all good people.
By keeping a soul according to the proper rites, as given to us by the
White Buffalo Cow Woman [known also as White Buffalo Maiden],
one so purifies it that it and the Spirit become one, and it is thus able
to return to the "place" where it was bornWakan-Tankaand need not
wander about the earth as is the case with the souls of bad people;
further, the keeping of a soul helps us to remember death and also
Wakan-Tanka, who is above all dying.
Whenever a soul is kept, many of the nation go to its tipi to pray, and
on the day that the soul is released all the people gather and send their
voices to Wakan-Tanka through the soul which is to travel upon His
sacred path. But now I shall explain to you how this rite was first done
by our people.
One of the great-great-grandchildren of Standing Hollow Horn had a
child whom the parents loved very much; but it happened that one day
this child died, which made the father very sad, and so he went and
spoke to the keeper of the sacred pipe, who was at that time High
Hollow Horn.
"We have been instructed by the sacred woman in the use of the pipe
and in the keeping of the soul of a person who has died. Now I am
very sad because I have lost my loved son, but I wish to keep his soul
as we have been taught, and, since you are the keeper of the sacred
pipe, I wish you to instruct me!"
"How! Hechetu alo! It is good!" High Hollow Horn said, and they
then went to the place where the child lay, and where the women were
crying very bitterly. As they approached, the crying stopped; and
going to where the child lay, High Hollow Horn spoke.
"This boy seems to be dead, yet he is not really, for we shall keep his
soul among our people, and through this our children and the children
of their children will become wakan. We shall

 Page 12
now do as we were taught by the sacred woman and by the pipe. It is
the wish of Wakan-Tanka that this be done."
A lock of the child's hair was then taken, and as High Hollow Horn
did this he prayed.
"O Wakan-Tanka behold us! It is the first time that we do Thy will in
this way, as You have taught us through the sacred woman. We will
keep the soul of this child so that our Mother the Earth will bear fruit,
and so that our children will walk the path of life in a sacred manner."
High Hollow Horn then prepared to purify the child's lock of hair; a
glowing coal was brought in, and a pinch of sweet grass was placed
upon it.
"O Wakan-Tanka," High Hollow Horn prayed, "this smoke from the
sweet grass will rise up to You, and will spread throughout the
universe; its fragrance will be known by the wingeds, the four-
leggeds, and the two-leggeds, for we understand that we are all
relatives; may all our brothers be tame and not fear us!"
High Hollow Horn took up the lock of hair, and holding it over the
smoke, made a motion with it to Heaven, to Earth, and to the four
quarters of the universe; then he spoke to the soul within the hair.
"Behold O soul! Where you dwell upon this earth will be a sacred
place; this center will cause the people to be as wakan as you are. Our
grandchildren will now walk the path of life with pure hearts, and
with firm steps!"
After purifying the lock of hair in the smoke, High Hollow Horn
turned to the mother and father of the child, saying: "We shall gain
great knowledge from this soul which has here been purified. Be good
to it and love it, for it is wakan. We are now fulfilling the will of
Wakan-Tanka, as it was made known to us through the sacred woman;
for do you not remember as she was leaving how she turned back the
second time? This represents the keeping of the soul, which we are
now going to do. May this help us to remember that all the fruits of
the wingeds, the two-leggeds, and the four-leggeds, are really the gifts
of Wakan-Tanka. They are all wakan and should be treated as such!"

Black Elk, 1947 (Photograph by J. E. Brown)

 Black Elk. Photograph taken in France when he was
about 19 years old and was with the Buffalo Bill Show.
(Photograph from author's collection)

 Page 13
The lock of hair was wrapped in sacred buckskin, and this bundle was
placed at a special place in the tipi. Then High Hollow Horn took up
the pipe, and after holding it over the smoke, filled it carefully in a
ritual manner; pointing the stem towards heaven, he prayed.
''Our Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, You are everything, and yet above
everything! You are first. You have always been. This soul that we are
keeping will be at the center of the sacred hoop of this nation; through
this center our children will have strong hearts, and they will walk the
straight red path in a wakan manner.
"O Wakan-Tanka, You are the truth. The two-legged peoples who put
their mouths to this pipe will become the truth itself; there will be in
them nothing impure. Help us to walk the sacred path of life without
difficulty, with our minds and hearts continually fixed on You!"
The pipe was then lighted and smoked, and was passed sun-wise
around the circle. The whole world within the pipe was offered up to
Wakan-Tanka. When the pipe came back to High Hollow Horn, he
rubbed sweet grass over it on the west, north, east, and south sides, in
order to purify it lest any unworthy person might have touched it;
turning to the people, he then said: "My relatives, this pipe is wakan.
We all know that it cannot lie. No man who has within him any
untruth may touch it to his mouth. Further, my relatives, our Father,
Wakan-Tanka, has made His will known to us here on earth, and we
must always do that which He wishes if we would walk the sacred
path. This is the first time that we carry out this sacred rite of keeping
the soul, and it will be of great benefit to our children and to their
children's children! My relatives, Grandmother and Mother Earth, we
are of earth, and belong to You. O Mother Earth from whom we
receive our food, You care for our growth as do our own mothers.
Every step that we take upon You should be done in a sacred manner;
each step should be as a prayer. Remember this my relatives: that the
power of this pure soul will be with you as you walk, for it, too, is the
fruit of Mother Earth; it is as a seed, planted in your center, which will
in time grow in your hearts, and cause our generations to walk in a
wakan manner."

 Page 14
High Hollow Horn then lifted his hand and sent his voice to Wakan-
Tanka.3
"O Father and Grandfather Wakan-Tanka, You are the source and end
of everything. My Father Wakan-Tanka, You are the One who watches
over and sustains all life. O my Grandmother, You are the earthly
source of all existence! And Mother Earth, the fruits which You bear
are the source of life for the earth peoples. You are always watching
over Your fruits as does a mother. May the steps which we take in life
upon you be sacred and not weak!
"Help us O Wakan-Tanka to walk the red path with firm steps. May
we who are Your people stand in a wakan manner, pleasing to You!
Give to us strength which comes from an understanding of Your
powers! Because You have made Your will known to us, we will walk
the path of life in holiness, bearing the love and knowledge of You in
our hearts! For this and for everything we give thanks!"
A bundle was then made containing the body of the child, and the men
took this to a high place away from the camp and placed it upon a
scaffold set up in a tree.4 When they returned, High Hollow Horn
went into the tipi with the father of the child, in order to teach him
how he must prepare himself for the great duty which he would fulfill
and from which he would become a holy man.
"You are now keeping the soul of your own son," High Hollow Horn
said, "who is not dead, but is with you. From now on you must live in
a sacred manner, for your son will be in this tipi until his soul is
released. You should remember that the habits which you establish
during this period will remain with you always. You
3 "We raise our hands (when we pray) because we are wholly dependent
on the Great Spirit; it is His liberal hand that supplies all our wants. We
strike the ground afterward, because we are miserable beings, worms
 crawling before His face." (As said by a Blackfoot Sioux to Father De
Smet: Life, Letters, and Travels [New York, 1905], 253)
4 It is in this manner that the gross body is given back to the elements from
which it came; it is left exposed to the agents of heaven: the four winds, the
rains, the wingeds of the air, each of whichand with the Earthabsorbs a part.

 Page 15
must take great care that no bad person enters the lodge where you
keep the soul, and that there be no arguments or dissensions; there
should always be harmony in your lodge, for all these things have an
influence on the soul which is being purified here.
"Your hands are wakan; treat them as such! And your eyes are wakan;
when you see your relatives and all things, see them in a sacred
manner!5 Your mouth is wakan, and every word you say should
reflect this holy state in which you are now living. You should raise
your head often, looking up into the heavens. Whenever you eat of the
fruit of Mother Earth, feed likewise your son! If you do this and all
that I have taught you, Wakan-Tanka will be merciful to you. Every
day and night your son will be with you; look after his soul all the
time, for through this you will always remember Wakan-Tanka. From
this day on you will be wakan, and as I have taught you, so you too
will now be able to teach others. The sacred pipe will go a long way,
even to the end, and so will the soul of your son! It is indeed so,
Hetchetu welo!"
II
Before I tell you how the soul is released, I think I should explain
several of the other duties which the keeper of a soul should know and
should carry out.
He who keeps the soul of a person should never fight, or even use a
knife, no matter for what purpose. He must be in prayer all
5 The sacredness of relationship is one of the most important aspects of
Siouan culture; for since the whole of creation is essentially One, all parts
within the whole are related. Thus the Sioux refer to each other not by
their particular names, but by a term expressing their relationship, which is
determined by age levels rather than by blood ties. A young man thus
always addresses an older man or woman as "Ate" (Father), or "Ina"
(Mother), or if they are much older by: "Tunkashila" (Grandfather), or
 "Unchi" (Grandmother); and in turn the older address the younger as
"Son'' or ''Daughter," "Grandson" or "Granddaughter."
For the Sioux, all relationships on earth are symbolic of the true and great
relationship which always exists between man and the Great Spirit, or
between man and Earth understood in its principle. In using these terms, the
Sioux thus really invoke or recall the principle, and the individualor really
any particular thingis for them only a dim reflection of this principle.

 Page 16
the time, and he must be an example to his people in everything. The
people should love and honor this holy man, frequently bringing food
and gifts to him, and the keeper of the soul should in turn offer up his
pipe very often to Wakan-Tanka for the good of the nation.
When a party of warriors go on a hunt, the holy keeper of the soul
should go with them, but while the others hunt, he should sit alone on
a hill and with his pipe he should send his voice to the powers above
for the good of the hunt and for the good of all the people. Then when
a buffalo cow has been killed near the keeper, she belongs to him, and
he should go and sit near her; then he should fill his pipe, by first
offering pinches of kinnikinnik6 to the winged powers of the west,
north, east, south, Mother Earth, and finally the last he should hold up,
offering it to Wakan-Tanka in whom are all the powers. When the pipe
has been filled in this manner, he should then point its stem towards
the nose of the buffalo cow, and he should pray in this manner: "O
Wakan-Tanka, You have taught us Your will through a four-legged
one, so that Your people may walk the sacred path, and that our
children, and our children's children, will be blessed. I am offering
this pipe to You before all else, for You are always first, and then I
offer it to Tatanka the buffalo.
"You O Tatanka have four ages, and the last time that you looked back
upon us we saw that you are the fruit of our Mother Earth from whom
we live. You will thus be the first to be placed at the center of our
nation's hoop, for you strengthen our bodies and also our spirits when
we treat you in a wakan manner. You have made known to us the will
of Wakan-Tanka, so that now there is a holy soul at the center of our
hoop. You will be at our center with this soul, and there you will give
happiness to your people. Go now forward to the center of the
people's hoop!"
6Kinnikinnik, often called chanshasha, is an ingredient of the tobacco of
 the Sioux; it is the dried inner bark of the red alder or the red dogwood
(Cornus stolonifera). This is rarely smoked alone because of its bitterness;
there is usually added to it an equal part of the Ree twist tobacco and also
a small portion of some fragrant root or herb, often the Sweet Ann root.
These ingredients are always mixed in a ritual manner.

 Page 17
Men who have been instructed by the keeper of the soul then butcher
the wakan buffalo cow, saying appropriate prayers for every part. The
meat taken from the shoulder represents the two-legged peoples, but
especially the holy woman who brought the pipe to us; it is thus lela
wakan, and is always treated with great respect. The keeper of the soul
is not able to do any of the butchering since he can touch neither knife
nor blood, as I have already mentioned; but he was able to take this
wakan meat back to camp on his horse along with the buffalo hide, for
this too is wakan and will be used for a special purpose. Their arrival
at camp is announced by a crier, and the meat is then taken to the tipi
of the keeper of the soul. At this moment one of the helpers within the
lodge should speak to the soul.
"Grandson, the chosen food will rest at the center of this lodge, your
home. It will be of great benefit to the people! Hetchetu welo!"
Within the tipi where a soul is kept, there should always be a woman
who has been chosen to care for the sacred bundle; the first woman to
fulfill this sacred duty was Red Day Woman. This holy person would
sun-dry the wakan meat, and this would later be made into wasna,
which is the dried meat (papa), pounded together with wild cherries
and mixed with tallow taken from the bones of the buffalo. This
sacred food is kept in a specially painted buffalo-hide box, and is
saved for the day when the soul is released.
On good days the soul-bundle should be taken outside, and should be
hung on a tripod, facing the south.7 On these days the people often
come to bring gifts to the soul, and to pray before it, thus gaining
much benefit. These gifts also are kept in a specially
7 The three feet of the tripod are oriented to the west, north, and east; it is
thus left open to the south, which is, for the Sioux, the direction towards
which the souls of the dead go. The sacred bundle is tied on the south side,
just below the place where the three sticks intersect. This central point of
 intersection represents Wakan-Tanka towards whom the soul will soon
depart, and from this point there hangs a thong which just touches the
ground, representing the way leading from the earth to Wakan-Tanka. It is
upon this way that the soul is now traveling, and the position of the bundle
indicates that the journey has nearly been completed.

 Page 18
painted box, and they are later given away to the poor and needy.
After the buffalo robe has been tanned in a ritual manner, it is painted
and is again purified over the smoke of the sweet grass. The keeper of
the soul should then point this robe to the four quarters of the
universe, and say: "O you soul, my grandson, stand firmly on this
earth and look about you; look to the heavens, to the four quarters of
the universe, and look upon your Mother the Earth! And you, O
buffalo who are really here in this hide, you have come to our people
to do them a great service; now you are to unite with this soul. You
will both be at the center of the nation's hoop, and will represent the
oneness of the people. By placing this robe over you, O soul, I am
placing it over all the people as one."
When the sacred bundle is hanging from the tripod outside the lodge,
this buffalo robe is placed over it with its hair on the outside, and on
top of the tripod there should be placed a war bonnet, made from the
feathers of Wanbli Galeshka, the Spotted Eagle.
Although the helpers are allowed to handle the equipment, only the
holy keeper may touch the sacred bundle. This bundle he always
carries against the heart, in the crook of the left arm, for this is the arm
that is nearest to the heart, and whenever the bundle is taken back into
the tipi it should be offered first to Heaven, then to Earth, and to the
four directions of the universe.
Before the rites for the releasing of the soul can be made, many things
must be gathered together, and for poor people this may take several
years, but the usual length of time for keeping a soul is one year.
Should the keeper die before the soul is released, then his wife keeps
the soul, and also the soul of her husband; and should the wife die
also, then the helpers keep all three souls, and this would of course be
a very great and sacred responsibility.


 Page 19
Before the soul of the child is released, all the people gather together,
for everybody participates in this great rite, which can best be called
The Making of Sacredness. As this time approaches, all the men go
hunting for the buffalo, and when many are killed the bones are
cracked and boiled, and from this tallow wasna is made. The women
dry the best part of the meat, which is then called papa, and all this is
contributed to the rites.
After first consulting with the other holy men of the band, the keeper
of the soulwho was for this first rite a relative of Standing Hollow
Hornappoints the special day, and when this times arrives, the helpers
make a large ceremonial lodge from several small tipis and cover the
earth inside with sacred sage.
The helper of the keeper of the soul then takes a pipe, and holding it
up to the heavens, he cries: "Behold, O Wakan-Tanka! We are now
about to do Thy will. With all the sacred beings of the universe, we
offer to You this pipe!"
The helper then takes a pinch of the sacred tobacco kinnikinnik, and
holding it and the stem of the pipe towards the west, he cries: "With
this wakan tobacco, we place You in the pipe, O winged Power of the
west. We are about to send our voices to Wakan-Tanka, and we wish
You to help us!
"This day is wakan because a soul is to be released. All over the
universe there will be happiness and rejoicing! O You sacred Power of
the place where the sun goes down, it is a great thing we are doing in
placing You in the pipe. Give to us for our rites one of the two sacred
red and blue days which You control!"8
This Power of the west, now in the tobacco, is placed in the
8 The term "red and blue days" is really far more than a wish for good
weather, for the Sioux believe that these are the days at the end of the
 world when the moon will turn red and the sun will turn blue. But since for
the traditional man everything in the macrocosm has its counterpart in the
microcosm, there may also be an end of the world for the individual here
and now, whenever he receives illumination or wisdom from Wakan-
Tanka, so that his ego or ignorance dies, and he then lives continually in
the Spirit.

 Page 20
pipe, and holding another pinch of kinnikinnik towards the north, the
helper prays.
"O You, Thunder-being, there where Waziah has his lodge, who
comes with the purifying winds, and who guards the health of the
people; O Baldheaded Eagle of the north, Your wings never tire!
There is a place for You too in this pipe, which will be offered to
Wakan-Tanka. Help us, and give to us one of Your two sacred days!"
Then holding another pinch of kinnikinnik to the east, the helper
continues to pray.
"O You sacred Being of the place where the sun comes up, who
controls knowledge! Yours is the path of the rising sun which brings
light into the world. Your name is Huntka, for You have wisdom and
are long-winged. There is a place for You in the pipe; help us in
sending our voice to Wakan-Tanka! Give to us Your sacred days!"
This Power of the east is placed in the pipe, and then another pinch of
kinnikinnik is held towards the south, with the prayer: "O You who
guard that path leading to the place towards which we always face,
and upon which our generations walk, we are placing You in this
sacred pipe! You control our life, and the lives of all the peoples of the
universe. Everything that moves and all that is will send a voice to
Wakan-Tanka. We have a place for You in the pipe; help us in sending
our voice, and give to us one of Your good days! This we ask of You,
O White Swan, there where we always face."
The stem of the pipe and a pinch of kinnikinnik are then held towards
the earth.
"O You, sacred Earth, from whence we have come, You are humble,
nourishing all things; we know that You are wakan and that with You
we are all as relatives. Grandmother and Mother Earth who bear fruit,
for You there is a place in this pipe. O Mother, may Your people walk
the path of life, facing the strong winds! May we walk firmly upon
You! May our steps not falter! We and all who move upon You are
sending our voices to Wakan-Tanka! Help us! All together as one we
cry: help us!"

 Page 21
When the pipe has thus been filled with all the Powers and with all
that there is in the universe,9 it is given to the keeper of
9 In filling a pipe, all space (represented by the offerings to the powers of
the six directions) and all things (represented by the grains of tobacco) are
contracted within a single point (the bowl or heart of the pipe), so that the
pipe contains, or really is, the universe. But since the pipe is the universe,
it is also man, and the one who fills a pipe should identify himself with it,
thus not only establishing the center of the universe, but also his own
center; he so "expands" that the six directions of space are actually brought
within himself. It is by this "expansion" that a man ceases to be a part, a
fragment, and becomes whole or holy; he shatters the illusion of
separateness.
In order to make clear this identity for the Indian of the body of man with the
pipe, I quote the following text of the Osage Indians:
These people had a pipe,
Which they made to be their body.
O Hon-ga, I have a pipe that I have made to be my body;
If you also make it to be your body,
You shall have a body that is free from all causes of death.
Behold the joint of the neck, they said,
That I have made to be the joint of my own neck.
Behold the mouth of the pipe,
That I have made to be my mouth.
Behold the right side of the pipe,
That I have made to be the right side of my body.
Behold the spine of the pipe,
That I have made to be my own spine.
Behold the left side of the pipe,
That I have made to be the left side of my own body.
Behold the hollow of the pipe,
 That I have made to be the hollow of my own body.
Behold the thong that holds together the pipe and stem;
That I have made to be my windpipe.
. . . use the pipe as an offering in your supplications,
Your prayers shall be readily granted.
(Francis La Flesche, "War Ceremony and Peace Ceremony of the Osage
Indians," Bulletin No. 101 of the Bureau of American Ethnology [Washington,
D. C., 1939], 62, 63)

 Page 22
the soul, who takes it and, crying as he walks, goes to the tipi of the
keeper of the most sacred pipe, who was, for this first rite, High
Hollow Horn. Entering the tipi, and holding out the pipe with its stem
pointing towards the south, he places it in the hands of the keeper of
the pipe.
"Hi Ho! Hi Ho! Thanks!" the holy man says as he takes the pipe, "this
pipe which you have brought to me is really as sacred as the original
pipe which was given to us by the White Buffalo Cow Woman.
Indeed, to one who understands they are really the same. But this pipe
which you have now brought is especially sacred, for I see that there
has been placed within it the whole universe. What is it that you
wish?"
"We wish you to smoke this pipe and then to lead the rites for
releasing the soul of my young son. We wish you to bring with you
the original wakan pipe which you are keeping."
"How, hetchetu welo," the holy man replied, "I will come!" He then
offers the pipe which has been brought to him to the heavens, to the
earth, to the four quarters; then he smokes it. When finished, he
carefully saves the ashes, for they too are very wakan.
The two men return to the lodge where all has been made ready for
the great rite. Entering, they walk around sun-wise and sit at the west
of the lodge, opposite the door. The wife of the keeper of the soul then
goes to her tipi, crying as she walks, picks up the sacred bundle, and
returns to the lodge, where she stands in front of the keeper of the
sacred pipe, placing the bundle in his two outstretched hands.
"Thanks, thanks!" the holy keeper says, and then he speaks to the soul
within the bundle:
"You, O soul, were with your people, but soon you will leave. Today
is your day, and it is wakan. Today your Father, Wakan-Tanka, is
bending down to see you; all your people have arrived to be with you.
All your relatives love you, and have taken good care of you. You and
the holy woman of the four ages, who brought to us the sacred pipe,
are now together here in this lodge; this robe here, which represents
the sacred woman and which has covered you, will cover all your
people! The sacred pipe which she brought

 Page 23
to us has made the people happy. Behold! This is the sacred day!
Hetchetu welo!"
A round circle is scraped on the ground to represent a buffalo wallow,
and on this the sacred bundle is placed. Another round place is then
made from the earth taken from the wallow, upon which a cross is
drawn from west to east and from north to south. The pipe is placed
upon this cross, with its stem to the west and the bowl at the east.
Then the sacred bundle is placed beside the pipe, at the bottom of the
good red road, for this is the place to which the soul will soon journey.
One of the helpers then goes to the fire at the center of the tipi and,
with a split stick, picks up a glowing coal and places it in front of the
keeper of the pipe.10 The keeper then holds the pipe in his left hand,
and, taking up a pinch of a sacred herb in his right hand, he holds it up
towards the heavens and lowers it slowly to the coal, stopping four
times and praying: "O Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, on this sacred day
of Yours, I send to You this fragrance, which will reach to the heavens
above. Within this herb, there is the earth, this great island; within it is
my Grandmother, my Mother, and all the four-leggeds, the wingeds,
and the two-legged peoples, who are all walking in a wakan manner.
The fragrance of this herb will cover the entire universe. O Wakan-
Tanka, be merciful to all!"
The bowl of the pipe is placed over the smoke, in such a way that this
smoke passes through the pipe, coming out the end of the stem which
is held towards the heaven. In this manner, Wakan-Tanka is the first to
smoke, and by this act the pipe is purified. As he does this, the
"keeper of the pipe" prays.
10 Since, for the Sioux, every tipi is the world in an image, the fire at the
center represents Wakan-Tanka within the world. To emphasize the
sacredness of this central fire, it should be recalled that, when the Sioux
were still nomadic, a man was appointed to be the keeper of the fire, and
 he would usually have his tipi at the center of the camping circle. When
camp was moved, this keeper would carry the fire in a small log, and when
camp was set up again, each lodge would start its fire from this central
source. The fire was extinguished and a new one started, always in a ritual
manner, only after there had been some great catastrophe, or when a
complete purification was needed for the whole camp.

 Page 24
"O Wakan-Tanka, behold the pipe! The smoke from this herb will
cover everything upon earth, and will reach even to the heavens. May
the way of Thy people be as this smoke. We have offered this pipe to
You, and now I place within its bowl the sacred kinnikinnik. You have
taught us that the round bowl of the pipe is the very center of the
universe and the heart of man! O Wakan-Tanka, bend down to look
upon us today; look upon Thy pipe with which we are about to send a
voice, along with the winged peoples, the four-leggeds, and all the
fruits of our Mother Earth. All that You have made will join with us in
sending this voice!"
As he fills the pipe, the holy keeper makes the ritual offerings of
tobacco to the six directions, with the following prayers: "O You,
winged Power, there where the sun goes down, You are wakan! With
You and through You we send a voice to Wakan-Tanka before
releasing this soul. There is a place for You in this pipe. Help us! Give
to our people Your red and blue days, that they may walk the sacred
path of life in a wakan manner!
"O winged Power of the place where Waziah lives [the north]! purifier
of the earth, of the two-leggeds, and of all that is unclean, with the
soul of a two-legged person we are about to send a voice through You
to Wakan-Tanka. There is a place for You in the pipe, and so help us in
sending this voice! Give to us the two sacred days which You have!
"O You, winged One, of the place from whence the sun comes! You
who are long-winged, and who controls knowledge, the Light of the
universe, we are about to send a voice to Wakan-Tanka with this soul
who has been with his people. You also have the two great red and
blue days; give these to us, and help us in sending a voice!
"O You, sacred White Swan, of the place towards which we always
face, You control the red path leading there where Waziah has his
lodge. You guide all the four-legged and two-legged people who
travel upon this sacred road. We are about to release a soul who is to
travel upon Your path; through this soul we are sending a voice to
Wakan-Tanka! Help us to send this voice, and give to us Your two
sacred days!

 Page 25
''O You, Spotted Eagle, who are next to the heavens, close to Wakan-
Tanka! Your wings are powerful. You are the one who takes care of
our nation's sacred hoop and all that is within this circle. May all the
people be happy and have many blessings! We are about to release a
soul who will go on a long journey, in order that the steps of its
generations to come will be wakan. There is a place for You in the
pipe! Help us to send our voice to Wakan-Tanka, and give us the
sacred red and blue days which are Yours!
''O Wakan-Tanka, we are about to offer to You this pipe. Look down
upon us and upon our Grandmother and Mother Earth. Everything is
wakan that is on our Mother, the earthly source of all life. The steps of
our people are upon Her. May they be firm and strong! From You,
Grandmother Earth, a soul is to be released. There is a place in this
pipe for You, and for all Your sacred things and peoples! All together
as one we send our voice to Wakan-Tanka. Help us to walk in a wakan
manner pleasing to You! Give to us the sacred red and blue days
which You control!"
In this manner, the whole universe was placed in the pipe, and then,
turning to the people, the keeper of the pipe says: "Since we have
done all this correctly, the soul should have a good journey, and it will
help our people to increase and to walk the sacred path in a manner
pleasing to Wakan-Tanka."
And then to the soul he says: "O you soul, my grandchild, you are the
root of this great rite; from you there will grow much that is wakan.
Through this rite our people will learn to be generous, to help those in
need, and to follow in every way the teachings of Wakan-Tanka. O
soul, this is your day. The time has now come!
"There will be four virgins who will always carry with them the power
of these rites. You, O soul, will cover them over with your sacred
buffalo robe. This is your day; it is one of joy, for much Light has
come to our people. All that has been with you in the past is here with
you today. Your relatives have arrived with food, which will be
purified, offered to you, and then given to the four virgins; after this it
will be shared with the poor and unfortunate ones. But now the time
has come for us to offer up this pipe

 Page 26
to Wakan-Tanka, and then to smoke it.11 We offer to Him everything
that is in the universe; we send our voices to Him through this pipe.
Hetchetu welo!
"Hee-ay-hay-ee-ee! [four times] Tunkashila Wakan-Tanka,
Grandfather, Great Spirit, look down upon us! This is the wakan day
for this soul. May he help the coming generations to walk in a sacred
manner! We are offering this pipe to You, O Wakan-Tanka, and ask
You to help this soul, his relatives, and all the people! Behold the
pipe, and bend down to look upon us as we fulfill Thy will! From this
earth we are sending a voice to You! Be merciful to us, and to this
soul who will be released from the center of his people's hoop! O
Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, be merciful to us, that our people may
live!"
To this all the people say: "Hi yee! Thanks! So be it!" and then the
keeper lights the pipe, smokes it for a few puffs, and hands it to the
keeper of the soul, who offers it to heaven, earth, and the four
directions. After smoking it a little, he passes it around sun-wise, that
all the people may smoke. As each man smokes, he asks some
blessing, and when the pipe comes back to the keeper of the pipe, it is
purified, and the ashes are carefully placed in a special buckskin bag.
After the pipe has been offered up to Wakan-Tanka, the keeper begins
to cry, and soon all the people are crying.
I should, perhaps, explain to you here, that it is good to cry at this
moment, for it shows that we are thinking of the soul and of death,
which must come to all created beings and things; and it is also a sign
that we are humiliating ourselves before the Great Spirit, for we know
that we are as dust before Him, who is everything, and who is all
powerful.
11 It should be noticed that in the complete ritual of the pipe, there are
 three distinct phases: the purification with the smoke of a sacred herb; the
"expansion" of the pipe so that it includes the entire universe; and finally,
what could be called the "identity," which is the sacrifice of the whole
universe in the fire.
These three phases of the rite are common, in one form or another, to all
traditional or orthodox methods of prayer, and they always constitute the
prerequisite stages for a true spiritual realization. See Frithjof Schuon, L'Oeil
du Coeur (Paris, 1950); especially the chapter "De la Meditation."

 Page 27
All the food that is to be given to the soul is placed outside the lodge;
this food the women pick up and enter the lodge. Within the lodge, on
the south side, a willow post will have been set up, as high as a man,
and around the top of it a piece of buckskin is tied, upon which a face
has been painted. On top of this face there is a war bonnet, and around
the post there has been placed a buffalo robe. This figure represents
the soul, and leaning against him are his bows and arrows, knives, and
all his possessions. As the women enter with the food, they pass
around the lodge sun-wise. Stopping at the south, they each hug the
"soul post"; then, after leaving their food, they walk out of the lodge.
A small bit of each food that has been brought for the soul is put into a
wooden bowl, and this is placed in front of the two holy men who are
seated at the west. Four pure virgins then enter and take their places at
the north of the lodge, for the Power of this direction is purity. The
keeper of the pipe then stands and speaks to the soul.
"You, O soul, are the hokshichankiya [spiritual influence, or seed]!
You are as the root of the wakan tree which is at the center of our
nation's hoop. May this tree bloom! May our people and the winged
and the four-legged peoples all flourish! O soul, your relatives have
brought you this food which you will soon eat, and, by this act,
goodness will spread among the people. O soul, Wakan-Tanka has
given to you four relatives who are sitting there at the north; they
represent out true relatives: Grandfather and Father, Wakan-Tanka,
and Grandmother and Mother, Maka, the Earth. Remember these four
relatives, who are all really One, and, with Them in mind, look back
upon your people as you travel upon the great path!"
A small hole is dug at the foot of the "soul post," and the keeper of the
pipe holds the wooden bowl, in which is the purified food, towards the
hole, saying to the soul: "You are about to eat this wakan food. When
it is placed in your mouth its influence will spread, and it will cause
the fruits of our Mother, the Earth, to increase and prosper. Your
Grandmother is wakan; upon Her we stand as we place this food in
your mouth. Do not forget us

 Page 28
when you go forth to Wakan-Tanka, but look back upon us!"
The food is placed in the hole, and on top of it the juice of the wild
cherry is poured, for this juice is the water of Life. The hole is then
covered over with dirt, for the soul has finished its last meal.
The four virgins then prepare to eat the sacred buffalo meat and to
drink the cherry juice; but first the food is purified over the smoke of
the sweet grass, and then the keeper of the pipe speaks to the virgins,
saying: "Grandchildren, you are now to receive the hokshichankiya of
the soul; this will cause you and your fruits to be always wakan.
Grandchildren, remember to share your foodall you havefor in the
world there are always the needy, orphans, and old people. But above
all, my grandchildren, never forget your four great relatives, who are
represented by your relatives here on earth! You are now to eat and
drink the sacred fruit of Mother Earth, and through this you and your
fruits will be wakan. Always remember this my children!"
The keeper of pipe picks up the bowl of food, and each time that he
places food in the mouth of a virgin, he says: "I place this food in your
mouth. It is sweet and fragrantwakan! The people will see your
generations to come!"
The four virgins stoop and drink the juice of the wild cherry which is
in the wooden bowl on the ground, and when they have finished
eating and drinking, the keeper says to them: "Grandchildren, all that
we have done here today is lela wakan, for it has all been done
according to the instructions given to us by the holy woman, who was
also a buffalo, and who brought to us our most holy pipe. She told us
that she had four ages; you, too, grandchildren, have these ages.
Understand all this deeply, for it is important. It is a great thing we are
doing here today. It is so indeed! Hetchetu welo!"
The keeper of the pipe then walks around to the south and, picking up
the "soul bundle," says to it: "Grandchild, you are about to leave on a
great journey. Your father and mother and all your relatives have
loved you. Soon they will be happy."
The father of the child then embraces the sacred bundle, by

 Page 29
holding it to each shoulder, and after he has done this, the keeper says
to him: "You loved your son, and you have kept him at the center of
our people's hoop. As you have been good to this your loved one, so
be good to all other people! The sacred influence of your son's soul
will be upon the people; it is as a tree that will always bloom."
He then walks around to the north, and as he touches each virgin with
the sacred bundle, he says: "The tree which was selected to be at the
center of your sacred hoop is this! May it always flourish and bloom
in a wakan manner!" Then, holding the bundle up towards the
heavens, he cries: "Always look back upon your people, that they may
walk the sacred path with firm steps!"
This, the keeper cries four times as he walked towards the door of the
lodge, and, as he stops the fourth time just outside the door, he cries
with a very shrill voice: "Behold your people! Look back upon them!"
The moment the bundle passes out of the lodge,12 the soul is released;
it has departed on the "spirit trail" leading to Wakan-Tanka.13
Once the soul has left the bundle containing the lock of hair,
12 The significance of this ritual act will be clear if it is recalled that the
tipi is the universe, the cosmos; and the space outside the tipi is
symbolically the Infinite, or Wakan-Tanka.
It is in this same manner that the Plains Indians release the souls which they
have taken in the scalps of the enemy.
"The chief . . . looks upward through the opening in the roof, into the blue
sky above, then with a quick movement he thrusts the slender poles on which
are suspended scalps, through the opening to the sky and pulls them in again,
by which act the Spirits of the slain are released." (Francis La Flesche, "War
and Peace Ceremony of the Osage Indians," Bulletin No. 101 of the Bureau of
American Ethnology.)
13 It is held by the Sioux that the released soul travels southward along the
"Spirit Path" (the Milky Way) until it comes to a place where this way
 divides. Here an old woman, called Maya owichapaha, sits; "She who pushes
them over the bank," who judges the souls; the worthy ones she allows to
travel on the path which goes to the right, but the unworthy she "pushes over
the bank," to the left. Those who go to the right attain union with Wakan-
Tanka, but the ones who go to the left must remain in a conditioned state until
they become sufficiently purified.

 Page 30
it is no longer especially wakan, but it may be kept by the family, if
they wish, as something of a remembrance. The four holy virgins are
each given a buffalo robe, and then they leave the lodge immediately
after the keeper of the pipe.
With this, the rite is finished, and then the people all over the camp
are happy and rejoice, and they rush up to touch the four virgins who
are lela wakan, and who will always bear with them this great
influence, bringing great strength to the people. Gifts are given out to
the poor and unfortunate ones, and everywhere there is feasting and
rejoicing. It is indeed a good day. Hetchetu welo!

 Page 31

Chapter III
Inipi: The Rite of Purification
The rite of the onikare (sweat lodge) utilizes all the Powers of the
universe: earth, and the things which grow from the earth, water, fire,
and air. The water represents the Thunder-beings who come fearfully
but bring goodness, for the steam which comes from the rocks, within
which is the fire, is frightening, but it purifies us so that we may live
as Wakan-Tanka wills, and He may even send to us a vision if we
become very pure.
When we use the water in the sweat lodge we should think of Wakan-
Tanka who is always flowing, giving His power and life to everything;
we should even be as water which is lower than all things, yet stronger
even than the rocks.
The sweat lodge is made from twelve or sixteen young willows, and
these, too, have a lesson to teach us, for in the fall their leaves die and
return to the earth, but in the spring they come to


 Page 32
life again. So, too, men die but live again in the real world of Wakan-
Tanka, where there is nothing but the spirits of all things; and this true
life we may know here on earth if we purify our bodies and minds,
thus coming closer to Wakan-Tanka, who is all-purity.
The willows which make the frame of the sweat lodge are set up in
such a way that they mark the four quarters of the universe; thus, the
whole lodge is the universe in an image, and the two-legged, four-
legged, and winged peoples, and all things of the world are contained
within it, for all these peoples and things too must be purified before
they can send a voice to Wakan-Tanka.
The rocks which we use represent Grandmother Earth, from whom all
fruits come, and they also represent the indestructible and everlasting
nature of Wakan-Tanka. The fire which is used to heat the rocks
represents the great power of Wakan-Tanka which gives life to all
things; it is as a ray from the sun, for the sun is also Wakan-Tanka in a
certain aspect.
The round fireplace at the center of the sweat lodge is the center of the
universe, in which dwells Wakan-Tanka, with His power which is the
fire. All these things are wakan to us and must be understood deeply if
we really wish to purify ourselves, for the power of a thing or an act is
in the meaning and the understanding.
The sweat lodge is always constructed with its door to the east, for it
is from this direction that the light of wisdom comes. About ten paces
from the lodge, at the east, we first construct a sacred fireplace which
is called Peta-owihankeshni, "fire of no end," or "eternal fire," and
this is where the rocks are heated. To make this sacred fireplace, we
first place four sticks running east and west, and on top of these we
place four sticks running north and south, and then around these we
lean sticks as in a tipi, first on the west side, and then on the north,
east, and south sides; rocks are then placed at these four directions,
and then many more are piled on top. But as we build this fire, we
should pray.
"O Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, You are and always were. I am about
to do Thy will on this earth as You have taught us. In

 Page 33

The Inipi: "Purification Lodge"

placing these sacred rocks at the four quarters, we understand that it is
You who are at the center. O sacred rocks, you are helping us to do the
will of Wakan-Tanka!"
And as we light the fire, always on the side facing the east, we pray:
"O Wakan-Tanka, this is Your eternal fire that has been given to us on
this great island! It is Your will that we build this place in a sacred
manner. The eternal fire always burns; through it we shall live again
by being made pure, and by coming closer to Your powers."
In making the central altar within the sweat lodge, where later the
heated rocks will be placed, we first push a stick into the earth at the
center of the lodge, and then around this point we draw a circle with a
cord of rawhide. While fixing this holy center, we should pray.
"O Grandfather and Father Wakan-Tanka, maker of all that is, who
always has been, behold me! And You, Grandmother and


 Page 34
Mother Earth, You are wakan and have holy ears; hear me! We have
come from You, we are a part of You, and we know that our bodies
will return to You at that time when our spirits travel upon the great
path. By fixing this center in the earth, I remember You to whom my
body will return, but above all I think of Wakan-Tanka, with whom
our spirits become as one. By purifying myself in this way, I wish to
make myself worthy of You, O Wakan-Tanka, that my people may
live!"
A round hole is now made at the center of the sweat lodge, and with
the dirt which is taken out a sacred path is made leading out of the
lodge to the east, and at the end of this path a small mound is built;
when doing this we pray.
"Upon You, Grandmother Earth, I shall build the sacred path of life.
By purifying ourselves for the people, we shall walk this path with
firm steps, for it is the path leading even to Wakan-Tanka. Upon this
path there are four steps which are sacred. May my people walk this
path! May we be pure! May we live again!"
And now, sending a voice directly to Wakan-Tanka, we cry:
"Grandfather Wakan-Tanka, we have learned Thy will, and we know
the sacred steps we are to take. With the help of all things and all
beings we are about to send our voice to You. Be merciful to us! Help
us! I place myself upon this sacred path, and send my voice to You
through the four Powers, which we know are but one Power. Help me
in all this! O my Grandfather Wakan-Tanka, be merciful to us! Help
my people and all things to live in a sacred manner pleasing to You!
Help us O Wakan-Tanka to live again!"
He who leads the purification rite, now enters the lodge alone and
with his pipe. He passes around sun-wise and sits at the west and
makes an altar of the central hole by placing pinches of tobacco at its
four corners. A glowing coal is passed into the lodge and is placed at
the center. The leader then burns sweet grass and rubs the smoke all
over his body, feet, head, hands, and the pipe too is purified over the
smoke; everything is made sacred, and if there is anything in the lodge
that is not good it is driven away by the Power of the smoke.
The leader should now offer a pinch of tobacco to the winged

 Page 35
Power of the place where the sun goes down, from which the
purifying waters come; this Power is invoked and is asked to help in
the rite. After this the sacred tobacco is placed in the pipe, and in the
same manner pinches of tobacco are offered to the Powers of the
north, whence come the purifying winds; to the east, the place where
the sun comes up, and from whence comes wisdom; to the south
which is the source and end of all life; above to the heavens, and
finally to Mother Earth. As the aid of each Power is invoked and as
each pinch of tobacco is placed in the pipe, all those outside the lodge
cry ''How!'' for they are glad and satisfied that this sacred thing has
been done.
Now that the pipe has been filled, and everything made wakan, the
leader leaves the lodge, walks to the east along the sacred path, and
then places the pipe on the earth mound, with the bowl on the west
side, and with the stem slanting to the east.
All who are to be purified now enter the lodge, the leader first, and as
each bows low to enter, he prays.
"Hi ho! Hi ho! Pila miya [Thanks]! By bowing low in order to enter
this lodge, I am remembering that I am as nothing compared with
You, O Wakan-Tanka, who are everything. It is You who have placed
us upon this island; we are the last to be created by You who are first
and who always have been. Help me to become pure, before I send
my voice to You! Help us in all that which we are about to do!"
Once within the lodge, the men move around sun-wise and then sit on
the sacred sage which had been strewn upon the earth; the leader sits
at the east, just beside the door. All remain silent a little while,
remembering the goodness of Wakan-Tanka, and how it was He who
made all things. Then the pipe is handed into the lodge by the helper,
who is often a woman, and who remains outside during the rite. The
man who sits at the west takes the pipe and places it in front of him,
with its stem pointing towards the west.
With a forked stick, the helper now picks up one of the rocks from the
sacred fire, Peta owihankeshni, and, walking along the sacred path, he
hands the rock inside the lodge, where it is placed

 Page 36
at the center of the round altar; this first rock is for Wakan-Tanka, who
is always at the center of everything. The man seated at the west
touches the foot of the pipe to the rock, and each time that a rock is
placed on the altar he touches the pipe to it, and all the men cry: "Hi
ye! Pila miya! [Thanks]!"
The second rock to be handed into the lodge is placed at the west of
the altar, the next at the north, then one for the east, one for the south,
one for earth, and finally the hole is filled up with the rest of the
rocks, and all these together represent everything that there is in the
universe.
The person at the west now offers the pipe to heaven, earth, and the
four directions, and then he lights it, and after a few puffs (rubbing the
smoke all over his body) he hands the pipe to the one at his left,
saying: "Ho Ate," or "Ho Tunkashila," according to their relationship.
The one who takes the pipe says in turn: ''How Ate" or "How
Tunkashila," and in this manner the pipe is passed sun-wise around
the circle. When the pipe comes back to the man at the west, he
purifies it, lest some impure person may have touched it, and carefully
empties the ashes, placing them at the edge of the sacred altar. This
first use of the pipe within the lodge reminds us of the holy White
Buffalo Cow Woman, who long ago entered our lodge in a sacred
manner, and then left.
The pipe passes around to the leader sitting at the east, who holds it
above the sacred altar, stem pointing to the west, and then moves it
along the sacred path to the east, where the helper who is standing just
outside the door takes it and, after filling it in a ritual manner, leans it
against the sacred earth mound, with the bowl at the east, and the stem
slanting towards the west, for the Power of the west is now to be
invoked.
The helper closes the door of the sweat lodge, making it completely
dark inside, and this darkness represents the darkness of the soul, our
ignorance, from which we must now purify ourselves so that we may
have the light. During the course of the Inipi, the door will be opened
four times, letting in the light; this reminds us of the four ages, and
how through the goodness of Wakan-Tanka we have received the
Light in each of these ages.

 Page 37
The man at the west now sends a voice to Wakan-Tanka in this
manner:
"Hee-ay-hay-ee-ee!" (four times)
(This we say whenever we are in need of help, or are in despair, and
indeed are we not now in darkness and in need of the Light!)
"I am sending a voice!" (four times) "Hear me!" (Four times) ''Wakan-
Tanka, Grandfather, You are first and always have been. You have
brought us to this great island, and here our people wish to live in a
sacred manner. Teach us to know and to see all the powers of the
universe, and give to us the knowledge to understand that they are all
really one Power. May our people always send their voices to You as
they walk the sacred path of life!
"O ancient rocks, Tunkayatakapaka, you are now here with us;
Wakan-Tanka has made the Earth, and has placed you next to Her.
Upon you the generations will walk, and their steps shall not falter! O
Rocks, you have neither eyes, nor mouth, nor limbs; you do not move,
but by receiving your sacred breath [the steam], our people will be
long-winded as they walk the path of life; your breath is the very
breath of life.
"There is a winged One, there where the sun goes down to rest, who
controls those waters to which all living beings owe their lives. May
we use these waters here in a sacred manner!
"O you people who are always standing, who pierce up through the
earth, and who reach even unto the heavens, you tree-people are very
many, but one of you has been especially chosen for supporting this
sacred purification lodge. You trees are the protectors of the wingeds,
for upon you they build their lodges and raise their families; and
beneath you there are many people whom you shelter. May all these
people and all their generations walk together as relatives!
"To every earthly thing, O Wakan-Tanka, You have given a power, and
because the fire is the most powerful of Your creations, since it
consumes all other things, we place it here at our center, and when we
see it and think of it, we really remember

 Page 38
You. May this sacred fire always be at our center! Help us in that
which we are about to do!"
The leader now sprinkles water on the rocks, once for our
Grandfather, Tunkashila, once for our Father, Ate, once for our
Grandmother, Unchi, once for our Mother, Ina, the Earth, and then
once for the sacred pipe; this is done with a sprig of sage or sweet
grass, so that the steam will be fragrant, and as it rises and fills the
little lodge, the leader cries: "O Wakan-Tanka, behold me! I am the
people. In offering myself to You, I offer all the people as one, that
they may live! We wish to live again! Help us!"
It is now very hot in the lodge, but it is good to feel the purifying
qualities of the fire, the air, and the water, and to smell the fragrance
of the sacred sage. After these powers have worked well into us, the
door of the lodge is thrown open, reminding us of the first age in
which we received the Light from Wakan-Tanka. Water is now
brought in, and the leader at the east passes it around sun-wise, and
each man drinks a little, or rubs it over his body. As we do this we
think of the place where the sun goes down, and from which comes
the water, and the Power of this direction helps us to pray.
The helper outside the lodge then takes the filled pipe from the earth
mound, offers it to Heaven and Earth, and walking along the sacred
path, hands the pipestem firstto the person sitting at the west of the
lodge. This man offers the pipe to the six directions, smokes it a little
(rubbing the smoke all over his body) after which it is passed around
the circle until it has been smoked up. The man at the west then
empties the pipe, placing the burned tobacco beside the central altar,
and hands the pipe out as before. The helper again fills the pipe, and
leans it against the sacred mound, with the stem leaning to the north,
for, during the second period of darkness within the lodge, the Power
of the winged One of the north will be invoked.
The door of the lodge is closed, and we are in darkness for the second
time. It is the person at the north who now prays.
"Behold, O you Baldheaded Eagle, there where the giant Waziah has
his lodge! Wakan-Tanka has placed you there to con-

 Page 39
trol this Path; you are there to guard the health of the people, that they
may live. Help us with your cleansing wind! May it make us pure so
that we may walk the sacred path in a holy manner, pleasing to
Wakan-Tanka.
"O Grandfather Wakan-Tanka, You are above everything! It is You
who have placed a sacred rock upon the earth, which is now at the
center of our hoop. You have given to us also the fire; and there at the
place where the sun goes down, you have given power to Wakinyan-
Tanka who controls the waters and who guards the most sacred pipe.1
You have placed a winged One at the place where the sun comes up,
who gives to us wisdom; and You have also placed a winged One at
the place towards which we always face; He is the source of life, and
He leads us on the sacred red path. All these powers, are Your power,
and they are really one; they are all now here within this lodge."
1 The great Thunderbird of the west: Wakinyan-Tanka, is one of the most
important and profound aspects of Siouan religion. The Indian describes
Him as living "in a lodge on the top of a mountain at the edge of the world
where the sun goes down. He is many, but they are only as One; He is
shapeless, but He has wings with four joints each; He has no feet, yet He
has huge talons; He has no head, yet has a huge beak with rows of teeth in
it like the teeth of the wolf; His voice is the thunder clap and rolling
thunder is caused by the beating of His wings on the clouds; He has an
eye, and its glance is lightning. In a great cedar tree beside His lodge He
has His nest made of dry bones, and in it is an enormous egg from which
His young continually issue. He devours His young and they each become
one of His many selves. He flies through all the domain of the sky, hidden
in a robe of clouds . . . . His functions are to cleanse the world from filth
and to fight the Monsters who defile the Waters. His symbol is a zigzag
red line forked at each end." (J. R. Walker, The Sun Dance and other
Ceremonies of the Oglala Division of the Teton Dakota [Anthropological
Papers of the American Museum of Natural History, XVI, Part II] [New
York, 1917].)
 This Thunderbird is really Wakan-Tanka as the giver of Revelation,
(symbolized by the lightning); He is the same as the great one-eyed Bird,
Garuda, of the Hindu tradition, or the Chinese Dragon (the Logos), who rides
on the clouds of the storm, and whose voice is the thunder. As giver of
Revelation he is identical in function to the Archangel Gabriel of Judaism or
Christianitythe Jibrail of Islam.
It is fitting that the Thunderbird is for the Indian the protector of the sacred
pipe, for the pipe, like the lightning, is the axis joining heaven and earth.

 Page 40
"O Wakan-Tanka, Grandfather, above all, it is Thy will that we are
doing here. Through that Power which comes from the place where
the giant Waziah lives, we are now making ourselves as pure and as
white as new snow. We know that we are now in darkness, but soon
the Light will come. When we leave this lodge may we leave behind
all impure thoughts, all ignorance. May we be as children newly born!
May we live again, O Wakan-Tanka!"
Water is now put on the rocks, four times for the Powers of the four
directions, and as the steam rises we sing a song, or even just a chant,
for this helps us to understand the mystery of all things.
The door of the lodge is soon opened for the second time, representing
the coming of the purifying Power of the north, and also we see the
light which destroys darkness, just as wisdom drives away ignorance.
Water is passed to the leader at the east, who offers it to the men,
mentioning his relationship to each, as I have described before.
The pipe is again handed into the lodge, and is given to the person
sitting at the north; he offers it to the six directions, lights it, and after
a few puffs (rubbing the smoke all over himself) he passes it around
the circle. When all the kinnikinnik has been smoked up, the pipe is
returned to the north, where it is purified, and the ashes are placed by
the central altar. Then the pipe is handed out to the helper who again
fills it and leans it upon the mound, this time with the stem pointing to
the east, for we shall now invoke the Power of this direction. The door
of the lodge is closed, and the man sitting at the east of the lodge now
sends his voice in this manner:
"O Great Spirit, Wakan-Tanka, I have just seen the day, the Light of
life. There where the sun comes up, You have given the power of
wisdom to the Morning Star. The winged One who guards this path is
long-winded, and with the two sacred days which You, O Wakan-
Tanka, have given to Him, He has guarded the path of the people. O
You who control that path where the sun comes up, look upon us with
Your red and blue days, and help us in sending our voices to Wakan-
Tanka! O You who have

 Page 41
knowledge, give some of it to us, that our hearts may be enlightened,
and that we may know all that is sacred!
"O Morning Star, there at the place where the sun comes up; O You
who have the wisdom which we seek, help us in cleansing ourselves
and all the people, that our generations to come will have Light as
they walk the sacred Path. You lead the dawn as it walks forth, and
also the day which follows with its Light which is knowledge; this
You do for us and for all the people of the world, that they may see
clearly in walking the wakan path; that they may know all that is holy,
and that they may increase in a sacred manner!"
Water is again poured on the rocks and we begin to sing a sacred
chant. In a short time, when the heat has worked all through us, the
door is opened for the third time, and the light of the east comes in
upon us. As the pipe is handed in to the man at the east, all the men
cry: "Hi ho! Hi ho! [Thanks!]" and the leader holds the pipe up to
heaven and sends his voice:
"Wakan-Tanka, we give thanks for the Light which You have given to
us through the Power of the place where the sun comes up. Help us, O
You Power of the east! Be merciful to us!"
The pipe is then lit and smoked around the circle, and again when we
have finished, the helper takes it and this time leans it against the
mound with its stem slanting to the south. Water is again passed
around sun-wise, and is rubbed all over the body, especially on top of
the head, and then the door is closed for the last time. It is the man at
the south who now sends his voice.
"Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, behold us! You have placed a great
Power there where we always face, and from this direction many
generations have come forth, and have returned. There is a winged
One at this direction who guards the sacred red path, from which the
generations have come forth. The generation which is here today
wishes to cleanse and purify itself, that it may live again!
"We shall burn the sweet grass as an offering to Wakan-Tanka, and the
fragrance of this will spread throughout heaven and earth; it will make
the four-leggeds, the wingeds, the star peoples of the heavens, and all
things as relatives. From You, O Grand-

 Page 42
mother earth, who are lowly, and who support us as does a mother,
this fragrance will go forth; may its power be felt throughout the
universe, and may it purify the feet and hands of the two-leggeds, that
they may walk forward upon the sacred earth, raising their heads to
Wakan-Tanka!"
All that is left of the water is now poured upon the rocks, which are
still very hot, and as the steam rises and penetrates everything, we
sing or chant a sacred song. Soon the leader of the Inipi says: "The
helper will soon open the door for the last time, and when it is open
we shall see the Light. For it is the wish of Wakan-Tanka that the
Light enters into the darkness, that we may see not only with our two
eyes, but with the one eye which is of the heart [Chante Ishta], and
with which we see and know all that is true and good.2 We give
thanks to the helper; may his generations be blessed! It is good! It is
finished! Hetchetu alo!"
As the door of the lodge is opened, all the men cry: "Hi ho! Hi ho!
Thanks!," and the men are all happy, for they have come forth from
the darkness and are now living in the Light.3 The helper then brings a
live coal from the sacred fire, and places it just outside the doorway of
the lodge, upon the sacred path. As he burns the sweet grass upon the
coal, he says: "This is the fragrance of Wakan-Tanka. Through this the
two-leggeds, the four-leggeds, the winged ones, and all the peoples of
the universe, will be happy, and will rejoice!"
The leader of the rite then says: "This is the fire that will help the
generations to come, if they use it in a sacred manner. But if they do
not use it well, the fire will have the power to do them great harm."
2 For a commentary on the "Eye of the Heart," see Frithjof Schuon, L'Oeil
du Coeur.
3 Entering into the light after being in the darkness of the purification lodge
represents liberation from the universe, the cosmos, or microcosmically the
 liberation from the ego; both ego and world are "dark" since they have only a
relative or illusory reality, for ultimately there is no reality other than Wakan-
Tanka, who is here represented by the light of day, or by the space around the
lodge.
This liberation from the cosmos, or from the individuality, is especially well
represented in the purification rite of the Osage Indians: "At the close
(footnote continued on next page)

 Page 43
The leader purifies his hands and feet over the smoke, and, raising his
hands to heaven, he prays: "Hi ho! Hi ho!" (four times) "Wakan-
Tanka, today You have been good to us; for this we give thanks. I now
place my feet upon the Earth. With great happiness I walk upon the
sacred Earth, our Mother. May the generations to come also walk in
this sacred manner!"
Moving around sun-wise, all the men now leave the sweat lodge, and
they too purify their hands and feet, and pray to Wakan-Tanka as their
leader had done.
This most sacred rite has now been finished, and those who have
participated are as men born again, and have done much good not
only for themselves, but for the whole nation.
I should perhaps mention, that, often, when we are inside the sweat
lodge, little children poke their heads inside, and ask the Great Spirit
to make their lives pure. We do not chase them away, for we know
that little children already have pure hearts.
When we leave the sweat lodge we are as the souls which are kept, as
I have described, and which return to Wakan-Tanka after they have
been purified; for we, too, leave behind in the Inipi lodge all that is
impure, that we may live as the Great Spirit wishes, and that we may
know something of that real world of the Spirit, which is behind this
one.
These rites of the Inipi are very wakan and are used before any great
undertaking for which we wish to make ourselves pure or for which
we wish to gain strength; and in many winters past our men, and often
the women, made the Inipi even every day, and sometimes several
times in a day, and from this we received much of our power. Now
that we have neglected these rites we have lost much of this power; it
is not good, and I cry when I think of it. I pray often that the Great
Spirit will show to our young people the importance of these rites.
(footnote Continued from previous page)
of the ceremony the Chief . . . tells the men that each one must grasp one
of the frame poles of the little house, and when they have done so he calls
out: 'There is not other way out, my valiant men!' and all the men acting in
concert, toss the little house upward, towards the setting sun." (Francis La
Flesche, "War and Peace Ceremony of the Osage Indians," Bulletin No.
101 of the Bureau of American Ethnology.)

 Page 44

Chapter IV
Hanblecheyapi: Crying for a Vision

The "Crying for a Vision" ritual, like the purification rites of the Inipi,
was used long before the coming of our most sacred pipe. This way of
praying is very important, and indeed it is at the center of our religion,
for from it we have received many good things, even the four great
rites which I shall soon describe.
Every man can cry for a vision, or "lament"; and in the old days we
allmen and women"lamented" all the time. What is received through
the ''lamenting" is determined in part by the character of the person
who does this, for it is only those people who are very qualified who
receive the great visions, which are interpreted by our holy man, and
which give strength and health to our nation. It is very important for a
person who wishes to "lament" to receive aid and advice from a
wichasha wakan (holy man),1 so that everything is done correctly, for
if things are not


 Page 45
done in the right way, something very bad can happen, and even a
serpent could come and wrap itself around the ''lamenter."
You have all heard of our great chief and priest Crazy Horse, but
perhaps you did not know that he received most of his great power
through the "lamenting" which he did many times a year, and even in
the winter when it is very cold and very difficult. He received visions
of the Rock, the Shadow, the Badger, a prancing horse (from which he
received his name), the Day, and also of Wanbli Galeshka, the Spotted
Eagle, and from each of these he received much power and holiness.2
There are many reasons for going to a lonely mountaintop to
"lament." Some young men receive a vision when they are very young
and when they do not expect it,3 and then they go to "la-
1 Throughout this work I have translated wichasha wakan as "holy man"
or "priest," rather than "Medicine man," which has been used incorrectly
in many books on the Indians. The Lakota term for "medicine man'' or
"doctor" is really pejuta wichasa. In order to clarify these frequently
confused terms, I cannot do better than to quote the explanation given by
Sword, an Oglala Sioux, to J. R. Walker: "Wicasa wakan is the term for a
Lakota priest of the old religion; a Lakota medicine man is called pejuta
wacasa. The white people call our wicasa wakan, medicine man, which is
a mistake. Again, they say a wicasa wakan is making medicine when he is
performing ceremonies. This is also a mistake. The Lakota call a thing
"medicine" only when it is used to cure the sick or wounded, the proper
term (for medicine) being pejuta." (The Sun Dance . . . of the Teton Dakota
[Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History,
XVI, Part II, 152].)
2 The Indian actually identifies himself with, or becomes, the quality or
principle of the being or thing which comes to him in vision, whether it be a
beast, a bird, one of the elements, or really any aspect of creation. In order
that this "power" may never leave him, he always carries with him some
material form representing the animal or object from which he has received
his "power." These objects have often been incorrectly called fetishes,
 whereas they actually correspond more precisely to what the Christian calls
guardian angels, since for the Indian, the animals and birds, and all things, are
the "reflections"in a material formof the Divine principles. The Indian is only
attached to the form for the sake of the principle which is contained within
the form.
3 Black Elk himself received his great vision when he was only nine years
old. For a description of this vision, see Neihardt's Black Elk Speaks, chap.
III.

 Page 46
ment" that they might understand it better. Then we "lament" if we
wish to make ourselves brave for a great ordeal such as the Sun Dance
or to prepare for going on the warpath. Some people "lament" in order
to ask some favor of the Great Spirit, such as curing a sick relative;
and then we also "lament" as an act of thanksgiving for some great
gift which the Great Spirit may have given to us. But perhaps the most
important reason for "lamenting'' is that it helps us to realize our
oneness with all things, to know that all things are our relatives; and
then in behalf of all things we pray to Wakan-Tanka that He may give
to us knowledge of Him who is the source of all things, yet greater
than all things.
Our women also "lament," after first purifying themselves in the Inipi;
they are helped by other women, but they do not go up on a very high
and lonely mountain. They go up on a hill in a valley, for they are
women and need protection.
When a person wishes to "lament," he goes with a filled pipe to a holy
man; he enters the tipi with the stem of the pipe pointing in front of
him, and sits before the old man who is to be his guide. The
"lamenter" then places the pipe on the ground with its stem now
pointing towards himself, for it is he who wishes to gain knowledge.
The holy man raises his hands above to Wakan-Tanka and to the four
directions, and, taking up the pipe, he asks the man what he wishes.
"I wish to 'lament' and offer my pipe to Wakan-Tanka. I need your
help and guidance, and wish you to send a voice for me to the Powers
above."
To this the old man says: "How!" (It is good); and then they leave the
tipi, and, walking a short distance, they face the west, the young man
standing to the left of the holy man, and they are joined by any others
who may happen to be present. All raise their right hands, and the old
man prays, holding the stem of the pipe to the heavens.
"Hee-ay-hay-ee-ee! [four times.] Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, You are
first and always have been! Everything belongs to You. It is You who
have created all things! You are One and alone, and

 Page 47
to You we are sending a voice. This young man here is in difficulty,
and wishes to offer the pipe to You. We ask that You give help to him!
Within a few days he will offer his body to You. Upon the sacred
Earth, our Mother and Grandmother, he will place his feet in a sacred
manner.
"All the Powers of the world, the heavens and the star peoples, and the
red and blue sacred days; all things that move in the universe, in the
rivers, the brooks, the springs, all waters, all trees that stand, all the
grasses of our Grandmother, all the sacred peoples of the universe:
Listen! A sacred relationship with you all will be asked by this young
man, that his generations to come will increase and live in a holy
manner.
"O You, winged One, there where the sun goes down, who guards our
sacred pipe, help us! Help us to offer this pipe to Wakan-Tanka, that
He may give a blessing to this young man!"
To this all the people cry "How!" and then they sit in a circle upon the
ground. The old man offers the pipe to the six directions, lights it, and
passes it first to the young man who is to "lament." The "lamenter"
offers it up with a prayer, and then it is smoked by everybody in the
circle. When the pipe is smoked out, it is handed back to the holy
man, who cleans and purifies it and hands it back to the young man,
asking him when he wishes to "lament," and a day is then decided
upon.
When this chosen day arrives, the young man wears only his buffalo
robe, breech cloth, and moccasins, and he goes with his pipe to the tipi
of the holy man. Crying as he walks, he enters the lodge and places
his right hand on the head of the old man, saying: "Unshe ma la ye!"
(Be merciful to me!) He then lays the pipe in front of the holy man
and asks for his help.
The old man replies: "We all know that the pipe is sacred, and with it
you have now come crying. I shall help you, but you must always
remember what I am going to tell you; in the winters to come you
must walk with the instructions and advice which I give to you. You
may "lament" from one to four days, or even longer if you wish; how
many days do you choose?"
"I choose two days."

 Page 48
"Good! This, then, is what you must do: First you should build an
Inipi lodge in which we shall purify ourselves, and for this you must
select twelve or sixteen small willows. But before you cut the willows
remember to take to them a tobacco offering; and as you stand before
them you should say: 'There are many kinds of trees, but it is you
whom I have chosen to help me. I shall take you, but in your place
there will be others!' Then you should bring these trees back to where
we shall make the lodge.
"In a sacred manner you must also gather the rocks and sage, and then
you must make a bundle of five long sticks and also five bundles of
twelve small sticks, all of which will be used as offerings. These
sticks you should lean against the west side of the sweat lodge until
we are ready to purify them. We shall also need the Ree twist tobacco,
Kinnikinnik, a tobacco cutting board, buckskin for the tobacco-
offering bags, sweet grass, a bag of sacred earth, a knife, and a stone
hatchet. These things you must secure yourself, and when you are
ready we shall purify ourselves. Hetchetu welo!"
When the purification lodge has been built, and all the equipment
gathered, the holy man enters the lodge and sits at the west; the
"lamenter" enters next and sits at the north, and then a helper enters
and sits just to the south of the holy man. A cold rock is brought into
the lodge and is placed on the north side of the central altar, where it
is purified with a short prayer by the holy man; it is then taken outside
by a helper. This is the first rock to be placed on the fire (peta
owihankeshni) which has been built to the east of the lodge.
Just east of the central altar, within the purification lodge, the helper
scrapes a sacred place upon the earth, and upon this he places a hot
coal. The holy man now moves around to the east, and, bending over
the coal, he holds up a bit of sweet grass and prays in this manner:
"O Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, behold us! Upon the sacred earth I
place this Your herb. The smoke that rises from the earth and fire will
belong to all that moves in the universe: the four-leggeds, the
wingeds, and everything that moves and everything

 Page 49
that is. This offering of theirs will now be given to You, O Wakan-
Tanka! We shall make sacred all that we touch!"
As the sweet grass is put upon the coal, the other two men in the lodge
cry, "Hi ye!" (Thanks), and as the smoke rises, the holy man rubs his
hands in it and then rubs them over his body. In the same manner the
"lamenter" and the helper purify themselves with the sacred smoke.
The little bag of earth is also purified, and then the three men again
take their places at the west, every movement being made, of course,
in a sun-wise manner. The purified earth is now very carefully spread
all around inside the sacred central hole, and this is done slowly and
reverently for this earth represents the whole universe. The helper
hands a stick to the holy man, who uses it to mark four places around
the hole, the first at the west, and then at the north, east, and south.
Next a cross is made by drawing a line on the ground from west to
east, then one from the north to the south. All this is very sacred, for it
establishes the four great Powers of the universe, and also the center
which is the dwelling place of Wakan-Tanka. A helper now enters
from the outside carrying a hot coal in a split stick; he walks slowly,
stopping four times, and the last time the coal is placed upon the
center of the cross.
Holding a pinch of sweet grass over the coal, the holy man prays: "My
Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, You are everything. And my Father,
Wakan-Tanka, all things belong to You! I am about to place Your herb
on this fire. Its fragrance belongs to You."
The old man then slowly lowers the sweet grass to the fire. The helper
now takes up the pipe, and moving with it in a sun-wise direction,
hands it to the holy man who prays with it in these words: "O Wakan-
Tanka, behold Your pipe! I hold it over the smoke of this herb. O
Wakan-Tanka, behold also this sacred place which we have made. We
know that its center is Your dwelling place. Upon this circle the
generations will walk. The four-leggeds, the two-leggeds, the
wingeds, and the four Powers of the universe, all will behold this,
Your place."
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

 Page 50
heaven, then he touches the earth with its 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. 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.
"O Wakan-Tanka, my Father and Grandfather, You are first, and
always have been! Behold this young man here who has a troubled
mind. He wishes to travel upon the sacred path; he will offer this pipe
to You. Be merciful to him and help him! The four Powers and the
whole universe will be placed in the bowl of the pipe, and then this
young man will offer it to You, with the help of the wingeds and all
things.
"The first to be placed in the pipe is You, O winged Power of the
place where the sun goes down. You with Your guards are ancient and
sacred. Behold! There is a place for You in the pipe; help us with Your
two sacred blue and red days!"
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.
"O You, winged Power, there where the Giant has His lodge, from
whence come the strong purifying winds: there is a place for you in
the pipe; help us with the two sacred days which you have!"
The Power of this direction is placed in the pipe, and a third pinch of
tobacco is held towards the east.
"O You where the sun comes up, who guard the light and who give
knowledge, this pipe will be offered to Wakan-Tanka! There is a place
here for you too; help us with Your sacred days!"

 Page 51
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.
"O You who control the sacred winds, and who live there where we
always face, Your breath gives life; and it is from You and to You that
our generations come and go. This pipe is about to be offered to
Wakan-Tanka; there is a place in it for You. Help us with the two
sacred days which You have!"
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:
"O Wanbli Galeshka, who circles in the highest heavens, You see all
things in the heavens and upon the earth. This young man is about to
offer his pipe to Wakan-Tanka, in order that he may gain knowledge.
Help him, and all those who send their voices to Wakan-Tanka
through you. There is a place for You in the pipe; give to us Your two
sacred red and blue days."
With this prayer the Spotted Eagle is placed in the bowl of the pipe,
and now a pinch of the tobacco is held towards Earth, and the old man
continues to pray:
"O Unchi and Ina, our Grandmother and Mother, You are sacred! We
know that it is from You that our bodies have come. This young man
wishes to become one with all things; he wishes to gain knowledge.
For the good of all your peoples, help him! There is a place for you in
the pipe; give to us your two sacred red and blue days!"
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 following winged peoples: "O sacred King Bird, who flies
on the two sacred days; You who raise families so well, may we
increase and live in the same manner. This pipe will soon be offered to
Wakan-Tanka! There is a place here

 Page 52
for You. Help us!" With the same prayer, small grains of tobacco are
offered and placed in the pipe, for the meadow lark, the blackbird, the
woodpecker, the snowbird, the crow, the magpie, the dove, the hawk,
the eagle hawk, the bald eagle, and finally what is left of the tobacco
is offered for the two-legged who is about to "lament," offering
himself up to Wakan-Tanka.
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.
All the offering poles and the equipment which have been purified,
are now taken and are placed outside the lodge at the west. The three
men leave the lodge and prepare for the Inipi by taking off all their
clothes except the breech cloth. Any other men who may now be
present are permitted to take part in this purification rite.
The "lamenter" enters the Inipi first and, moving around sun-wise, sits
at the west of the lodge. He takes up his pipe which had been left in
the lodge (with its stem pointing to the east) and, turning it around
sun-wise, holds it up in front of him; and he remains in this position
for the first part of the rite. The holy man enters next and, passing
behind the "lamenter," sits at the east, just beside the door. Any other
men who wish to take part in the rite then fill in the remaining places;
two men remain outside to act as helpers.
One of the helpers fills a pipe in a ritual manner, and this is handed in
to the man who sits just at the left of the "lamenter." The rock which
had previously been purified is also handed inon a forked stick, for it
is now very hotand is placed at the center of the sacred hole. A second
rock is then placed at the west in the sacred place, and the others are
placed at the north, east, and south. As the rocks are put in place, the
person who holds the pipe to be smoked in the rite touches its foot to
each rock, and as he does this all the men cry: "Hi ye! Hi ye!" The
pipe is then lit, offered to Heaven, Earth, and the four directions, and
is smoked around the circle. As it passes around, each man mentions
his relationship

 Page 53
to the person next to him, and after everybody has smoked they all say
together: "mitakuye oyasin!" (We are all relatives!). The one who lit
the pipe now empties it, placing the ashes upon the center altar, and
after purifying it he hands it to the left, and it is passed out of the
lodge. The helper again fills the pipe and leans it on the sacred mound
with the stem pointing to the west. The door of the lodge is closed,
and the holy man at the east begins to pray in the darkness: "Behold!
All that moves in the universe is here!" This is repeated by everybody
in the lodge, and at the end they all say: "How!"
"Hee-ay-hay-ee-ee! [four times] I am sending a voice! Hear me! [four
times] Wakan-Tanka, Grandfather, behold us! O Wakan-Tanka, Father,
behold us! On this great island there is a two-legged who says that he
will offer a pipe to You. On this day his promise will be fulfilled. To
whom could one send a voice except to You, Wakan-Tanka, our
Grandfather and Father. O Wakan-Tanka, this young man asks You to
be merciful to him. He says that his mind is troubled and that he needs
Your help. In offering this pipe to You, he will offer his whole mind
and body. The time has now come; he will soon go to a high place,
and there he will cry for Your aid. Be merciful to him!
"O You four Powers of the universe, you wingeds of the air, and all
the peoples who move in the universeyou have all been placed in the
pipe. Help this young man with the knowledge which has been given
to all of you by Wakan-Tanka. Be merciful to him! O Wakan-Tanka,
grant that this young man may have relatives; that he may be one with
the four winds, the four Powers of the world, and with the light of the
dawn. May he understand his relationship with all the winged peoples
of the air. He will place his feet upon the sacred earth of a
mountaintop; may he receive understanding there; may his
generations to come be holy! All things give thanks to You, O Wakan-
Tanka, who are merciful, and who help us all. We ask all this of You
because we know that You are the only One, and that You have power
over all things!"
As a little water is poured on the red hot rocks, all the men sing:

 Page 54
Grandfather, I am sending a voice!
To the Heavens of the universe, I am sending a voice;
That my people may live!
As the men sing this, and as the hot steam rises, the "lamenter" cries,
for he is humbling himself, remembering his nothingness in the
presence of the Great Spirit.4
After a short time the door of the lodge is opened by the helper, and
the "lamenter" now embraces his pipe, holding it first to one shoulder
and then to the other, and crying all the time to the Great Spirit: "Be
merciful to me! Help me!" This pipe is then passed around the circle,
and all the other men embrace it and cry in the same manner. It is then
passed out of the lodge to the helpers, who also embrace it and then
lean it on the little mound, with its stem to the east; for this direction
is the source of light and understanding.
The second pipe which is being used for the purification rite, and
which had been leaning on the sacred mound with its stem to the west,
is now handed into the lodge, and is given to the person sitting just to
the left of the "lamenter." This pipe is lit, and after it has been smoked
by everybody in the circle, it is passed out of the lodge. After this,
water is passed around, and the "lamenter" is now allowed to drink all
that he wishes, but he must be careful not to spill any or to put any on
his body, for this would anger the Thunder-beings who guard the
sacred waters, and then they might visit him every night that he
"laments." The holy man tells the "lamenter" to rub his body with the
sage, and then the door is closed once more. A prayer is said by the
next holiest man in the lodge, one who has had a vision.
"On this sacred earth, the Thunder-beings have been merci-
4 This humiliation in which the Indian makes himself "lower than even the
smallest ant," as Black Elk once expressed it, is the same attitude as that
which, in Christianity, is called the "spiritual poverty"; this poverty is the
 faqr of the Islamic tradition or the balya of Hinduism and is the condition
of those who realize that in relation to the Divine principle their own
individuality is as nothing.

 Page 55
ful to me, and have given to me a power from where the Giant Waziah
lives. It was an eagle who came to me. He will see you too when you
go to cry for a vision. Then from the place where the sun comes up,
they sent to me a Baldheaded Eagle; he too will see you. From the
place towards which we always face, they sent to me a winged one.
They were very merciful to me. In the depths of the heavens there is a
winged being who is next to Wakan-Tanka; He is the Spotted Eagle,
and He too will behold you. You will be seen by all the Powers and by
the sacred earth upon which you stand. They have given to me a good
road to follow upon this earth; may you too know this way! Set your
mind upon the meanings of these things, and you will see! All this is
so; do not forget! Hechetu welo!''
This old man then sings:
They are sending a voice to me.
From the place where the sun goes down,
Our Grandfather is sending a voice to me.
From where the sun goes down,
They are talking to me as they come.
Our Grandfather's voice is calling to me.
That winged One there where the Giant lives,
Is sending a voice to me. He is calling me.
Our Grandfather is calling me!"
As the old man chants this song, water is put on the rocks, and after
the men have been in the hot fragrant steam and darkness for a short
time, the door is opened, and the fresh air and light fill the little lodge.
Once again the pipe is taken from the sacred mound and is handed in
to the man at the north of the lodge. After it has been smoked it is
placed again on the mound with its stem pointing to the east. The door
is closed, and this time it is the holy man at the east who prays.
"O Wakan-Tanka, behold all that we do and ask here! O You, Power,
there where the sun goes down, who control the waters: with the
breath of your waters this young man is purifying himself. And you
too, O very aged rocks who are helping us here,

 Page 56
listen! You are firmly fixed upon this earth; we know that the winds
cannot shake you. This young man is about to send his voice, crying
for a vision. You are helping us by giving to him some of your power;
through your breath he is being made pure.
''O eternal fire there where the sun comes up, from you this young
man is gaining strength and light. O you standing trees, Wakan-Tanka
has given you the power to stand upright. May this young man always
have you as an example; may he hold firmly to you! It is good.
Hechetu welo!"
All the men now chant again, and after a little while the door is
opened, and the pipe is sent to the holy man at the east, who lights it,
and after smoking for a few puffs, hands it around the circle. When
the tobacco has been smoked up, the helper again takes the pipe and
places it on the earth mound, with the stem leaning to the south. The
door of the Inipi is closed for the last time, and now the holy man
addresses his prayer to the rocks.
"O you ancient rocks who are sacred, you have neither ears nor eyes,
yet you hear and see all things. Through your powers this young man
has become pure, that he may be worthy to go to receive some
message from Wakan-Tanka. The men who guard the door of this
sacred lodge will soon open it for the fourth time, and we shall see the
light of the world. Be merciful to the men who guard the door! May
their generations be blessed!"
Water is placed on the rocks, which are still very hot, and after the
steam has penetrated throughout the lodge for a short time, the door is
opened, and all the men cry: "Hi ho! Hi ho! Thanks!"
The "lamenter" leaves the lodge first, and goes and sits upon the
sacred path, facing the little mound, and crying all the while. One of
the helpers then takes up the buffalo robe, which had been purified,
and places it over the shoulders of the "lamenter"; and another helper
takes the pipe which has been leaning all this time on the mound, and
hands it to the "lamenter," who is now ready to go up to the high
mountain, there to cry for a vision.
Three horses are brought, and upon two of these the bundles of
offering sticks and some sacred sage are loaded; the "lamenter" rides
on the third horse, and all this time he is crying most piti-

 Page 57
fully and is holding his pipe in front of him. When they arrive at the
foot of the chosen mountain, the two helpers go on ahead with all the
equipment in order to prepare the sacred place on the mountaintop.
When they arrive they enter the chosen place by walking in a direction
always away from their camping circle, and they go directly to the
spot which they have chosen to be the center and place all the
equipment here. At this center they first make a hole, in which they
place some kinnikinnik, and then in this hole they set up a long pole
with the offering tied at the top. One of the helpers now goes about
ten stride to the west, and in the same manner he sets up a pole here,
tying offerings to it. He then goes to the center where he picks up
another pole, and this he fixes at the north again returning to the
center. In the same manner he sets up poles at the east and at the
south. All this time the other helper has been making a bed of sage at
the center, so that when the "lamenter" is tired he may lie with his
head against the center pole, and his feet stretching towards the east.
When everything has been finished the helpers leave the sacred place
by the north path, and then return to the "lamenter" at the foot of the
mountain.

The "lamenter" now takes off his moccasins and even his breech
clothfor if we really wish to "lament" we must be poor in the things of
this worldand he walks alone up to the top of the mountain, holding
his pipe in front of him, and carrying his buffalo robe which he will
use at night. As he walks he cries continually: "Wakan-Tanka
onshimala ye oyate wani wachin cha!" (O Great Spirit, be merciful to
me that my people may live!)
Entering the sacred place, the "lamenter" goes directly to the center
pole, where he faces the west, and holding up his pipe with both hands
he continues to cry: "O Wakan-Tanka, have pity on me, that my
people may live!" Then walking very slowly he goes to the pole at the
west, where he offers up the same prayer, and then returns to the
center. In the same manner he goes to the poles at the north, east, and
south, always returning to the center each time. After completing one
of these rounds, he raises his pipe to

 Page 58
the heavens asking the wingeds and all things to help him, and then
pointing the pipe stem to the Earth, he asks aid from all that grows
upon our Mother.
All this takes very little time to tell, yet the "lamenter" should do it all
so slowly and in such a sacred manner that often he may take an hour
or even two to make one of these rounds. The "lamenter" can move in
no other manner than this, which is in the form of a cross, although he
may linger at any one place as long as he wishes; but all day long this
is what he does, praying constantly, either out loud or silently to
himself, for the Great Spirit is everywhere; he hears whatever is in our
minds and hearts, and it is not necessary to speak to Him in a loud
voice. The "lamenter" need not always use this prayer that I have
given, for he may remain silent with his whole attention directed to
the Great Spirit or to one of His Powers. He must always be careful
lest distracting thoughts come to him, yet he must be alert to
recognize any messenger which the Great Spirit may send to him, for
these people often come in the form of an animal, even one as small
and as seemingly insignificant as a little ant. Perhaps a Spotted Eagle
may come to him from the west, or a Black Eagle from the north, or
the Bald Eagle from the east, or even the Redheaded Woodpecker may
come to him from the south. And even though none of these may
speak to him at first, they are important and should be observed. The
"lamenter'' should also notice if one of the little birds should come, or
even perhaps a squirrel. At first the animals or winged peoples may be
wild, but soon they become tame, and the birds will sit on the poles,
or even little ants or worms may crawl on the pipe. All these people
are important, for in their own way they are wise and they can teach
us two-leggeds much if we make ourselves humble before them. The
most important of all the creatures are the wingeds, for they are
nearest to the heavens, and are not bound to the earth as are the four-
leggeds, or the little crawling people.
It may be good to mention here that it is not without reason that we
humans are two-legged along with the wingeds; for you see the birds
leave the earth with their wings, and we humans may

 Page 59
also leave this world, not with wings, but in the spirit. This will help
you to understand in part how it is that we regard all created beings as
sacred and important, for everything has a wochangi or influence
which can be given to us, through which we may gain a little more
understanding if we are attentive.
All day long the "lamenter" sends his voice to Wakan-Tanka for aid,
and he walks as we have described upon the sacred paths which form
a cross. This form has much power in it, for whenever we return to the
center, we know that it is as if we are returning to Wakan-Tanka, who
is the center of everything; and although we may think that we are
going away from Him, sooner or later we and all things must return to
Him.
In the evening the "lamenter" is very tired, for you should remember
that he may neither eat nor drink during the days that he cries for a
vision. He may sleep on the bed of sage which had been prepared for
him, and must lean his head against the center pole, for even though
he sleeps he is close to Wakan-Tanka, and it is very often during sleep
that the most powerful visions come to us; they are not merely
dreams, for they are much more real and powerful and do not come
from ourselves, but from Wakan-Tanka. It may be that we shall
receive no vision or message from the Great Spirit the first time that
we "lament," yet we may try many times, for we should remember
that Wakan-Tanka is always anxious to aid those who seek Him with a
pure heart. But of course much depends on the nature of the person
who cries for a vision, and upon the degree to which he has purified
and prepared himself.
In the evenings the Thunder-beings may come, and although they are
very terrifying, they bring much good, and they test our strength and
endurance. Then too they help us to realize how really very small and
insignificant we are compared to the great powers of Wakan-Tanka.
I remember one time when I "lamented," and a great storm came from
the place where the sun goes down, and I talked with the Thunder-
beings who came with hail and thunder and lightning and much rain,
and the next morning I saw that there was

 Page 60
hail all piled up on the ground around the sacred place, yet inside it
was perfectly dry. I think that they were trying to test me. And then,
on one of the nights the bad spirits came and started tearing the
offerings off the poles; and I heard their voices under the ground, and
one of them said: "Go and see if he is crying." And I heard rattles, but
all the time they were outside the sacred place and could not get in,
for I had resolved not to be afraid, and did not stop sending my voice
to Wakan-Tanka for aid. Then later, one of the bad spirits said from
somewhere under the ground: "Yes, he is surely crying," and the next
morning I saw that the poles and offerings were still there. I was well
prepared, you see, and did not weaken, and so nothing bad could
happen.
The "lamenter" should get up in the middle of the night, and he should
again go to the four quarters, returning to the center each time, and all
the while he should be sending his voice. He should always be up with
the morning star, and he should walk towards the east, and, pointing
his pipe stem towards this sacred star, he should ask it for wisdom;
this he should pray silently in his heart, and not out loud. All this the
"lamenter" should do for the three or four days.
At the end of this period the helpers come with their horses and take
the "lamenter" with his pipe back to the camp, and there he
immediately enters the Inipi which has already been made ready for
him. He should sit at the west, holding his pipe in front of him all the
time. The holy manthe spiritual guide of the "lamenter"enters next
and, passing behind the "lamenter," sits at the east, and all the other
men fill the remaining places.
The first sacred rock, which has already been heated, is brought into
the lodge and is placed at the center of the altar, and then all the other
rocks are brought in, as I have described before. All this is done very
solemnly but more rapidly than before, for all the men are anxious to
hear what the "lamenter" has to tell and to know what great things
may have come to him up there on the mountain. When all has been
made ready, the holy man says to the "lamenter":
"Ho! You have now sent a voice with your pipe to Wakan-

Black Elk with his wife, about 1883.

(Photograph from author's collection)
 Black Elk (left) and Yellow Hand (right), when they were with
the Buffalo Bill Show. (Photograph from author's collection)

 Page 61
Tanka. That pipe is now very sacred, for the whole universe has seen
it. You have offered this pipe to all the four sacred Powers; they have
seen it! And each word that you said up there was heard, even by our
Grandmother and Mother Earth. The coming generations will hear
you! These five ancient rocks here will hear you! The winged Power
of the place where the sun goes down, who controls the waters, will
hear you! The standing trees who are present here will hear you! And
also the most sacred pipe which was given to the people will hear you;
so tell us the truth, and be sure that you make up nothing! Even the
tiny ants and the crawling worms may have come to see you up there
when you were crying for a vision; tell us everything! You have
brought back to us the pipe which you offered; it is finished! And
since you are about to put this pipe to your mouth, you should tell us
nothing but the truth. The pipe is wakan and knows all things; you
cannot fool it. If you lie, Wakinyan-Tanka, who guards the pipe, will
punish you! Hechetu welo!"
The holy man rises from his position at the east and, moving around
the lodge sun-wise, sits just at the right of the "lamenter." Dried
buffalo chips are placed in front of the "lamenter," and upon these the
pipe is placed with its stem pointing towards the heavens. The holy
man now takes the tallow seal off the bowl of the pipe and places it
upon the buffalo chips. He lights the pipe with a coal from the fire
and, after offering it up to the Powers of the six directions, points the
stem towards the "lamenter," who just touches it with his mouth. The
holy man then makes a circle in the air with the stem of the pipe,
smokes it a little himself, and again touches it to the mouth of the
"lamenter.'' Then he again waves the pipe stem in a circle and again
smokes it a little himself. This is done four times, and then the pipe is
passed around the circle for all the men to smoke. When it returns to
the holy man, with four motions he empties it upon the top of the
tallow seal and the buffalo chips and then purifies it. Holding the pipe
up in front of himself, the holy man says to the "lamenter'': "Young
man, you left here three days ago with your two helpers, who have set
up for you the five posts upon the sacred place. Tell us every-

 Page 62
thing that happened to you up there after these helpers left! Do not
omit anything! We have prayed much to Wakan-Tanka for you and
have asked the pipe to be merciful. Tell us now what happened!"
The "lamenter" replies, and after each time he says something of
importance all the men in the lodge cry "Hi ye!"
"I went up on the mountain, and, after entering the sacred place, I
walked continually to each of the four directions, always returning to
the center as you had instructed me. During the first day, as I was
facing the place where the sun goes down, I saw an eagle flying
towards me, and when it came nearer I saw that it was a sacred
Spotted Eagle. He rested on a tree near me but said nothing; and then
he flew away to the place where the Giant Waziah lives."
To this all the men cry: "Hi ye!"
"I returned to the center, and then I went to the north, and as I stood
there I saw an eagle circling above, and as he lighted near me I
noticed that he was a young eagle, but it, too, said nothing to me, and
soon he circled and soared off towards the place towards which we
always face.
"I went back to the center where I cried and sent my voice, and then I
went towards the place where the sun comes up. There I saw
something flying towards me, and soon I saw that it was a baldheaded
eagle, but he too said nothing to me.
"Crying, I returned to the center, and then when I went towards the
place which we always face, I saw a red-breasted woodpecker
standing on the offering pole. I believe he may have given to me
something of his wochangi, for I heard him say to me very faintly yet
distinctly: 'Be attentive! [wachin ksapa yo!] and have no fear; but pay
no attention to any bad thing that may come and talk to you!'"
All the men now say more loudly: "Hi ye!"; for this message which
the bird gave is very important.
The "lamenter" continues: "Although I was crying and sending my
voice continually, this was all that I heard and saw that first day. Then
night fell, and I lay down with my head at the

 Page 63
center and went to sleep; and in my sleep I heard and saw my people,
and I noticed that they were all very happy.
"I arose in the middle of the night, and again walked to each of the
four directions, returning to the center each time, continually sending
my voice. Just before the morning star came up, I again visited the
four quarters, and just as I reached the place where the sun rises, I saw
the Morning Star, and I noticed that at first it was all red, and then it
changed to blue, and then into yellow, and finally I saw that it was
white, and in these four colors I saw the four ages. Although this star
did not really speak to me, yet it taught me very much.
"I stood there waiting for the sun to rise, and just at dawn I saw the
world full of little winged people, and they were all rejoicing. Finally
the sun came up, bringing its light into the world, and then I began to
cry and returned to the center where I lay down, leaning my pipe
against the center offering-pole.
"As I lay there at the center I could hear all sorts of little wingeds who
were sitting on the poles, but none of them spoke to me. I looked at
my pipe and there I saw two ants walking on the stem. Perhaps they
wished to speak to me, but soon they left.
"Often during the day as I was crying and sending my voice, birds and
butterflies would come to me, and once a white butterfly came and sat
on the end of the pipe stem, working his beautiful wings up and down.
During this day I saw no large four-leggeds, just the little peoples.
Then just before the sun went down to rest, I saw that clouds were
gathering, and the Thunder-beings were coming. The lightning was all
over the sky, and the thunder was terrifying, and I think that perhaps I
was a little afraid. But I held my pipe up and continued to send my
voice to Wakan-Tanka; and soon I heard another voice saying: 'Hee-
ay-hay-ee-ee! Hee-ay-hay-ee-ee!' Four times they said this, and then
all the fear left me, for I remembered what the little bird had told me,
and I felt very brave. I heard other voices, also, which I could not
understand. I stood there with my eyes closedI do not know how
longand when I opened them everything was very bright, brighter
even than the day; and I saw many people on horseback coming

 Page 64
towards me, all riding horses of different colors. One of the riders
even spoke to me saying: 'Young man, you are offering the pipe to
Wakan-Tanka; we are all very happy that you are doing this!' This is
all that they said, and then they disappeared.
"The next day, just before the sun came up, as I was visiting the four
quarters, I saw the same little red-breasted bird; he was sitting on the
pole there where we always face, and he said almost the same thing to
me as before: 'Friend, be attentive as you walk!' That was all. Soon
after this the two helpers came to bring me back. This is all that I
know; I have told the truth and have made nothing up!"
Thus the "lamenter" finishes his account. Now the holy man gives to
him his pipe, which he embraces, and it is then passed around the
circle, and a helper takes it and leans it, with its stem to the west,
against the sacred mound at the east of the lodge. More hot rocks are
handed into the lodge; the door is closed; and the Inipi begins.
The holy man prays, giving thanks to Wakan-Tanka: "Hee-ey-hay-ee-
ee! [four times] O Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, today You have helped
us. You have been merciful to this young man by giving him
knowledge and a path which he may follow. You have made his
people happy, and all the beings who move in the universe are
rejoicing!
"Grandfather, this young man who has offered the pipe to You, has
heard a voice which said to him, 'be attentive as you walk!' He wants
to know what this message means; it must now be explained to him. It
means that he should always remember You, O Wakan-Tanka, as he
walks the sacred path of life; and he must be attentive to all the signs
that You have given to us. If he does this always, he will become wise
and a leader of his people. O Wakan-Tanka, help us all to be always
attentive!5
 5 This message"Be attentive!"well expresses a spirit which is central to the
Indian peoples; it implies that in every act, in every thing, and in every
instant, the Great Spirit is present, and that one should be continually and
intensely "attentive" to this Divine presence.
This presence of Wakan-Tanka, and one's consciousness of it, is that which
the Christian saints have termed "living in the moment," the "eter-
(footnote continued on next page)

 Page 65
"This young man also saw four ages in that star there where the sun
comes up. These are the ages through which all creatures must pass in
their journey from birth to death.
"O Wakan-Tanka, when this young man saw the dawn of the day, he
saw Your light coming into the universe; this is the light of wisdom.
All these things You have revealed to us, for it is Your will that the
peoples of the world do not live in the darkness of ignorance.
"O Wakan-Tanka, You have established a relationship with this young
man; and through this relationship he will bring strength to his people.
We who are now sitting here represent all the people, and thus we all
give thanks to You, O Wakan-Tanka. We all raise our hands to You
and say: 'Wakan-Tanka, we thank you for this understanding and
relationship which you have given to us.' Be merciful to us always!
May this relationship exist until the very end!"
All the men now sing this sacred chant.
Grandfather, behold me!
Grandfather, behold me!
I held my pipe and offered it to You,
That my people may live!
(footnote continued from previous page)
nal now," or what in the Islamic tradition is termed the Waqt. In Lakota
this presence is called Taku Skanskan, or simply Skan in the sacred
language of the holy men. The following conversation between the Lakota
priest Finger and J. R. Walker well explains this:
"'What causes the stars to fall?' 'Taku Skanskan. . . . He causes everything that
falls to fall, and He causes everything to move that moves.' 'When you move,
what is it that causes you to move?' 'Skan.' 'If an arrow is shot from a bow
what causes it to move through the air?' 'Skan. . . . Taku Skanskan gives the
spirit to the bow, and He causes it to send the arrow from it.' 'What causes
smoke to go upward?' 'Taku Skanskan.' 'What causes water to flow in a river?'
 'Skan.' 'What causes the clouds to move over the world?' 'Skan.' 'Lakota have
told me that Skan is the sky. Is that so?' 'Yes. Skan is a Spirit and all that
mankind can see of Him is the blue of the sky; but He is everywhere!' 'Is
Skan Wakan-Tanka?' 'Yes!'" (The Sun Dance . . . of the Teton Dakota
[Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History, XVI,
Part II].)

 Page 66
Grandfather, behold me!
Grandfather, behold me!
I give to You all these offerings,
That my people may live!
Grandfather, behold me!
Grandfather, behold me!
We who represent all the people,
Offer ourselves to You,
That we may live!
After this chant, water is put on the rocks, and the Inipi is continued in
the same manner that I have described before. This young man who
has cried for a vision for the first time, may perhaps become wakan; if
he walks with his mind and heart attentive to Wakan-Tanka and His
Powers, as he has been instructed, he will certainly travel upon the red
path which leads to goodness and holiness. But he must cry for a
vision a second time, and this time the bad spirits may tempt him; but
if he is really a chosen one, he will stand firmly and will conquer all
distracting thoughts and will become purified from all that is not
good. Then he may receive some great vision that will bring strength
to the nation. But should the young man still be in doubt after his
second "lamenting," he may try a third and even a fourth time; and if
he is always sincere, and truly humiliates himself before all things, he
shall certainly be aided, for Wakan-Tanka always helps those who cry
to Him with a pure heart.

 Page 67

Chapter V
Wiwanyag Wachipi: The Sun Dance
The wiwanyag wachipi (dance looking at the sun) is one of our
greatest rites and was first held many, many winters after our people
received the sacred pipe from the White Buffalo Cow Woman. It is
held each year during the Moon of Fattening (June) or the Moon of
Cherries Blackening (July), always at the time when the moon is full,
for the growing and dying of the moon reminds us of our ignorance
which comes and goes; but when the moon is full it is as if the eternal
light of the Great Spirit were upon the whole world. But now I will
tell you how this holy rite first came to our people and how it was first
made.
Our people were once camped in a good place, in a circle, of course,
and the old men were sitting having a council, when they noticed that
one of our men, Kablaya (Spread), had dropped his robe down around
his waist, and was dancing there all alone with


 Page 68
his hand raised towards heaven. The old men thought that perhaps he
was crazy, so they sent someone to find out what was the matter; but
this man who was sent suddenly dropped his robe down around his
waist, too, and started dancing with Kablaya. The old men thought
this very strange, and so they all went over to see what could be the
matter. Kablaya then explained to them:
"Long ago Wakan-Tanka told us how to pray with the sacred pipe, but
we have now become lax in our prayers, and our people are losing
their strength. But I have just been shown, in a vision, a new way of
prayer; in this manner Wakan-Tanka has sent aid to us."
When they heard this the old men all said, "How!" and seemed very
pleased. They then had a conference and sent two men to the keeper
of the sacred pipe, for he should give advice on all matters of this sort.
The keeper told the men that this was certainly a very good thing, for
"we were told that we would have seven ways of praying to Wakan-
Tanka, and this must certainly be one of them, for Kablaya has been
taught in a vision, and we were told in the beginning that we should
receive our rites in this manner."
The two messengers brought this news back to the old men, who then
asked Kablaya to instruct them in what they must do. Kablaya then
spoke to the men, saying: "This is to be the sun dance; we cannot
make it immediately but must wait four days, and during this time we
shall prepare, as I have been instructed in my vision. This dance will
be an offering of our bodies and souls to Wakan-Tanka and will be
very wakan. All our old and holy men should gather; a large tipi
should be built and sage should be placed all around inside it. You
must have a good pipe, and also all the following equipment:
Ree twist tobacco a tanned buffalo calf
hide
bark of the red rabbit skins
willow
Sweet grass eagle plumes
a bone knife red earth paint
a flint axe blue paint
buffalo tallow rawhide

 Page 69
a eagle tail feathers
buffalo
skull
a whistles from the wing bones
rawhide of the Spotted Eagle.
bag

After the people had secured all these sacred things, Kablaya then
asked all those who could sing to come to him that evening so that he
could teach them the holy songs; he said that they should bring with
them a large drum made from a buffalo hide, and they should have
very stout drum sticks, covered at the end with buffalo hide, the hair
side out.
Since the drum is often the only instrument used in our sacred rites, I
should perhaps tell you here why it is especially sacred and important
to us. It is because the round form of the drum represents the whole
universe, and its steady strong beat is the pulse, the heart, throbbing at
the center of the universe. It is as the voice of Wakan-Tanka, and this
sound stirs us and helps us to understand the mystery and power of all
things.
That evening the singers, four men and a woman, came to Kablaya,
who spoke to them in this manner: "O you, my relatives, for a very
long time we have been sending our voices to Wakan-Tanka. This He
has taught us to do. We have many ways of praying to Him, and
through this sacred manner of living our generations have learned to
walk the red path with firm steps. The sacred pipe is always at the
center of the hoop of our nation, and with it the people have walked
and will continue to walk in a holy manner.
"In this new rite which I have just received, one of the standing
peoples has been chosen to be at our center; he is the wagachun (the
rustling tree, or cottonwood); he will be our center and also the
people, for the tree represents the way of the people. Does it not
stretch from the earth here to heaven there?1 This new way of sending
our voices to Wakan-Tanka will be very powerful; its use will spread,
and, at this time of year, every year, many people will
1 In the Atharva Veda Samhita of the Hindu scriptures, we find a
description of the significance of their World Tree, which is quite identical
to the symbolism of the tree for the Lakota: "The World Tree in which the
trunk, which is also the sun pillar, sacrificial post, and axis mundi,
(footnote continued on next page)

 Page 70
pray to the Great Spirit. Before I teach you the holy songs, let us first
offer the pipe to our Father and Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka."
"O Grandfather, Father, Wakan-Tanka, we are about to fulfill Thy will
as You have taught us to do in my vision. This we know will be a very
sacred way of sending our voices to You; through this, may our people
receive wisdom; may it help us to walk the sacred path with all the
Powers of the universe! Our prayer will really be the prayer of all
things, for all are really one; all this I have seen in my vision. May the
four Powers of the universe help us to do this rite correctly; O Great
Spirit, have mercy upon us!"
The pipe was smoked by all, and then Kablaya began to teach the
songs to the five people. Many other people had gathered around the
singers, and to these Kablaya said that while they listen they should
frequently cry "O Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, I offer the pipe to You
that my people may live!"
There were no words to the first song that Kablaya taught the singers;
it was simply a chant, repeated four times, and the fast beat on the
drum was used. The words to the second song were:
Wakan-Tanka, have mercy on us,
That our people may live!
And the third song was:
They say a herd of buffalo is coming;
It is here now!
Their blessing will come to us.
It is with us now!
The fourth song was a chant and had no words.
(footnote continued from Previous Page)
rising from the altar at the navel of the earth, penetrates the world door and
 branches out above the roof of the world (A. V. X. 7. 3.); as the
'nonexistent (unmanifested) branch that yonder kindreds know as the
Supernal' (A. V. X. 7. 21)." (Translated by A.K. Coomaraswamy,
Svayamatrna: Janua Coeli," Zalmoxis.)
For a full explanation of the symbolism of the tree, see René Guénon, Le
Symbolisme de la Croix, Les Editions Vega (Paris, 1931); especially Chap.
IX, "L'Arbre du Milieu."

 Page 71
Then Kablaya taught the men who had brought their eaglebone
whistles how they should be used, and he also told the men what
equipment they should prepare and explained the meaning of each
ritual object.
''You should prepare a necklace of otter skin, and from it there should
hang a circle with a cross in the center. At the four places where the
cross meets the circle there should hang eagle feathers which
represent the four Powers of the universe and the four ages. At the
center of the circle you should tie a plume taken from the breast of the
eagle, for this is the place which is nearest to the heart and center of
the sacred bird. This plume will be for Wakan-Tanka, who dwells at
the depths of the heavens, and who is the center of all things.
''You all have the eaglebone whistles, and to the ends of each of these
an eagle plume should be tied. When you blow the whistle always
remember that it is the voice of the Spotted Eagle; our Grandfather,
Wakan-Tanka, always hears this, for you see it is really His own voice.
"A hanhepi wi [night sun, or moon] should be cut from rawhide in the
shape of a crescent, for the moon represents a person and, also, all
things, for everything created waxes and wanes, lives and dies. You
should also understand that the night represents ignorance, but it is the
moon and the stars which bring the Light of Wakan-Tanka into this
darkness. As you know the moon comes and goes, but anpetu wi, the
sun, lives on forever; it is the source of light, and because of this it is
like Wakan-Tanka.
"A five-pointed star should be cut from rawhide. This will be the
sacred Morning Star who stands between the darkness and the light,
and who represents knowledge.
"A round rawhide circle should be made to represent the sun, and this
should be painted red; but at the center there should be a round circle
of blue, for this innermost center represents Wakan-Tanka as our
Grandfather. The light of this sun enlightens the entire universe; and
as the flames of the sun come to us in the morning, so comes the grace
of Wakan-Tanka, by which all creatures are enlightened. It is because
of this that the four-leggeds

 Page 72
and the wingeds always rejoice at the coming of the light. We can all
see in the day, and this seeing is sacred for it represents the sight of
that real world which we may have through the eye of the heart. When
you wear this sacred sign in the dance, you should remember that you
are bringing Light into the universe, and if you concentrate on these
meanings you will gain great benefit.
"A round circle should be cut and painted red, and this will represent
Earth. She is sacred, for upon Her we place our feet, and from Her we
send our voices to Wakan-Tanka. She is a relative of ours, and this we
should always remember when we call Her "Grandmother" or
"Mother." When we pray we raise our hand to the heavens, and
afterwards we touch the earth, for is not our Spirit from Wakan-Tanka,
and are not our bodies from the earth? We are related to all things: the
earth and the stars, everything, and with all these together we raise our
hand to Wakan-Tanka and pray to Him alone.
"You should also cut from rawhide another round circle, and this
should be painted blue for the heavens. When you dance you should
raise your head and hand up to these heavens, looking at them, for if
you do this your Grandfather will see you. It is He who owns
everything; there is nothing which does not belong to Him, and thus it
is to Him alone that you should pray.
"Finally, you should cut from rawhide the form of tatanka, the
buffalo. He represents the people and the universe and should always
be treated with respect, for was he not here before the two-legged
peoples, and is he not generous in that he gives us our homes and our
food? The buffalo is wise in many things, and, thus, we should learn
from him and should always be as a relative with him.
"Each man should wear one of these sacred symbols on his chest, and
he should realize their meanings as I have explained to you here. In
this great rite you are to offer your body as a sacrifice in behalf of all
the people, and through you the people will gain understanding and
strength. Always be conscious of these things which I have told you
today; it is all wakan!"
The next day it was necessary to locate the sacred rustling tree

 Page 73
which was to stand at the center of the great lodge, and so Kablaya
told his helper of the type of tree which he should find and mark with
sage, that the war party will be able to locate it and bring it back to
camp. Kablaya also instructed the helpers how they must mark out the
ground where the sacred sun-dance lodge will be set up, around the
holy tree, and how they should mark the doorway at the east with
green branches.
The following day the scouts, who had been chosen by the spiritual
leaders, went out and pretended to scout for the tree. When it was
found they returned immediately to camp, and after circling sun-wise
around the place where the lodge was to be, they all charged for the
doorway, trying to strike a coup on it. These scouts then took up a
pipe, and, after offering it to the six directions, they swore that they
would tell the truth. When this had been done, Kablaya spoke to the
men in this manner:
"You have taken up the holy pipe, and so you must now tell us with
truth all that you have seen. You know that running through the stem
of the pipe there is a little hole leading straight to the center and heart
of the pipe; let your minds be as straight as this Way. May your
tongues not be forked. You have been sent out to find a tree that will
be of great benefit to the people, so now tell us truthfully what you
have found."
Kablaya then turned the pipe around four times, and pointed the stem
towards the scout who was to give the report.
"I went over a hill, and there I saw many of the sacred standing
peoples."
"In which direction were you facing, and what did you see beyond the
first hill?"
"I was facing the west," the scout replied, "and then I went further and
looked over a second hill and saw many more of the sacred standing
people living there."
In this manner the scout was questioned four times, for as you know
with our people all good things are done in fours; and then this is the
manner in which we always question our scouts when we are on the
warpath, for you see we are here regarding the tree as an enemy who
is to be killed.

 Page 74
When the scouts had given their report, they all dressed as if they
were going on the warpath; and then they left the camp as if to attack
the enemy. Many other people followed behind the scouts. When they
came to the chosen tree, they all gathered around it; then, last of all,
Kablaya arrived with his pipe, which he held with its stem pointing
towards the tree; he spoke in this manner:
"Of all the many standing peoples, you O rustling cottonwood have
been chosen in a sacred manner; you are about to go to the center of
the people's sacred hoop, and there you will represent the people and
will help us to fulfill the will of Wakan-Tanka. You are a kind and
good-looking tree; upon you the winged peoples have raised their
families; from the tip of your lofty branches down to your roots, the
winged and four-legged peoples have made their homes. When you
stand at the center of the sacred hoop you will be the people, and you
will be as the pipe, stretching from heaven to earth. The weak will
lean upon you, and for all the people you will be a support. With the
tips of your branches you hold the sacred red and blue days. You will
stand where the four sacred paths crossthere you will be the center of
the great Powers of the universe. May we two-leggeds always follow
your sacred example, for we see that you are always looking upwards
into the heavens. Soon, and with all the peoples of the world, you will
stand at the center; for all beings and all things you will bring that
which is good. Hechetu welo!"
Kablaya then offered his pipe to Heaven and Earth, and then with the
stem he touched the tree on the west, north, east, and south sides; after
this he lit and smoked the pipe.
I think it would be good to explain to you here why we consider the
cottonwood tree to be so very sacred. I might mention first, that long
ago it was the cottonwood who taught us how to make our tipis, for
the leaf of the tree is an exact pattern of the tipi, and this we learned
when some of our old men were watching little children making play
houses from these leaves. This too is a good example of how much
grown men may learn from very little children, for the hearts of little
children are pure, and, therefore, the Great Spirit may show to them
many things which older

 Page 75
people miss. Another reason why we choose the cottonwood tree to be
at the center of our lodge is that the Great Spirit has shown to us that,
if you cut an upper limb of this tree crosswise, there you will see in
the grain a perfect five pointed star, which, to us, represents the
presence of the Great Spirit. Also perhaps you have noticed that even
in the very lightest breeze you can hear the voice of the cottonwood
tree; this we understand is its prayer to the Great Spirit,2 for not only
men, but all things and all beings pray to Him continually in differing
ways.
The chiefs then did a little victory dance there around the tree, singing
their chief's songs, and as they sang and danced they selected the man
who was to have the honor of counting coup on the tree; he must
always be a man of good character, who has shown himself brave and
self-sacrificing on the warpath. Three other men were also chosen by
the chiefs, and then each of these four men stood at one of the four
sides of the treethe leader at the west. This leader then told of his great
deeds in war, and when he had finished the men cheered and the
women gave the tremulo. The brave man then motioned with his axe
three times towards the tree, and the fourth time he struck it. Then the
other three men in turn told of their exploits in war, and when they
finished they also struck the tree in the same manner, and at each blow
all the people shouted "hi! hey!" When the tree was nearly ready to
fall, the chiefs went around and selected a person with a quiet and
holy nature, and this person gave the last blow to the tree; as it fell
there was much cheering, and all the women gave the tremulo. Great
care was taken that the tree did not touch the ground when it fell, and
no one was permitted to step over it.
The tree was then carried by six men towards the camp, but before
they reached camp they stopped four times, and after the
2 An interesting parallel to this attitude towards trees is found in an
 Islamic source: "[Holy] men dance and wheel on the [spiritual] battlefield:
From within them musicians strike the tambourine: at their ecstacy the
seas burst into foam. You see it not, but for their ears the leaves too on the
boughs are clapping hands. . . . one must have the spiritual ear, not the ear
of the body." (Jalaluddin Rumi, The Mathnawi [R. A. Nicholson
translation, 8 vols., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1926], III 9.)

 Page 76
last stop they all howled like coyotesas do the warriors when returning
from the war path; then they all charged into camp and placed the
sacred tree up upon polesfor it must not touch the groundand pointed
its base towards the hole which had already been prepared, and its tip
faced towards the west. The lodge around the tree had not yet been set
up, but all the poles had been prepared, and all the equipment for
constructing the Inipi had been gathered.
The chief priest, Kablaya, and all those who were to take part in the
dance, then went into a large tipi where they were to prepare
themselves and receive instructions. The lodge was shut up very
tightly, and leaves were even placed all around the base.
Kablaya, who was seated at the west, scraped a bare place on the
ground in front of him, and here a coal was placed; as Kablaya burned
sweet grass upon the coal, he said: "We burn this sacred herb for
Wakan-Tanka, so that all the two-legged and winged peoples of the
universe will be relatives and close to each other. Through this there
shall be much happiness."
A small image of a drying rack was then made from two forked sticks
and one straight one, and all were painted blue, for the drying rack
represents heaven, and it is our prayer that the racks always be as full
as heaven. The pipe was then taken up, and after being purified over
the smoke, it was leaned against the rack, for in this way it represents
our prayers and is the path leading from earth to heaven.
All the sacred things to be used in the dance were then purified over
the smoke of the sweet grass: the hide figures; the sacred paints; the
calf skin; and the buckskin bags; and the dancers, also, purified
themselves. When this had been done, Kablaya took up his pipe, and,
raising it to heaven, he prayed.
"O Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, You are the maker of everything. You
have always been and always will be. You have been kind to your
people, for You have taught us a way of prayer with the pipe which
You have given us; and now through a vision You have shown to me a
sacred dance which I must teach to my people. Today we will do Thy
will."

 Page 77
"As I stand upon this sacred earth, upon which generations of our
people have stood, I send a voice to You by offering this pipe. Behold
me, O Wakan-Tanka, for I represent all the people. Within this pipe I
shall place the four Powers and all the wingeds of the universe;
together with all these, who shall become one, I send a voice to You.
Behold me! Enlighten my mind with Your never fading Light!"
"I offer this pipe to Wakan-Tanka, first through You O winged Power
of the place where the sun goes down; there is a place for You in this
pipe. Help us with those red and blue days which make the people
holy!"
Kablaya then held up a pinch of tobacco, and after motioning with it
to Heaven, Earth, and the four Powers, he placed it in the bowl of the
pipe. Then after the following prayers, he placed pinches of tobacco in
the pipe for each of the other directions.
"O winged Power of the place where Waziah lives, I am about to offer
this pipe to Wakan-Tanak; help me with the two good red and blue
days which You havedays which are purifying to the people and to the
universe. There is a place for You in the pipe, and so help us!
"O You, Power there where the sun comes up; You who give
knowledge and who guard the dawn of the day, help us with Your two
red and blue days which give understanding and Light to the people.
There is a place for You in this pipe which I am about to offer to
Wakan-Tanka; help us!
"O You, most sacred Power at the place where we always face; You
who are the source of life, and who guard the people and the coming
generations, help us with Your two red and blue days! There is a place
for You in the pipe.
"O You, Spotted Eagle of the heavens! we know that You have sharp
eyes with which you see even the smallest object that moves on
Grandmother Earth. O You, who are in the depths of the heavens, and
who know everything, I am offering this pipe to Wakan-Tanka! Help
us with Your two good red and blue days!
"O You, Grandmother Earth, who lie outstretched, support-

 Page 78
ing all things! upon You a two-legged is standing, offering a pipe to
the Great Spirit. You are at the center of the two good red and blue
days. There will be a place for You in the pipe and so help us!"
Kablaya then placed a small grain of tobacco in the pipe for each of
the following birds: the kingbird; the robin; the lark, who sings during
the two good days; the woodpecker; the hawk, who makes life so
difficult for the other winged peoples; the eagle hawk; the magpie,
who knows everything; the blackbird; and many other wingeds. Now
all objects of creation and the six directions of space have been placed
within the bowl of the pipe. The pipe was sealed with tallow and was
leaned against the little blue drying rack.
Kablaya then took up another pipe, filled it, and went to where the
sacred tree was resting. A live coal was brought, and the tree and the
hole were purified with the smoke from sweet grass.
"O Wakan-Tanka," Kablaya prayed as he held his pipe up with one
hand, "behold this holy tree-person who will soon be placed in this
hole. He will stand with the sacred pipe. I touch him with the sacred
red earth paint from our Grandmother and also with the fat from the
four-legged buffalo. By touching this tree-person with the red earth,
we remember that the generations of all that move come from our
Mother the Earth. With your help, O tree, I shall soon offer my body
and soul to Wakan-Tanka, and in me I offer all my people and all the
generations to come."
Kablaya then took the red paint, offered it to the six directions, and
again spoke to the sacred tree: "O tree, you are about to stand up; be
merciful to my people, that they may flourish under you."
Kablaya painted stripes of red on the west, north, east, and south sides
of the tree, and then he touched a very little paint to the tip of the tree
for the Great Spirit, and he also put some at the base of the tree for
Mother Earth. Then Kablaya took up the skin of a buffalo calf, saying:
"It is from this buffalo person that our people live; he gives to us our
homes, our clothing, our food, everything we need. O buffalo calf, I
now give to you a sacred place upon the tip of the tree. This tree will
hold you in his hand and will raise you up to Wakan-Tanka. Behold
what I am about

 Page 79
to do! Through this, all things that move and fly upon the earth and in
the heavens will be happy!"
Kablaya next held up a small cherry tree, and continued to pray:
"Behold this, O Wakan-Tanka, for it is the tree of the people, which
we pray will bear much fruit."
This little tree was then tied upon the sacred cottonwood, just below
the buffalo hide, and with it there was tied a buckskin bag in which
there was some fat.
Kablaya then took up the hide images of a buffalo and a man, and,
offering them to the six directions, he prayed: "Behold this buffalo, O
Grandfather, which You have given to us; he is the chief of all the
four-leggeds upon our sacred Mother; from him the people live, and
with him they walk the sacred path. Behold, too, this two-legged, who
represents all the people. These are the two chiefs upon this great
island; bestow upon them all the favours that they ask for, O Wakan-
Tanka!"
These two images were then tied upon the tree, just underneath the
place where the tree forks; after this Kablaya held up a bag of fat to be
placed underneath the base of the tree, and he prayed in this manner:
"O Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, behold this sacred fat, upon which this
tree-person will stand; may the earth always be as fat and fruitful as
this. O tree, this is a sacred day for you and for all our people; the
earth within this hoop belongs to you, O tree, and it is here underneath
you that I shall offer up my body and soul for the sake of the people.
Here I shall stand, sending my voice to You, O Wakan-Tanka, as I
offer the sacred pipe. All this may be difficult to do, yet for the good
of the people it must be done. Help me, O Grandfather, and give to me
courage and strength to stand the sufferings which I am about to
undergo! O tree, you are now admitted to the sacred lodge!"
With much cheering and many shrill tremulos, the tree was raised,
very slowly, for the men stopped four times before it was straight and
dropped into the hole prepared for it. Now all the peoplethe two-
leggeds, four-leggeds, and the wingeds of the airwere rejoicing, for
they would all flourish under the protection

 Page 80
of the tree. It helps us all to walk the sacred path; we can lean upon it,
and it will always guide us and give us strength.
A little dance was held around the base of the tree, and then the
surrounding lodge was made by putting upright, in a large circle,
twenty-eight forked sticks, and from the fork of each stick a pole was
placed which reached to the holy tree at the center.
I should explain to you here that in setting up the sun dance lodge, we
are really making the universe in a likeness; for, you see, each of the
posts around the lodge represents some particular object of creation,
so that the whole circle is the entire creation, and the one tree at the
center, upon which the twenty-eight poles rest, is Wakan-Tanka, who
is the center of everything. Everything comes from Him, and sooner
or later everything returns to Him. And I should also tell you why it is
that we use twenty-eight poles. I have already explained why the
numbers four and seven are sacred; then if you add four sevens you
get twenty-eight. Also the moon lives twenty-eight days, and this is
our month; each of these days of the month represents something
sacred to us: two of the days represent the Great Spirit; two are for
Mother Earth; four are for the four winds; one is for the Spotted
Eagle; one for the sun; and one for the moon; one is for the Morning
Star; and four for the four ages; seven are for our seven great rites;
one is for the buffalo; one for the fire; one for the water; one for the
rock; and finally one is for the two-legged people. If you add all these
days up you will see that they come to twenty-eight. You should also
know that the buffalo has twenty-eight ribs, and that in our war
bonnets we usually use twenty-eight feathers. You see, there is a
significance for everything, and these are the things that are good for
men to know, and to remember. But now we must return to the sun
dance.
The warriors all dressed and painted themselves, and after entering the
sacred lodge they danced around the center tree, for in this way the
ground was purified and made smooth by the dancing feet. The chiefs
then gathered and selected braves, one of which was to be the leader
of the dancers. These chosen men then danced first towards the west,
and then back to the center, then to the

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A Sun Dance Lodge

north and to the center, to the east and to the center, and finally to the
south and then back to the center, and in this way they made a path in
the shape of a cross.
Kablaya then entered the Inipi lodge, carrying the sacred pipe which
had already been filled, and he sat at the west; all the other men who
were to take part in the dance also entered, taking care not to pass in
front of Kablaya, and then one woman entered last, taking her seat
next to the door.
All the buffalo robes to be used in the dance were placed on top of the
Inipi lodge, for in this way they are purified. The five hot rocks for the
five directions were brought in and put in their proper places at the
sacred altar, and then a sixth rock was placed upon the sacred path.

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Kablaya held that pipe which was to be used in the dance, but a
second pipe which was to be used for the rites of the Inipi was filled
and was handed to Kablaya to bless and to light. This pipe was
smoked around the circle in the ritual manner, purified by Kablaya,
and was then handed out of the lodge. The door was closed, and now
it was the time for Kablaya to explain his vision to the people.
''My relatives alllisten! Wakan-Tanka has been kind to us, and has
placed us upon a sacred Earth; upon Her we are now sitting. You have
just seen the five sacred rocks placed here at the center, and that sixth
rock which was placed upon the path represents the people. For the
good of you all Wakan-Tanka has taught to me in a vision, a way of
worshipthis I am now teaching to you.
''The heavens are sacred, for it is there that our Grandfather, the Great
Spirit, lives; these heavens are as a cloak for the universethis robe is
now upon me as I stand here. O Wakan-Tanka, I show to You the
sacred hoop of our nation, which is this circle within which there is a
cross; this circle one of us wears upon his breast. And I show to You
the earth which You have made, and which You are always making; it
is represented by this round red circle which we wear. The never-
ending Light which turns the night into day, we also wear, that the
Light may be amongst our people, that they may see. I show to You
also the Morning Star which gives knowledge to us. The four-legged
buffalo whom You have placed here before the two-legged people is
also here with us. And here is also the sacred woman who came to us
in such a holy manner. All these holy peoples and holy things are now
hearing what I say!
"Very soon I shall suffer and endure great pain with my relatives here,
in behalf of my people. In tears and suffering I shall hold my pipe and
raise my voice to You, O Wakan-Tanka. I shall offer up my body and
soul that my people may live. In sending my voice to You, Wakan-
Tanka, I shall use that which connects the four Powers, Heaven, and
Earth, to You. All that which moves on the universethe four-leggeds,
the insects, and the wingedsall rejoice and help me and all my
people!"

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Kablaya then sang his sacred song:
The Sun, the Light of the world,
I hear Him coming.
I see His face as He comes.
He makes the beings on earth happy,
And they rejoice.
O Wakan-Tanka, I offer to You this world of Light.
The pipe to be used in the sacred dance was then wrapped in sage and
was taken out of the lodge by the woman; she carried it along the
sacred path to the east and placed it upon the buffalo skull, being
careful to have its stem point towards the east. This woman then
remained outside the little lodge and assisted in opening and closing
the door. The Inipi then began as I have described before, but after the
second time the door was closed, Kablaya made a special prayer in
this manner:
"Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, behold us! The sacred pipe which You
have given to us, and with which we have raised our children, will
soon go to the center of the universe, along with the buffalo, who has
helped to make strong the bodies of the people. The sacred woman
who once before came to the center of our hoop will again come to
our center, and a two-legged who will suffer for his people will also
go to the center. O Wakan-Tanka, when we are all at the center, may
we have only You in our minds and hearts!"
Kablaya then sang another of the sacred songs which he had received
in his vision.
I hear Him coming; I see His face.
Your day is sacred! I offer it to You.
I hear Him coming; I see His face.
This sacred day You made the buffalo roam.
You have made a happy day for the world;
 I offer all to You.
Water was then put on the rocks as Kablaya prayed: "O Wak-

 Page 84
an-Tanka, we are now purifying ourselves, that we may be worthy to
raise our hands to You."
Then raising their right hands, all the men sang.
Grandfather, I send my voice to You.
Grandfather, I send my voice to You.
With all the universe I send my voice to You,
That I may live.
When the door was opened the third time, the men were all allowed to
drink a little water, but this was the only time during the whole rite
that this was permitted. As the men received the water, Kablaya said
to them: "I give you water, but remember the One in the west who
guards the waters and the sanctity of all things. You are about to drink
the water, which is life, and so you should not spill any of it. When
you finish you should raise your hands in thanks to the Power of the
place where the sun goes down; he will help you to bear the
difficulties which you are about to undergo."
The door was closed for the last time, and again all the men sang as
the heat and steam purified them. And when the door was finally
opened, they all came out, led by Kablaya, and they raised their hands
to the six directions, saying: "Hi ho! Hi ho! Pila-miya!" (thanks).
Each dancer had a helper, who took a purified buffalo robe from the
top of the Inipi lodge and put it around the dancer. Kablaya then took
his pipe which had been resting on the buffalo skull, and, with all the
men, he entered a sacred tipi and placed his pipe against the little
drying rack, which had been painted blue to represent the heavens.
Sweet grass was put on a coal, and Kablaya and all the men purified
themselves in the sacred smoke. After this, the drum and drumsticks
were blessed and purified, and as he did this Kablaya said: "This drum
is the buffalo and will go to the center. By using these sticks upon the
drum, we shall certainly defeat our enemies."
All the clothing and equipment to be used in the dance were then
purified; the four buffalo skulls were also purified, for one of

 Page 85
the men would soon fasten these to his skin, bearing them in this way
until they break loose.
Kablaya then explained to the men that their bodies had been purified
and, thus were now sacred and should not even be touched by their
own hands. The men must carry little sticks in their hair with which to
scratch themselves, should it be necessary, and even when they paint
themselves with the red earth paint they must use sticks instead of
their hands.
Kablaya put around his neck the round blue hide circle representing
the heavens, and each of the other men wore the different symbols:
the circle with the cross; the red earth circle; the sun; the moon; and
the Morning Star. The seventh man wore the buffalo, and the woman
carried the pipe, for she represents the White Buffalo Cow Woman.
The men also put rabbit skins on their arms and legs, for the rabbit
represents humility, because he is quiet and soft and not self-
assertinga quality which we must all possess when we go to the center
of the world. The men also put feathers in their hair, and, after these
preparations, Kablaya instructed them in what they must do when they
enter the sacred dance lodge.
"When we go to the center of the hoop we shall all cry, for we should
know that anything born into this world which you see about you
must suffer and bear difficulties. We are now going to suffer at the
center of the sacred hoop, and by doing this may we take upon
ourselves much of the suffering of our people."
Each of the men then declared which of the sacrifices he would
undergo, and Kablaya made his vow first: "I will attach my body to
the thongs of the Great Spirit which come down to earththis shall be
my offering."
(I think I should explain to you here, that the flesh represents
ignorance, and, thus, as we dance and break the thong loose, it is as if
we were being freed from the bonds of the flesh. It is much the same
as when you break a young colt; at first a halter is necessary, but later
when he has become broken, the rope is no longer necessary. We too
are young colts when we start to dance, but soon we become broken
and submit to the Great Spirit.)

 Page 86
The second dancer said: "I will tie myself to the four Powers of the
world which Wakan-Tanka has established."
Here the dancer actually is the centerfor standing at the center of four
posts, rawhide thongs from these posts are tied into the flesh of his
shoulders, his breast, and his back, and in this manner he dances until
these thongs have broken out from his flesh.
The third dancer made his vow: "I will bear four of my closest
relatives, the ancient buffalo."
By this the dancer means that four thongs will be tied into his back, to
which will be attached four buffalo skulls, and these four bonds
represent the pull of ignorance which should always be behind us as
we face the light of truth which is before us.
The fourth dancer said: "I will leave twelve pieces of my flesh at the
foot of the sacred tree. One shall be for Wakan-Tanka, our
Grandfather, one for Wakan-Tanka, our Father, one for the Earth, our
Grandmother, and one for the Earth, our Mother. I will leave four
pieces of flesh for the Powers of the four directions, and then I will
leave one for the Spotted Eagle, one for the Morning Star, one for the
moon, and one for the sun."
The fifth dancer said: "I will make an offering of eight pieces of my
flesh; two shall be for Wakan-Tanka, two for the Earth, and four for
the Powers of the four directions."
The sixth dancer said: "I will leave at the sacred tree four pieces of my
flesh; one shall be for Wakan-Tanka, one for the Earth upon whom we
walk, one for the people that they may walk with firm steps, and one
for the wingeds of the universe."
The seventh dancer made his vow: "I will leave one piece of my flesh
for Wakan-Tanka and one for the Earth."
Then the eighth dancer, who was the woman, made her vow: "I will
offer one piece of my flesh to Wakan-Tanka and for all moving things
of the universe, that they may give their powers to the people, that
they with their children may walk the red path of life."
When all had finished making their vows, Kablaya told them to purify
themselves by rubbing sage on their faces and all over their bodies,
"for we are now about to approach a sacred place where

 Page 87
the tree stands, as the pipe, stretching from Heaven to Earth. We must
be worthy to go to this center!"
All the people of the band had gathered around the outside of the
sacred lodge, and within the lodge at the south were the singers, with
the women who were their helpers, and all were wearing wreaths
around their foreheads and holding little sprigs of some sacred plant.
Then the dancers arrived, being led by the woman, who carried the
sacred pipe, and followed by Kablaya, carrying the buffalo skull, and
at the end of the line were the helpers who carried all the equipment.
They all walked slowly around the outside of the lodge, in a sun-wise
direction, and all the time they were crying most pitifully: "O Wakan-
Tanka, be merciful to me, that my people may live! It is for this that I
am sacrificing myself."
And as the dancers chanted this, all the other people cried, for they
were the peoplethe nationfor whom the dancers were to suffer. The
dancers entered the lodge at the east and, after moving around the
lodge sun-wise, took their places at the west. Then Kablaya placed the
buffalo skull between the dancers and the sacred tree, with the nose of
the skull facing the east; and just in front of him, he set up the three
blue forked sticks, and upon this rack the woman rested the sacred
pipe.
The singers then sang one of the sacred songs:
Wakan-Tanka be merciful to me. We want to live!
That is why we are doing this.
They say that a herd of buffalo is coming;
Now they are here.
The power of the buffalo is coming upon us;
It is now here!"
After the chanting of this song the people all cried, and then, for the
rest of the day and all that night, they danced. This dance, during the
first night, represents the people in the darkness of ignorance; they
were not yet worthy to meet the Light of the Great Spirit which would
shine upon them with the coming of the next

 Page 88
day; first they must suffer and purify themselves before they could be
worthy to be with Wakan-Tanka.
Just before dawn, the dance stopped, and at this time the dancers, or
their relatives, placed offerings outside the sacred lodge at each of the
four quarters.
At dawn the dancers again entered the lodge, and with them there was
the keeper of the sacred pipe; this holy man had been asked by
Kablaya to make the sacred altar, but he had replied, "this is your
vision Kablaya, and you should make the altar; but I will be present
beside you, and when you have finished I will offer up the prayer."
Thus, it was Kablaya who made the sacred place; he first scraped a
round circle in the ground in front of him, and then within this circle
he placed a hot coal.3 Then taking up some sweet grass and holding it
above him, he prayed.
"O Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, this is Your sacred grass which I place
on the fire; its smoke will spread throughout the world, reaching even
to the heavens. The four-leggeds, the wingeds, and all things will
know this smoke and will rejoice. May this offering help to make all
things and all beings as relatives to us; may they all give to us their
powers, so that we may endure the difficulties ahead of us. Behold, O
Wakan-Tanka, I place this sweet grass on the fire, and the smoke will
rise to You."
As Kablaya placed the sacred grass on the fire, he sang this song:
I am making sacred smoke;
In this manner I make the smoke;
May all the peoples behold it!
I am making sacred smoke;
3 This coal was taken from a fire which had been kept burning all through
the previous night, and which will burn every night during the dance. It is
 located to the east, outside the lodge, and, according to Black Elk, it is
kept in order to remind the people of the eternal presence of Wakan-Tanka.
During the day this fire is not necessary because the sun is then present as
a reminder.

 Page 89
May all be attentive and behold!
May the wingeds, and the four-leggeds
be attentive and behold it!
In this manner I make the smoke;
All over the universe there will be rejoicing!
The knife which was to be used for piercing the breasts of the dancers
was purified over the smoke, as was also a small stone hatchet and a
small quantity of earth. Kablaya was then ready to make the sacred
altar; but first he prayed.
"O Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, I shall now make this Your sacred
place. In making this altar, all the birds of the air and all creatures of
the earth will rejoice, and they will come from all directions to behold
it! All the generations of my people will rejoice! This place will be the
center of the paths of the four great Powers. The dawn of the day will
see this holy place! When Your Light approaches, O Wakan-Tanka, all
that moves in the universe will rejoice!"
A pinch of the purified earth was offered above and to the ground and
was then placed at the center of the sacred place. Another pinch of
earth was offered to the west, north, east, and south and was placed at
the west of the circle. In the same manner, earth was placed at the
other three directions, and then it was spread evenly all around within
the circle. This earth represents the two-leggeds, the four-leggeds, the
wingeds, and really all that moves, and all that is in the universe.
Upon this sacred place Kablaya then began to construct the altar. He
first took up a stick, pointed it to the six directions, and then, bringing
it down, he made a small circle at the center; and this we understand
to be the home of Wakan-Tanka. Again, after pointing the stick to the
six directions, Kablaya made a mark starting from the west and
leading to the edge of the circle. In the same manner he drew a line
from the east to the edge of the circle, from the north to the circle, and
from the south to the circle. By constructing the altar in this manner,
we see that everything leads into, or returns to, the center;

 Page 90
and this center which is here, but which we know is really
everywhere, is Wakan-Tanka.
Kablaya then took up a small bundle of sage, and, offering it up to
Wakan-Tanka, he prayed.
"O Wakan-Tanka, behold us! Next to the two-leggeds, the chief of all
the four-leggeds is tatanka, the buffalo. Behold his dried skull here;
by this we know that we, too, shall become skull and bones, and, thus,
together we shall all walk the sacred path back to Wakan-Tanka. When
we arrive at the end of our days, be merciful to us, O Wakan-Tanka.
Here on earth we live together with the buffalo, and we are grateful to
him, for it is he who gives us our food, and who makes the people
happy. For this reason I now give grass to our relative the buffalo."
Kablaya then made a little bed of sage to the east of the sacred altar,
and, taking up the buffalo skull by the horns, and facing the east, he
sang:
I give grass to the buffalo;
May the people behold it,
That they may live.
Then turning, and holding the skull to the west, Kablaya sang:
Tobacco I give to the buffalo;
May the people behold it,
That they may live.
Then turning to the north, Kablaya sang:
A robe I give to the buffalo;
May the people behold it,
That they may live.
And turning to the south he sang:
Paint I give to the buffalo;
 May the people behold it,
That they may live.

 Page 91
Then standing over the sage, Kablaya sang:
Water I will give to the buffalo;
May the people behold it,
That they may live.
The buffalo skull was then placed on the bed of sage, facing east, and
Kablaya placed little balls of sage in its eyes and tied a little bag of
tobacco on the horn which was facing south, and he also tied a piece
of deerhide on the horn at the north, for this hide represents the robe
for the buffalo. Then Kablaya painted a red line around the head of the
buffalo and drew, also, a red line from the forehead to the tip of the
nose. As he did this Kablaya said: "You, O buffalo, are the earth! May
we understand this, and all that I have done here. Hechetu welo! It is
good!"
When the offerings to the buffalo had been completed, the dancers
walked around the lodge and stood at the doorway facing east, in
order to greet the rising sun.
"Behold these men, O Wakan-Tanka," Kablaya prayed as he raised his
right hand. "The face of the dawn will meet their faces; the coming
day will suffer with them. It will be a sacred day, for You, O Wakan-
Tanka, are present here!"
Then, just as the day-sun peeped over the horizon, the dancers all
chanted in a sacred manner, and Kablaya sang one of his wakan
songs.
The light of Wakan-Tanka is upon my people;
It is making the whole earth bright.
My people are now happy!
All beings that move are rejoicing!
As the men chanted, and as Kablaya sang the sacred song, they all
danced, and as they danced they moved so that they were facing the
south, then the west, the north, and then they stood again at the east;
but this time they faced towards the sacred tree at the center.

 Page 92
The singing and drumming stopped, and the dancers sat at the west of
the lodge, upon beds of sage which had been prepared for them. With
sage the helpers rubbed all the paint off the men, and then upon their
heads they placed wreaths of sage and plumes from the eagle, and the
women also wore eagle feathers in their hair.
In every sun dance we wear wreaths of sage upon our heads, for it is a
sign that our minds and hearts are close to Wakan-Tanka and His
Powers, for the wreath represents the things of the heavensthe stars
and planets, which are very mysterious and wakan.
Kablaya then told the dancers how they must paint themselves: the
bodies were to be painted red from the waist up; the face, too, must be
painted red, for red represents all that is sacred, especially the earth,
for we should remember that it is from the earth that our bodies come,
and it is to her that they return. A black circle should be painted
around the face, for the circle helps us to remember Wakan-Tanka,
who, like the circle, has no end. There is much power in the circle, as
I have often said; the birds know this for they fly in a circle, and build
their homes in the form of a circle; this the coyotes know also, for
they live in round holes in the ground. Then a black line should be
drawn from the forehead to a point between the eyes; and a line
should be drawn on each cheek and on the chin, for these four lines
represent the Powers of the four directions. Black stripes were painted
around the wrists, the elbow, the upper part of the arm, and around the
ankles. Black, you see, is the color of ignorance,4 and, thus, these
stripes are as the bonds which tie us to the earth. You should also
notice that these stripes start from the earth and go up only as far as
the breasts, for this is the place where the thongs fasten into the body,
and these thongs are as rays of light from Wakan-Tanka. Thus, when
we tear ourselves away from the thongs, it is as if the spirit were
liberated from our dark bodies. At this first dance all the
4 The Sioux also paint their faces black for the dance which is held when
they return from the warpath, for, as Black Elk has said, ''By going on the
warpath, we know that we have done something bad, and we wish to hide
our faces from Wakan-Tanka.''

Sitting Bull, 1885 (Bureau of American Ethnology)

 Little Warrior, close friend of Black Elk, 1947
(Photograph by J. E. Brown)

 Page 93
men were painted in this manner; it is only in recent times that each
dancer is painted with a different design, according to some vision
which he may have had.
After all the dancers were painted, they purified themselves in the
smoke of sweet grass and put on the various symbols which I have
described before. The dancer who had vowed to drag the four buffalo
skulls wore the form of the buffalo on his chest, and on his head he
wore horns made from sage.
When all the preparations were finished, the dancers stood at the foot
of the sacred tree, at the west, and, gazing up at the top of the tree,
they raised their right hands and blew upon the eaglebone whistles. As
they did this, Kablaya prayed.
"O Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, bend down and look upon me as I raise
my hand to You. You see here the faces of my people. You see the
four Powers of the universe, and You have now seen us at each of
these four directions. You have beheld the sacred place and the sacred
center which we have fixed, and where we shall suffer. I offer all my
suffering to You in behalf of the people.
"A good day has been set upon my forehead as I stand before You,
and this brings me closer to You, O Wakan-Tanka. It is Your light
which comes with the dawn of the day, and which passes through the
heavens. I am standing with my feet upon Your sacred Earth. Be
merciful to me, O Great Spirit, that my people may live!"
Then all the singers chanted together:
O Wakan-Tanka, be merciful to me!
I am doing this that my people may live!
The dancers all moved around to the east, looking towards the top of
the sacred tree at the west, and, raising up their hands, they sang:
 Our Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka,
has given to me a path which is sacred!
Moving now to the south, and looking towards the north, the dancers
blew upon their eaglebone whistles, as the singers chanted:

 Page 94
A buffalo is coming they say.
He is here now.
The Power of the buffalo is coming;
It is upon us now!
As the singers chanted this, the dancers moved around to the west, and
faced the east, and all the time they blew upon their shrill eaglebone
whistles. Then they went to the north and faced the south, and, finally,
they again went to the west and faced towards the east.
Then the dancers all began to cry, and Kablaya was given a long thong
and two wooden pegs, and with these he went to the center, and
grasping the sacred tree he cried: "O Wakan-Tanka, be merciful to me.
I do this that my people may live."
Crying in this manner continually, Kablaya went to the north of the
lodge, and from there he walked around the circle of the lodge,
stopping at each of the twenty-eight lodge poles, and then returned to
the north. Carrying their thongs and pegs, all the dancers then did as
Kablaya had done. When they all returned to the north and faced the
south, Kablaya once again went to the center and grasped the sacred
tree with both hands.
As the singers and drummers increased the speed of their chanting and
drumming, the helpers rushed up and, grasping Kablaya roughly,
threw him on the ground. The helper then pulled up the skin of
Kablaya's left breast, and through this loose skin a sharp stick was
thrust; and in the same manner the right breast was pierced. The long
rawhide rope had been tied at its middle, around the sacred tree,
towards its top, and then the two ends of the rope were tied to the pegs
in Kablaya's chest. The helpers stood Kablaya up roughly, and he
blew upon his eaglebone whistle, and, leaning back upon his thongs,
he danced, and continued to dance in this manner until the thongs
broke loose from his flesh.
I should explain here why we use two thongs, which are really one
long thong, for it is tied to the tree at its center, and also it

 Page 95
was made from a single buffalo hide, cut in a spiral. This is to help us
remember that although there seem to be two thongs, the two are
really only one; it is only the ignorant person who sees many where
there is really only one. This truth of the oneness of all things we
understand a little better by participating in this rite, and by offering
ourselves as a sacrifice.
The second dancer then went to the center, and, grasping the sacred
tree, he too cried as Kablaya had done. The helpers again rushed up
and, after throwing him roughly on the ground, pierced both his
breasts and both sides of his back; wooden pegs were thrust through
the flesh, and to these pegs four short thongs were attached. This
brave dancer was then tied at the center of four poles, so tightly that
he could not move in any direction. At first he cried, not as a child
from the pain, but because he knew that he was suffering for his
people, and he was understanding the sacredness of having the four
directions meet in his body, so that he himself was really the center.
Raising his hands to heaven, and blowing upon his eagle whistle, this
man danced until his thongs broke loose.
The third dancer who was to bear the four buffalo skulls then went to
the center, and, after grasping the sacred tree, he was thrown on his
face by the helpers, and four sticks were thrust through the flesh of his
back. To these were tied the four buffalo skulls. The helpers pulled on
the skulls to see that they were firmly attached, and then they gave to
the dancer his eagle whistle, and upon this he blew continually as he
danced. I think that you can understand that all this was very painful
for him, for every time he moved the sharp horns of the skulls cut into
his skin, but our men were brave in those days and did not show any
signs of suffering; they were really glad to suffer if it was for the good
of the people.
Friends or relatives would sometimes go to the dancers and dance
beside them, giving encouragement; sometimes a young woman who
liked one of the dancers would put a herb which she had been
chewing into the mouth of the dancer in order to give him strength
and to ease his thirst. And all this time the drum-

 Page 96
ming, singing, and dancing never stopped, and above it all you could
hear the shrill call of the eagle-bone whistles.
The fourth man, who had vowed to give twelve pieces of his flesh,
then went and sat at the foot of the tree, holding on to it with both
hands; the helpers took a bone awl and, raising up little pieces of flesh
on the shoulders, cut off six small pieces from each. This flesh was
left as an offering at the foot of the tree, and the man then stood up
and continued dancing with the others.
In the same manner, the fifth dancer sacrificed eight pieces of his
flesh; the sixth dancer gave four pieces of his flesh; and the seventh
dancer sacrificed two pieces. Then, finally, the woman grasped the
sacred tree, crying as she sat down, and said: "Father, Wakan-Tanka,
in this one piece of flesh I offer myself to You and to Your heavens
and to the sun, the moon, the Morning Star, the four Powers, and to
everything."
They all continued to dance, and the people cheered Kablaya, telling
him to pull harder upon the thongs, which he did until finally one
thong broke loose, and then all the people cried "hi ye!" Kablaya fell,
but the people helped him up, and he continued to dance until the
other thong broke loose. Again he fell, but, rising, he raised both
hands to heaven, and all the people cheered loudly. They then helped
him to the foot of the sacred tree, where he rested on a bed of sage,
and, pulling the loose flesh from his breast, where the bonds had
broken loose, he placed twelve pieces of it at the foot of the tree. The
medicine men put a healing herb on his wounds, and they carried him
to a place in the shade where he rested for a few moments. Then,
getting up, he continued to dance with the others.
Finally, the man who had been dancing for a long time with the four
skulls lost two of them, and Kablaya gave the order that his skin
should be cut so that the other two should break loose. But even
though he was free from the four skulls, this brave man still continued
to dance.
Then the man who had been dancing at the center of the four posts
broke loose from two of his bonds, and Kablaya said that he, too, had
had enough, and with a knife the skin was cut, so that he

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broke loose from the other two bonds. These two men each offered
twelve pieces of their flesh to the sacred tree, and then all the men and
many of the people continued to dance until the sun was nearly down.
Just before sundown, a pipe was taken to the singers and drummers as
an indication that their work had been finished and that they may now
smoke. Then the dancers and the keeper of the most sacred pipe sat at
the west of the lodge, and the holy woman took up in her two hands
the pipe which had been resting in front of her; holding the stem of the
pipe up, she walked around the buffalo skull, and, standing in front of
the keeper of the pipe, she prayed.
"O holy Father, have pity on me! I offer my pipe to Wakan-Tanka. O
Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, help me! I do this that my people may
live, and that they may increase in a sacred manner."
The woman then offered the pipe to the keeper three times, and the
fourth time she gave it to him. "How!" the keeper said as he received
the pipe; and then he went and stood under the north side of the sacred
tree and prayed.
"Hee-ay-hay-ee-ee! [four times] Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, You are
closer to us than anything. You have seen everything this day. It is
now finished; our work has ended. Today a two-legged person has
made a very sacred rite, which You have appointed him to do. These
eight people here have offered their bodies and souls to You. In
suffering they have sent their voices to You; they have even offered to
You a part of their flesh, which is now here at the foot of this sacred
tree. The favor that they ask of You is that their people may walk the
holy path of life and that they may increase in a sacred manner.
"Behold this pipe which wewith the Earth, the four Powers, and with
all thingshave offered to You. We know that we are related and are
one with all things of the heavens and the earth, and we know that all
the things that move are a people as we. We all wish to live and
increase in a holy manner. The Morning Star and the dawn which
comes with it, the moon of the night, and

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the stars of the heavens are all brought together here. You have taught
us our relationship with all these things and beings, and for this we
give thanks, now and always. May we be continually aware of this
relationship which exists between the four-leggeds, the two-leggeds,
and the wingeds. May we all rejoice and live in peace!
"Behold this pipe which is the one that the four-legged brought to the
people; through it we have carried out Thy will. O Wakan-Tanka, You
have put Your people upon a sacred path; may they walk upon it with
firm and sure steps, hand in hand with their children, and may their
children's children, too, walk in this sacred manner!
"Have mercy, O Wakan-Tanka, on the souls that have roamed the earth
and have departed. May these souls be worthy to walk upon that great
white path which You have established! We are about to light and
smoke the sacred pipe, and we know that this offering is very wakan.
The smoke that rises will spread throughout the universe, and all
beings will rejoice."
The dancers then sat at the west side of the lodge, and the keeper took
the tallow from the top of the bowl of the pipe and placed it upon a
purified buffalo chip. The pipe was then lit from a coal, and, after
offering it to the six directions, and after taking a few puffs himself,
the keeper handed it to Kablaya, who cried as he offered the pipe and,
after smoking it a little, handed it to the person next to him. After each
man had offered and smoked the pipe, he handed it back to Kablaya,
who then handed it on to the next man. When all had smoked in this
manner, Kabalaya slowly and carefully placed the ashes upon the very
middle of the sacred altar and then prayed.
"O Wakan-Tanka, this sacred place is Yours. Upon it all has been
finished. We rejoice!"
Two helpers then placed upon the altar the ashes from the sacred fire
at the east of the lodge; the purified earth was also placed upon the
altar, and then all the wreaths, furs, feathers, and symbols which had
been used in the dance were all piled up in the center of the sacred
place. This was done because these things were too

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sacred to be kept and should be returned to the earth. Only the buffalo
robes and the eagle-bone whistles were kept, and these things will
always be regarded as especially sacred, for they were used in this
first great rite of the sun dance. On top of the pile of sacred things the
buffalo skull was placed, for this skull reminds us of death and also
helps us to remember that a cycle has here been completed.
The people all rejoiced, and the little children were allowed to play
tricks on the old people, at this time, but nobody cared; and they were
not punished, for everybody was very happy.
The dancers, however, had not yet finished, for they now took their
buffalo robes and returned to the preparation tipi. Here they took off
their clothes, except for the breech cloth, and they all entered the Inipi
lodge, except the woman who guarded the door for the men. The five
rocks were brought in, and the pipe was smoked around the circle;
but, as each man took the pipe, he first touched one of the rocks with
it. The door of the lodge was closed, and Kablaya spoke.
"My relatives, I wish to say something. Listen closely! This day you
have done a sacred thing, for you have given your bodies to the Great
Spirit. When you return to your people always remember that through
this act you have been made holy. In the future you will be the leaders
of your people, and you should be worthy of this sacred duty. Be
merciful to your people, be good to them and love them! But always
remember this, that your closest relative is your Grandfather and your
Father, Wakan-Tanka, and next to Him is your Grandmother and your
Mother, the Earth."
Water was put on the hot rocks, and, after a short time, when the little
lodge was filled with steam and was very hot, the door was opened
and water was handed in. Sweet grass was put in the water and was
then touched to the mouths of the dancers, but this was all the water
that was allowed at this time. The pipe was passed around; the door
was closed; and again Kablaya spoke to the men.
"By your actions today you have strengthened the sacred hoop

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of our nation. You have made a sacred center which will always be
with you, and you have created a closer relationship with all things of
the universe."
Water was again put on the rocks, and as the steam rose the men
chanted a sacred song. When the door was opened this third time the
men were allowed to drink one mouthful of water; after this the pipe
was passed around as before. Again the door was closed, and as the
steam rose from the rocks, all the men sang.
I am sending a voice to my Grandfather!
I am sending a voice to my Grandfather!
Hear me!
Together with all things of the universe,
I am sending a voice to Wakan-Tanka.
Then Kablaya said: "The four paths of the four Powers are your close
relatives. The dawn and the sun of the day are your relatives. The
Morning Star and all the stars of the sacred heavens are your relatives;
always remember this!"
The door was then opened for the fourth and last time, and the men
drank all the water they wished; and when they had finished drinking
and had smoked, Kablaya said to them: "You have now seen the Light
of Wakan-Tanka four times. This Light will be with you always.
Remember that it is four steps to the end of the sacred path.5 But you
shall get there. It is good! It is finished! Hechetu welo!"
The men then went back to the sacred tipi, where much food was
brought to them, and all the people were happy and rejoicing, for a
great thing had been done, and in the winters to come much strength
would be given to the life of the nation through this great rite.
5 The four steps represent, to the Sioux, the four ages or phases of a cycle:
the rock age, the bow age, the fire age, and the pipe age. The rock, bow,
 fire, or pipe constitutes the main ritual support for each age. The four ages
may also refer, microcosmically, to the four phases of a man's life, from
birth to death.

 Page 101

Chapter VI
Hunkapi: The Making of Relatives
In this rite we establish a relationship on earth, which is a reflection of
that real relationship which always exists between man and Wakan-
Tanka. As we always love Wakan-Tanka first, and before all else, so
we should also love and establish closer relationships with our fellow
men, even if they should be of another nation than ours. In
establishing and participating in this rite which I shall describe, we are
carrying out the will of the Great Spirit, for this is one of the seven
rites which in the beginning the White Buffalo Cow Woman promised
us.
Other nations claim that they were the originators of this rite, but this
is not so, for it was the Lakota Matohoshila (Bear Boy), a very holy
man, who received this rite in a vision from Wakan-Tanka.
You should know that the sacred plant, the corn, is not native


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to the Sioux, but long ago Matohoshila had his great vision about the
corn, and then later, when traveling to the southeast, he found a small
patch of the corn, exactly as he had seen in his vision; and this corn he
brought back to his people, not knowing that it belonged to the Ree
nation, with whom the Sioux had long been at war.1
Now corn was as important and sacred to the Ree as is the pipe to our
people; therefore, shortly after their corn had disappeared, the Ree
sent messengers to the camp of the Sioux, bearing many gifts and
much of their twist tobacco which we prize highly, and asked for their
corn back again.
The Sioux accepted the peace offering, and Matohoshila, who now
understood the significance of his vision, told his people of it and said
that by holding this rite now we shall establish a close and lasting
relationship with the Ree nationone that will endure until the end of
time, and one that will be an example to all other nations.
All the people gladly accepted this and gave to Matohoshila the
authority and power to establish the peace through the hunkapi rite.
Matohoshila then explained that, whenever this rite is carried out, the
one who wishes another to be his relative is regarded as a Ree, and it
is he who must sing over the other. Matohoshila then told the visiting
Ree to set up a sacred tipi and that they should choose one of their
men to represent their whole Ree nation, and he should be the one to
sing over Matohoshila, who in turn should represent the whole Sioux
nation.
A little later, Matohoshila filled his pipe and went to the Ree who had
been chosen to represent his people. Offering the pipe to him,
Matohoshila said: ''I wish you to help me in establishing a rite which,
for the benefit of all our people, has been given to me in a vision by
the Great Spirit. It is His will that we do this. He, who is our
Grandfather and Father, has established a relationship with my people
the Sioux; it is our duty to make a rite which should extend this
relationship to the different people of different
1 The Ree or Arikara are of the Caddo family and thus are closely related
to the Pawnee.

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nations. May that which we do here be an example to others!
''You represent the Ree people as a whole, and I represent the Sioux
nation. You have come here in order to make peace, and we have
accepted your offer; but, as you see, we are going to establish here
something deeper than that for which you have asked. In asking for
peace you have brought to us your tobacco which we cherish very
much, and, likewise, we shall give to you the sacred corn which you
cherish more than anything. They both are sacred, for they are from
the Great Spirit; they have been made by Him for our use!"
Matohoshila then instructed the Ree how to make the offering which
would later be brought to the Sioux and told him what equipment was
necessary for the rite:
a pipe dried buffalo
meant
tobacco red and dark blue
paint
four stalks of corn eagle plumes
with ears
one cornstalk a knife
without ears
a buffalo skull sweet grass
three sticks for a dried buffalso
rack bladder

When this equipment had been gathered, Matohoshila took a knife

and made a clean place upon the earth inside the tipi. Upon this sacred
place four live coals were placed, and upon them Matohoshila placed
some sweet grass, and prayed.
"O Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, behold us! Here we shall make
relatives and peace; it is Your will that this be done. With this sweet
grass which is Yours, I am now making smoke, which will rise to You.
In everything that we do, You are first, and this our sacred Mother
Earth is second, and next to Her are the four quarters. By making this
rite we shall carry out Thy will upon this earth, and we shall make a
peace that will last to the end of time. The smoke from this sweet
grass will be upon everything in the universe. It is good!"
All the equipment was purified over the smoke; the three sticks were
set up as a drying rack; and the pipe was rested against

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it. Matohoshila then put the buffalo bladder in front of him, and,
holding up a piece of the tobacco to the west, he prayed.
"O You who guard the path where the sun goes down, and who
control the waters! we are about to establish a relationship and a
sacred peace. You have two sacred daysmay the people have these,
and may they walk the path of life with firm steps! You are to be
included in this relationship and peace which we are about to
establish; help us! We are making here on earth the same relationship
which Wakan-Tanka always has with his people."
This tobacco which was identified with the Power of the west was
then placed in the bladder.
I should perhaps tell you that the buffalo bladder is, for many peoples,
as sacred as our pipe, for it also may contain the whole universe.
A pinch of tobacco was next offered to the north, with this prayer:
"O You where the giant Waziah lives, who control the purifying
winds, You are to be placed in this sacred bag, and so help us with
Your two holy days, and assist us in walking upon the straight path of
life."
The Power of the north, now in the tobacco, was placed in the bag;
and then Matohoshila offered a pinch of tobacco to the Power of the
east.
"O You who control the path where the sun comes up, and who give
knowledge, You are included in this offering, and so help us with
Your two sacred days!"
After placing this Power of the east in the bag, a pinch of tobacco was
offered, with a prayer, to the place where we always face.
"O You, White Swan, who control the path upon which the
generations walk, there is a place for You in this sacred bag, and so
help us with Your two red and blue days!"
After placing this Power of the south in the bag, Matohoshila offered
a pinch of tobacco to the heavens.
"Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, of the sacred heavens, Father, Wakan-
Tanka, Grandmother Earth, and Mother Earth, may we

 Page 105
know this our four-fold relationship with You; may we use this
knowledge in making peace with another nation. By making relatives
here on earth, we know that we do Thy will. O Wakan-Tanka, You are
above everything, but You are here with us today."
This tobacco for the Great Spirit was then put into the bag, and,
holding a pinch of tobacco to the ground, Matohoshila prayed.
"Grandmother Earth, hear me! Upon You we are making a
relationship with a people, just as You have made a relationship with
us, by bringing to us our sacred pipe. The two-leggeds, the four-
leggeds, the wingeds, and all that move upon You are Your children.
With all beings and all things we shall be as relatives; just as we are
related to You, O Mother, so we shall make peace with another people
and shall be related to them. May we walk with love and mercy upon
that path which is holy! O Grandmother and Mother, we are placing
You in this bag. Help us in making relatives and a lasting peace here!"
The Earth was then put in the bag, the mouth of which was tied, and
the hair of a buffalo and some sweet grass were placed on top of it.
Matohoshila then said to the Ree: "You must now take care of this
bag, which is very wakan, for it is really the same as the sacred pipe
which was brought to us Sioux, and it, too, will make peace and
relatives among many peoples. But you should always remember this,
that our closest relatives are our Grandfather and Father, Wakan-
Tanka, and our Grandmother and Mother, the Earth. With this sacred
bag you should go to the leaders of the Sioux, and with it the
relationship will be made."
The bag was then rolled up in a buckskin and tied at both ends with a
rawhide rope in such a way that it could be carried easily. With this
the first day of the rite was concluded.
The following day, just as the sun came up, Matohoshila took his pipe
and went to the tipi of the Ree. After offering the pipe to the six
directions, then smoking it a little, Matohoshila passed it to the Ree,
who said, "Hi ho! Hi ho!" and embraced the pipe. After smoking for a
few puffs, he passed it to the others in the tipi.

 Page 106
After the pipe had been passed among everybody, it was returned to
Matohoshila, who then purified it and returned it to its bag. Then
Matohoshila left for his own tipi, where he and the other Sioux chiefs
and wise men were to wait for the Ree who was to come bearing the
offering which he had been instructed to make the previous day.
When the Sioux saw the Ree approaching, they all cried "Hi ho! Ho
ho!" and four of the Sioux went to meet him and led him into the tipi.
The Ree walked around the lodge sun-wise, stood before Matohoshila,
who was seated at the west, and placed before him the sacred offering
bundle. A hot coal was placed before Matohoshila, who burned some
sweet grass and held the sacred bundle over the smoke. Then after
crying "Hi ho! Hi ho!" and embracing the bundle, he prayed.
"Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, Father, Wakan-Tanka, behold us! Upon
this earth we are fulfilling Thy will. By giving to us the sacred pipe,
You have established a relationship with us, and this relationship we
are now extending by making this peace with another nation with
whom we were once at war. We know that we are now fulfilling one
of the seven sacred rites which in the beginning were promised to us.
Through this rite may these two peoples always live in peace, and set
an example to other nations. With this offering my people will rejoice.
This is a sacred day! It is good! Now we shall open this holy bundle,
and through this offering we shall be bound to You and to all Your
Powers. Wakan-Tanka, behold what we are doing!"
Matohoshila then slowly undid the wakan bundle, and when he and
the people saw the buffalo bladder, they all cried "Hi ye!" for, of
course, everybody knew why this bladder was so sacred. Matohoshila
then held the bladder over the smoke of the sweet grass and embraced
it, saying all the time, "Hi ye!" and then he prayed.
"Be merciful to me! Now that You have come to us, the people will
walk the sacred path with their children in hand. I am the people, and I
love You, shall cherish You, and shall always care for You. The
people from whom You came [the Ree] will also always cherish You
and will always know You to be wakan."

 Page 107
Matohoshila then offered the bladder to the six directions, and, as he
embraced it and kissed the opening of the bag, all the people cried "Hi
ho!" Then, turning to the Ree, Matohoshila said: "To our people this
offering means that you wish peace, and that you wish to establish a
relationship with us. Is it for this reason that you have brought such a
sacred offering?"
"Yes!" the Ree replied, "we wish to have a relationship with you
which is as close as the relationship which exists between your people
and Wakan-Tanka."
The Sioux were pleased at this reply, and the sacred bladder was then
sent out of the lodge and was passed around among all the people,
who embraced it and kissed its mouth, in the same manner that
Matohoshila had done. In order now to show that the peace offering of
the Ree had been accepted, and in order to place the bundle at the very
most sacred place, it was tied at the top of the twenty-eighth lodge
pole. As I have explained before, this twenty-eighth pole represents
Wakan-Tanka, for it is this key pole which holds up all the twenty-
seven other poles of the tipi. In this manner the bringing of the
offering was finished, and then the Ree returned to their lodges in
order to prepare for the next day; Matohoshila, too, prepared a special
tipi for the rites which were to come. This special lodge had, at either
side of the entrance, hides which formed a pathway some ten strides
long and about four feet high, and this makes the road of life leading
into the tipi; thus, you see that one who enters upon this path cannot
turn either to the right or left because of this screen of hides; he must
walk straight to the center.
The following day four Ree were chosen to represent the whole
nation, and bearing with them the equipment needed for the rites of
the day, they went to the lodge which Matohoshila had prepared.
Within the lodge Matohoshila was seated at the west and was
preparing to make the sacred altar, but first he spoke, saying: "The
corn that we Sioux now have really belongs to the Ree, for they
cherish it and regard it as sacred, in the same manner that we regard
our pipe; for they, too, have received their corn through a vision from
the Great Spirit. It is the will of Wakan-Tanka that

 Page 108
they have their corn. Thus, we shall not only return to them their lost
corn but we shall also at this time establish a rite in which we shall
create not only peace but also a real relationship which will be a
reflection of that relationship which exists between us and Wakan-
Tanka.
"I will now make a fragrant smoke which will reach to the sacred
heavens and to the morning star, which divides the day into darkness
and light, and it will reach, also, to the four Powers which guard the
universe. This smoke is now going forth from our Grandmother and
Mother Earth."
Matohoshila then put sweet grass upon the coals, and over the smoke
he purified the sacred pipe, the corn, the hatchet, and all the
equipment; he was now ready to make the sacred altar.
Taking up the hatchet, Matohoshila pointed it to the six directions and
then struck the ground at the west. Again pointing the hatchet to the
six directions, he struck the ground at the north, and in the same
manner the other two directions were established. Then holding the
hatchet to the heavens, he struck the ground twice at the center for the
Earth and then again twice at the center for the Great Spirit. He
scraped the ground level, and with a stick which had been purified,
and which was first offered to the six directions, he drew a line from
the west to the center, and then from the east to the center, from the
north to the center, from the south to the center, and then, offering the
stick to the heavens, he touched the center, and offering the stick to
the earth, he again touched the center. In this manner the altar was
made, and, as I have said before, it is very sacred, for we have here
established the center of the Earth, and this center, which in reality is
everywhere, is the home, the dwelling place of Wakan-Tanka.
Matohoshila took up an ear of corn, and at one end of it he pushed in a
stick, and at the other end of the ear he tied the plume of an eagle.
"This corn really belongs to the Ree," Matohoshila said, "and so it will
be returned to them, because they cherish it as we do our pipe. The ear
of the corn which you see here has twelve important meanings
connected with it, for there are twelve rows

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of kernels, which it receives from the various powers of the universe.
As we think of the different things the corn can teach us, we should,
above all, never forget the peace and the relationship which it is
establishing here. But always, above everything else, we should
remember that our closest relatives are our Grandfather and Father,
Wakan-Tanka, our Grandmother and Mother, the Earth, the four
Powers of the universe, the red and blue days, the two divisions of the
day [light and darkness], the morning star, the Spotted Eagle, who
guards all that is sacred about the corn; and also our pipe, which is as
a relative, for he guards the people; and it is through him that we pray
to Wakan-Tanka.
"The tassel which grows upon the top of the ear of corn, and which we
have represented here by the eagle plume, represents the presence of
the Great Spirit, for, as the pollen from the tassel spreads all over,
giving life, so it is with Wakan-Tanka, who gives life to all things.
This plume, which is always on top of the plant, is the first to see the
light of the dawn as it comes, and it sees also the night and the moon
and all the stars. For all these reasons it is very wakan. And this stick
which I have stuck into the ear of corn is the tree of life, reaching
from Earch to Heaven, and the fruit, which is the ear with all its
kernels, represents the people and all things of the universe. It is good
to remember these things if we are to understand the rites which are to
come."
Matohoshila then rested the ear of corn against the rack which had
been set up near the sacred altar; this rack was an image of the rack
upon which the buffalo meat was dried, and it was now a drying rack
for corn, for, you see, the corn was as important to the Ree as was the
buffalo to the Sioux.
Matohoshila took off an ear of corn from its stalk, and giving it to the
Ree, said: "It is the will of Wakan-Tanka that this corn return to you.
In this way we shall make peace and establish a relationship which
shall be an example to all nations. We have often spoken of the twelve
Powers of the universe; we shall bind these twelve Powers, with the
Sioux and the Ree, into one. In doing this, the Ree must sing over the
Sioux. I shall represent my people; your chief shall represent your
nation; and, by our be-

 Page 110
coming related, these two nations will be as one and shall live in
peace. In the past, the two-leggeds which Wakan-Tanka placed upon
this island have been enemies, but through this rite there will be
peace, and, in the future, through this rite other nations of this island
will become as relatives.
"You Ree should now pretend that you are on the warpath with us;
you should go out and scout for the enemy, singing your war songs."
Holding ears of the corn in their right hands and cornstalks in their left
hands, the Ree then pretended that they were scouting for the
enemythe Sioux. As they chanted their war songs, they waved the
cornstalks back and forth. The swinging of the cornstalks in this
manner is very wakan, for it represents the corn when the breath of the
Great Spirit is upon it, since, when the wind blows, the pollen drops
from the tassel upon the silk surrounding the ear, through which the
fruit becomes mature and fertile.
You thus see that this relationship illustrated by the example of the
corn is the same as that which we are establishing between these two
peoples.
As the Ree pretended to be scouting for their enemy, the Sioux, all the
people gathered about to watch them, and everybody was really very
happy, for they understood that which was being done here. Soon the
Ree stood in front of the tipi within which were the four Sioux; the
Ree chief addressed his braves.
"Which of you has been the first to make a coup on the warpath? It is
for you now to count coup on this lodge and then to go in and capture
Matohoshila; and afterwards we shall capture the rest. But first you
must tell us of your great deeds done on the warpath."
The chosen Ree then began to tell of his brave deeds, and, after each
sentence, the people all cried "Hi ho! Hi ho!" and the women gave the
tremulo. When he had finished, the Ree rushed at the tipi, counting
coup; and then they entered and brought out Matohoshila. The other
Ree captured and brought out the other four Sioux. The Ree continued
to chant their war songs, and all the

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peopleRee and Siouxwere very happy and gave each other gifts of
food, clothing, and even horses.
Then a procession was formed, led by the Ree who were still
swinging the cornstalks, and after them came the five captured Sioux,
among whom there was a Lakota woman and a small boy and a girl,
for in all these people the whole nation was represented. The children
were carried on the shoulders of the Ree, and at the end of the
procession came the singers, drummers, and all the people of both
nations who were watching. The procession stopped four times, and
each time they stopped they howled as do the coyotes, for this is what
is always done by a returning war party. Soon they came to the sacred
lodge which had been prepared at the center of the camping circle,
and the captured Sioux were led to beds at the west of the lodge, upon
which were piled many gifts which the Ree were really giving to the
Sioux.
The Ree helpers then took buffalo robes and held them up in front of
the five Sioux and the Ree chief, and this is called "the hiding of the
hunkas." A Ree warrior and a Ree woman then went behind the
curtain and began to paint the faces of the Sioux. The woman painted
the faces of the Sioux woman and the Sioux girl red, and the Ree
warrior painted the faces of the Lakota men and the boy red, with a
blue circle around the face, and a blue line on the forehead, on both
cheek bones, and on the chin. And all the time that the people were
being painted, the Ree were still swinging the cornstalks, and were
chanting their sacred song. The eagle plumes were then taken off the
ears of corn and were put in the hair of the Sioux. While all this was
being done, a buffalo skull was painted red, and the four Powers were
represented by four lines upon it; sage was stuffed in the eyes and
nose of the skull, and it was then placedfacing easton a mound of
earth which had been scraped from the sacred place.
The buffalo robes were then taken aside so that all could see the Sioux
who had been painted. I should perhaps explain here what this
represents. By being painted, the people have been changed; they have
undergone a new birth, and with this they have new responsibilities,
new obligations, and a new relation-

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ship. This transformation is so sacred that it must be undergone in
darkness; it must be hidden from the view of the people. But when the
curtain is taken aside, they come forth pure, free from ignorance, and
must now have forgotten all troubles of the past. They are now one
with the Ree; the relationship has been made.
Swinging their cornstalks, the Rees then chanted.
All these are related [hunka].
All these are relatives.
Then turning to each of the four directions, they chanted:
O You, Power, there where the sun goes down:
You are a relative.
O You, Power, where the Giant lives:
You are a relative.
O You, where the sun comes from:
You are a relative.
O You, Power, there where we always face:
You are a relative.
And then looking towards the Heaven, they chanted:
That relative!
And bending over the Earth, and also over the buffalo, they chanted:
The Earth is our relative.
And finally, waving the corn over the five Sioux, they chanted:
These four are our relatives;
We are all related;
We are all one!
Matohoshila then rose, and, taking the pipe from the rack, he stood in
the middle of the tipi, and, raising his right hand, and holding up the
pipe in his left hand, he prayed.


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''O Wakan-Tanka, I raise my hand to You. This day You are standing
close to us. I offer You my pipe. To You also, O winged Power where
the sun goes down, we offer this pipe. On this holy day, we have
united into one all that is sacred in the universe. On this day a true
relationship has been established. On this day a great peace has been
made. O Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, Your will which You have taught
us has been done here on this earth. May this peace and relationship
always be, and may no person or circumstance ever destroy it. It is
now about to be completed; there will be peace, and these peoples will
walk together that one path which is red and sacred.''
Turning then to the people, Matohoshila said: "Now it is nearly
finished, for we are bound together; we are one! O you Ree, that corn
which you cherished, but lost, will be given back to you!"
At this all the people cheered loudly, and the women gave the tremulo.
Once again the chanting began, and the two Ree with the cornstalks
danced towards the door at the east, and then five times they rushed
towards the five Sioux, and after this the swinging and dancing
ceased.
Much food was brought into the tipi, and, purifying pieces of dried
buffalo meat over the smoke of sweet grass, the Ree chief said: "O
Wakan-Tanka, behold me and be merciful to me! This meat is the
hoksi chan ki ya [root or seed]; it is to be placed in Your mouth, and it
will become Your body and soul, which the Great Spirit has given to
You with all His goodness. As He is merciful to You, so You too must
be merciful to others!"
This the Ree chief said, as he put the sacred meat in the mouth of each
of the four Sioux; and then he and Matohoshila moved and sat
opposite each other at the center of the tipi. In front of Matohoshila
was the buffalo skull and the pipe, and in front of the Ree chief there
was the ear of corn and the four cornstalks. The Ree chief then took
up a piece of the buffalo meat, and, after purifying it in the smoke of
sweet grass, he held it in front of Matohoshila.
"Ho, son! I am to be your father. On this day which belongs to Wakan-
Tanka He has seen our faces; the dawn of this day has seen us, and our
Grandmother, the Earth, has listened to us. We

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are here at the center, and the four Powers of the universe join in us.
This meat I shall put in your mouth, and from this day forth you shall
never fear my home, for my home is your home, and you are my son!"
The chief then put the meat in Matohoshila's mouth, and at this all the
Ree people rejoiced and gave thanks, for by this act the two people
had been made one. Then Matohoshila, in turn, took up a piece of
meat, purified it over the smoke, and, holding it in front of the Ree
chief, said:
"Ho, Father! This day we have done the will of the Great Spirit, and
through this we have established a relationship and peace, not only
among ourselves, but within ourselves and with all the Powers of the
universe. The dawn of the day has surely seen us, and with us today
there has been the buffalo, who is our source of life here on earth, and
who guards the people; and there has been with us our sacred pipe,
which gives to our people the food for their souls; and also we have
had with us your corn, which is so sacred to you, and with which we
have made peace and have created a relationship. This food I shall
place in your mouth, so you will never fear my home, for it is your
home. In doing this, may Wakan-Tanka be merciful to us."
Matohoshila then placed the meat in the mouth of the Ree chief, and
for this act all the Sioux cheered and gave thanks. Then, taking up his
pipe and lighting it, Matohoshila offered it to the six directions and,
after puffing on it four times, handed it to the Ree, saying: "Ho,
father! Take this and smoke it with nothing but the truth in your
heart."
The Ree took the sacred pipe, offered it to the six directions, and, after
puffing on it four times, handed it around among the people. All the
Ree and Sioux then took turns smoking it, and even after the fire had
gone out, they put it to their mouths and embraced it. As the pipe was
being passed among the people, the Ree chief said to Matohoshila:
"Ho, son! You have given back to us the corn which Wakan-Tanka had
given to us, but which you took from us because of a vision which
you had. Since we wanted our corn back, we came

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to you offering peace; but you have given to us more than this by
making this relationship here today. In order now to bind us even
more closely together, I give back to you a part of the corn and the
freedom to use it in your rites. You, too, may now regard it as sacred
as we do."
All the people were very happy that this great thing had been done,
and they then held a feast which lasted throughout the night.
I wish to mention here, that through these rites a three-fold peace was
established. The first peace, which is the most important, is that which
comes within the souls of men when they realize their relationship,
their oneness, with the universe and all its Powers, and when they
realize that at the center of the universe dwells Wakan-Tanka, and that
this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us. This is the real
Peace, and the others are but reflections of this. The second peace is
that which is made between two individuals, and the third is that
which is made between two nations. But above all you should
understand that there can never be peace between nations until there is
first known that true peace which, as I have often said, is within the
souls of men.

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Chapter VII
Ishna Ta Awi Cha Lowan: Preparing a Girl for
Womanhood
These rites are performed after the first menstrual period of a woman.
They are important because it is at this time that a young girl becomes
a woman, and she must understand the meaning of this change and
must be instructed in the duties which she is now to fulfill. She should
realize that the change which has taken place in her is a sacred thing,
for now she will be as Mother Earth and will be able to bear children,
which should also be brought up in a sacred manner. She should
know, further, that each month when her period arrives she bears an
influence with which she must be careful, for the presence of a
woman in this condition may take away the power of a holy man.
Thus, she should observe carefully the rites of purification which we
shall describe here, for these rites were given to us by Wakan-Tanka
through a vision.


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Before we received these rites1 it was customary that during each
menstrual period the woman or young girl should go to a small tipi
apart from the camping circle; food was brought to her, and no one
else could go near the tipi. During the first period of a young girl, she
was instructed by an older woman in the things a woman should
know, even in the making of moccasins and clothes. This older
woman who helped the girl should have been a good and holy person,
for at this time her virtues and habits passed into the young girl whom
she was purifying. Before she was permitted to return to her family
and to her people the young girl had to be further purified in the Inipi
lodge. But now I shall tell you how we received the new rites for
preparing our young girls for womanhood.
A Lakota by the name of Slow Buffalo (Tatanka Hunkeshne) once had
a vision of a buffalo calf who was being cleansed by her mother, and
through the power of this vision Slow Buffalo became a holy man
(wichasha wakan) and understood that he had been given rites which
should be used for the benefit of the young women of his nation.
A few moons after Slow Buffalo received his vision, a young girl of
fourteen called "White Buffalo Cow Woman Appears," had her first
period, and of course her father, Feather on Head, thought
immediately of Slow Buffalo's vision, so he took a filled pipe and
offered it to Slow Buffalo, who accepted it, saying: "Hi ho! Hi ho! For
what reason do you bring this sacred pipe?"
"I have a girl who is about to pass through her first period," Feather
on Head replied, "and I want you to purify her and prepare her for
womanhood, for I know that you have had a very powerful vision
through which you have learned how this should be done in a better
and more wakan manner than that which we have followed."
"Certainly, I shall do as you wish," Slow Buffalo replied. "The buffalo
people, who have been taught by Wakan-Tanka, and who have given
us this rite, are next to the two-leggeds, and are our source of life in
many ways. For it was the White Buffalo Cow
1Ishna Ta Awi Cha Lowan is literally "Her alone they sing over."

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Woman who, in the beginning, brought to us our most sacred pipe,
and from that time we have been relatives with the four-leggeds and
all that moves. Tatanka, the buffalo, is the closest four-legged relative
that we have, and they live as a people, as we do. It is the will of our
Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, that this be so; it is His will that this rite
be done here on earth by the two-leggeds. We shall now establish a
sacred rite that will be of great benefit to all the people. It is true that
all the four-leggeds and all the peoples who move on the universe
have this rite of purification, and especially our relative the buffalo,
for, as I have seen, they too purify their children and prepare them for
bearing fruit. It will be a sacred day when we do this, and it will
please Wakan-Tanka and all the peoples who move. All these peoples,
and all the Powers of the universe, you must first place in the pipe, so
that with them we may send a voice to the Great Spirit!
"I shall make a sacred place for your daughter, who is pure, and who
is about to become a woman. The dawn of the day, which is the Light
of Wakan-Tanka, will be upon this place, and all will be sacred.
"Tomorrow you must build a tipi just outside of the camping circle,
and it must be built with a sheltered way leading to it, as is done in the
hunkapi rite, and then you must gather together the following things:
a buffalo a pipe
skull
a wooden some Ree tobacco
cup
some kinnikinnik
cherries
water a knife
sweet a stone hatchet
grass
sage some red and blue
paint
Feather on Head then gave to Slow Buffalo offerings of horses, and
other gifts, and then he left to prepare for the next day.
The following day everything had been made ready in the sacred tipi,
and all the people gathered around it, except those women who were
preparing the feast which would come after the rites. Slow Buffalo
was seated at the west of the tipi, and in

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front of him a place had been scraped in the earth, where a hot coal
was placed. Holding sweet grass above the coal, Slow Buffalo prayed.
"Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, Father, Wakan-Tanka, I offer to You Your
sacred herb. O Grandmother Earth, from whence we come, and
Mother Earth, who bears much fruit, listen! I am going to make smoke
which will penetrate the heavens, reaching even to our Grandfather,
Wakan-Tanka; it will spread over the whole universe, touching all
things!"
After placing the sweet grass on the coal, Slow Buffalo purified first
the pipe and then all the equipment which was to be used in the rite.
"All that will be done today," Slow Buffalo said, "will be
accomplished with the aid of the Powers of the universe. May they
help us to purify and to make sacred this girl who is about to become
a woman. I now fill this sacred pipe, and in doing this I am placing
within it all the Powers, who are helping us here today!"
Slow Buffalo first purified himself over the smoke, and then, holding
the pipe in his left hand, he took a pinch of tobacco and prayed.
"Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, we are about to send a voice through our
pipe to You. This is a special day, for we are about to purify this
young girl, White Buffalo Cow Woman Appears. There is a place for
all the Powers of the universe in this pipe, and so have mercy upon us
and accept our offering!
"O You where the sun goes down, who guard the pipe, and who come
so terribly in order to purify the world and its people, we are about to
offer this pipe to Wakan-Tanka and need Your help today, especially
with your cleansing waters, for we are about to purify and make
sacred not only a young girl, but also a whole generation. Help us
with your two good red and blue days! There is a place for you in the
pipe!"
Slow Buffalo put this tobacco in the pipe, and then, holding some
tobacco to the place from which come the purifying winds (the north),
he prayed.
"O You, giant Waziah, Power of the north, who guard the

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health of the people with your winds, and who purify the earth by
making it white, you are the one who watches that path upon which
our people walk. Help us especially today with your purifying
influence, for we are about to make sacred a virgin, White Buffalo
Cow Woman Appears, from whom will come the generations of our
people. There is a place for you in this pipe, help us with your two
good days!"
The power of the north was put in the pipe, and then, holding a pinch
of tobacco to the direction from which the light comes, Slow Buffalo
continued to pray.
"O You, Huntka, the being and power of that place from whence
comes the dawn of the day and the light of Wakan-Tanka; O You who
are long-winded, and who give knowledge to the people, give of Your
wisdom today to this virgin, White Buffalo Cow Woman Appears,
who is about to be purified. Help us with Your two red and blue days.
There is a place for You in the pipe."
Slow Buffalo then put into the pipe this Power of the place from
whence comes the light, and then, holding tobacco to the place
towards which we always face (the south), he prayed.
"O You, White Swan, Power of the place where we always face, who
control the path of the generations and of all that moves, we are about
to purify a virgin, that her generations to come may walk in a sacred
manner upon that path which You control. There is a place for You in
the pipe! Help us with Your two red and blue days!"
The Power of the south was then put in the pipe, and, holding now a
pinch of tobacco up to the heavens, Slow Buffalo continued.
"O Wakan-Tanka, Grandfather, behold us! We are about to offer the
pipe to You!" [Then holding the tobacco to the earth]:
"O You, Grandmother, upon whom the generations of the people have
walked, may White Buffalo Cow Woman Appears and her generations
walk upon you in a sacred manner in the winters to come. O Mother
Earth, who gives forth fruit, and who is as a mother to the generations,
this young virgin who is here today will be purified and made sacred;
may she be like You, and may her children and her children's children
walk the sacred path in a holy

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manner. Help us, O Grandmother and Mother, with Your red and blue
days!"
The Earth, as Grandmother and Mother, was now in the tobacco, and
was placed in the pipe, and again Slow Buffalo held tobacco towards
the heavens and prayed.
"O Wakan-Tanka, behold us! We are about to offer this pipe to You."
[Then pointing the same tobacco to the buffalo skull]: "O you, our
four-legged relative, and who of all the four-legged peoples are the
nearest to the two-leggeds, you too are to be placed in the pipe, for
you have taught us how you cleanse your young, and it is this your
way that we shall use in purifying White Buffalo Cow Woman
Appears. I give to you as an offering, O four-legged, water, paint,
cherry juice, and also grass. There is a place for you in the pipehelp
us!"
Thus all the four-legged buffalo people were placed in the pipe, and
now for the last time Slow Buffalo held tobacco up to Wakan-Tanka
and prayed.
"O Wakan-Tanka and all the winged Powers of the universe, behold
us! This tobacco I offer especially to You, the Chief of all the Powers,
who is represented by the Spotted Eagle who lives in the depths of the
heavens, and who guards all that is there! We are about to purify a
young girl, who is soon to be a woman. May You guard those
generations which will come forth from her! There is a place for You
in the pipehelp us with the red and blue days!"
The pipe, containing now the whole universe, was leaned against the
little drying rack, with its "foot" on the earth, and its "mouth" pointing
towards the heavens. Then Slow Buffalo prepared to make the sacred
place, and only the close relatives of White Buffalo Cow Woman
Appears were allowed within the tipi, for the rites which were to
follow are too sacred to be seen by all the people.
"Wakan-Tanka has given to the people a fourfold relationshipwith
their Grandfather, Father, Grandmother, and Mother," Slow Buffalo
said. "These are always our closest relatives. Since all that is good is
done in fours, the two-leggeds will walk through

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four ages, being relatives with all things. Our closest relative among
the four-leggeds is tatanka, the buffalo, and I wish to tell you that they
have established a relationship with me. I am about to make a sacred
place for this virgin, White Buffalo Cow Woman Appears, and I have
been given the power to do this from the buffalo. All things and all
beings have been gathered together here today to witness this and to
help us. It is so! Hechetu welo!"
Smoke was then made from the sweet grass, and, standing over it,
Slow Buffalo again purified his whole body. When this was finished it
was necessary before making the sacred place that Slow Buffalo
demonstrate to all the people that he had truly received a power from
the buffalo; so he began to chant his holy song which the buffalo had
taught him.
This they are coming to see!
I am going to make a place which is sacred.
That they are coming to see.
White Buffalo Cow Woman Appears
Is sitting in a wakan manner.
They are all coming to see her!
Just then, as Slow Buffalo finished this song, he let out a loud Huh!
like the bellow of a buffalo. As he did this a red dust came out of his
mouth, just as a buffalo cow is able to do when she has a calf. This
Slow Buffalo did six times, blowing the red smoke on the girl, and on
the sacred place; everywhere within the tipi there was nothing but this
red smoke, and if there were any children peeping in the door of the
tipi, they were frightened and ran quickly away, for it was indeed a
very terrible sight.
Slow Buffalo then took up his stone hatchet, and after purifying it
over the smoke of the sweet grass, he struck the ground near the
center of the tipi and then began to dig out a hollow in the shape of a
buffalo wallow, piling the loose earth in a little mound just to the east
of this sacred place. He then took a pinch of tobacco and, after
holding it up to the heavens, placed it at the center of this place; then
with tobacco he made a line from the west to the east

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and another line from the north to the south, thus making a cross. The
whole universe was now within this holy place. Then taking some of
the blue paint, and after holding it up to the heavens, Slow Buffalo
touched the center of the sacred place. With more paint he drew blue
lines on top of the tobacco, first from the west to the east, and then
from the north to the south.
The use of this blue paint is very important and very sacred, if you
understand the meaning, for, as I have often said, the power of a thing
or an act is in the understanding of its meaning. Blue is the color of
the heavens, and by placing the blue upon the tobacco, which
represents the earth, we have united heaven and earth, and all has been
made one.
Slow Buffalo then placed a buffalo skull upon the earth mound, with
its face towards the east; then he painted a red line around its head and
a straight red line between the horns, running down the forehead. Next
he put balls of sage in the eyes of the skull, and then placed a wooden
bowl of water in front of the buffalo's mouth. Cherries were placed in
the water, for these represent the fruits of the earth, which are the
same as the fruits of the two-leggeds. The cherry tree you see is the
universe, and it stretches from Earth to Heaven; the fruits which the
tree bears, and which are red as are we two-leggeds, are as all the
fruits of our Mother, the Earth; for this and for more reasons than I
could tell, this tree is very sacred to us.
Slow Buffalo next made a little bundle with sweet grass, the bark of
the cherry tree, and the hair of a live buffalo. This hair is very wakan
because it has been taken off a living tree, for you see the buffalo
people, too, have a religion, and this is their offering which they have
made to the tree.
White Buffalo Cow Woman Appears was then told to stand, and,
holding this bundle of sacred things over her head, Slow Buffalo said:
''This which is over your head is like Wakan-Tanka, for when you
stand you reach from Earth to Heaven; thus, anything above your head
is like the Great Spirit. You are the tree of life. You will now be pure
and holy, and may your generations to come be

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fruitful! Wherever your feet touch will be a sacred place, for now you
will always carry with you a very great influence. May the four
Powers of the universe help to purify you, for, as I mention the name
of each power, I shall rub this bundle down that side of you. May the
cleansing waters from where the sun goes down purify you! May you
be as the purifying snow which comes from the place where Waziah
lives. When the dawn of the day comes upon you, may you receive
knowledge from the morning star. May you be made pure by the
Power of the place towards which we always face, and may those
peoples who have walked this straight and good path help to purify
you. May you be as the White Swan who lives at this place there
where you face, and may your children be as pure as the children of
the Swan!''
The young girl sat down, and Slow Buffalo began to explain to the
people how he had received his power from the buffalo, in a vision.
"I saw a great people who were breaking camp in preparation for a
journey. I went towards them, and then suddenly they all gathered in a
circle, and I was there with them. Then they brought a child into the
center, and they told me that this child was to be purified according to
the custom of their people. They then made a sacred place, a buffalo
wallow as we have made here, and upon it they placed the child and
asked me to breathe upon her, that she might be purified. I breathed
upon her, but soon they said to me that they would show me their way
which is better, and immediately they all turned into buffalo, and then
a large bull came and blew a red powder upon the little calf in the
center. As the calf lay there all the buffalo came and licked her, and
each time they licked her they snorted and a sacred red smoke came
out of their noses and mouths. They told me that this was the way that
they purified their children. Now that the little buffalo calf had been
purified, she would go forth and would bear fruit in a sacred manner,
and in going forth she would travel to the end of the four ages; she
would walk the sacred path as a leader of her people, and she would
teach her children, too, to walk the path of life in a sacred manner.
After showing me this they then established a

Seven Sioux Warriors who participated in the battle of the Little Big Horn:
left to right, top row: Iron Hail, age 90; High Eagle, age 88; Iron Hawk, age 99;
Little Warrior, age 80; bottom row: Comes Again, age 86; Pemmican, age 85;
John Sitting Bull, age 80 (Illuminated Foto-Ad Service, Sioux Falls, S.D.)
 Black Elk and J. E. Brown 1947
(Photograph from author's collection)

 Page 125
relationship with me, for they showed me a large buffalo bull and said
that He would be my Grandfather, and then showing me a younger
buffalo they said that He would be my Father; then they pointed to a
buffalo cow and said that She was my Grandmother, and finally
showing me a younger cow they said that She would be my Mother.
They said that, with this fourfold relationship, I should return to my
people and that I should teach them what I had been taught there. This
is what I saw, and this is what I am doing here in purifying one of my
own people in this manner; for this virgin, White Buffalo Cow
Woman Appears, is that little calf which I saw. I shall now take her to
drink of the sacred water, and this water is Life."
Slow Buffalo then began to sing another of his holy songs.
These peoples are sacred;
From all over the universe they are coming to see it.
White Buffalo Cow Woman Appears is sitting here in
a sacred manner;
They are all coming to see her.
Slow Buffalo then picked up the buffalo skull by the horns, and, as he
chanted his holy song, red smoke came out of the nose of the buffalo
skull. Acting as a buffalo would, he began to push the young girl with
the skull, shoving her towards the bowl of water, at which she then
knelt and drank four sips; and when all the people saw all this it made
them very happy.
A piece of buffalo meat was then given to Slow Buffalo; after
purifying it over the smoke of the sweet grass, and after offering it to
the six directions, he held it in front of the girl and said:
"White Buffalo Cow Woman Appears, you have prayed to Wakan-
Tanka; you will now go forth among your people in a holy manner,
and you will be an example to them. You will cherish those things
which are most sacred in the universe; you will be as Mother
Earthhumble and fruitful. May your steps, and those of your children,
be firm and sacred! As Wakan-Tanka has been merciful to you, so
you, too, must be merciful to others, especially

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to those children who are without parents. If such a child should ever
come to your lodge, and if you should have but one piece of meat
which you have already placed in your mouth, you should take it out
and give it to her. You should be as generous as this! As I now place
this meat in your mouth, we should all remember how merciful
Wakan-Tanka is in providing for our wants. In the same manner you
must provide for your children!"
Slow Buffalo placed the meat in the mouth of the girl, and then the
bowl of water with the cherries was passed around among all the
people, and each took a sip from it. Then Slow Buffalo took up the
pipe from its rack, and, holding the stem up, he prayed.
"Hee-ay-hay-ee-ee! [four times] Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, behold
them! These people and all the generations to come are Yours. Look
upon this virgin, White Buffalo Cow Woman Appears, who has been
purified and honored this good day. May Your Light which never fails
be upon her always and upon all her relatives! Grandmother, and great
Mother Earth, upon You the people will walk; may they follow the
sacred path with Light, not with the darkness of ignorance. May they
always remember their relatives at the four quarters, and may they
know that they are related to all that moves upon the universe, and
especially the buffalo, who is the chief of the four-leggeds, and who
helps to raise the people. O Wakan-Tanka, help us and be merciful to
us, that we may live in a happy and sacred manner. Be merciful to us,
Wakan-Tanka, that we may live!"
All the people then said "Hi ho! Hi ho!" and everybody was rejoicing
and happy because of the great thing which had been done that day.
White Buffalo Cow Woman Appears was brought out of the tipi, and
all the people rushed up to her and placed their hands upon her, for
now she was a woman, and, because of the rites which had been
performed for her, there was much holiness in her. There was then a
great feast, and a "give away," and those who were poor received
much. It was in this manner that the rites for preparing a young girl
for womanhood were first begun, and they have been the source of
much holiness, not only for our women, but for the whole nation.

 Page 127

Chapter VIII
Tapa Wanka Yap: The Throwing of the Ball
There was, until recently, a game among our people which was played
with a ball, four teams and four goals which were set up at the four
quarters. But there are only a few of us today who still understand
why the game is sacred, or what the game originally was long ago,
when it was not really a game, but one of our most important rites.
This rite I am going to describe now, for it is the seventh and last
sacred rite of this period given to us, through a vision, by Wakan-
Tanka.
The game as it is played today represents the course of a man's life,
which should be spent in trying to get the ball, for the ball represents
Wakan-Tanka, or the universe, as I shall explain later. In the game
today it is very difficult to get the ball, for the oddswhich represent
ignoranceare against you, and it is only one or two of the teams who
are able to get the ball and score with it. But


 Page 128
in the original rite everybody was able to have the ball, and if you
think about what the ball represents, you will see that there is much
truth in it.
It was a Lakota called Waskn mani (Moves Walking), who received
this rite in a vision many winters ago. He did not tell anybody about it
for a very long time, until one day a Lakota called High Hollow Horn
saw in a dream that Moves Walking had received a sacred rite which
should belong to all the people. Thus, according to our custom, High
Hollow Horn made a sacred tipi on one side of the camping circle; he
then filled his pipe in a ritual manner, and with four other holy men,
he went and offered the pipe to Moves Walking.
"Hi ho! Hi ho! Hechetu welo, it is good!" Moves Walking said, "What
is it that you wish of me?"
"I have been told through a dream," High Hollow Horn said, "that you
have received a very sacred rite which will be the seventh rite which
the White Buffalo Cow Woman promised us in the beginning. All the
people wish you to perform this rite now!"
"It is so," Moves Walking replied. "Announce to all the people that
tomorow will be a holy day and that they must all paint their faces and
wear their finest clothes. We will have this rite which Wakan-Tanka
has sent to me through the buffalo!"
Moves Walking then held the pipe to heaven and prayed: "O
Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, behold us! You have given to us this pipe,
that we may come closer to You. With the pipe we have walked upon
the sacred path through this age. We have done Thy will here on earth,
and now we will once again offer this pipe to You. Give to us a holy
red and blue day! May it be sacred; may all rejoice!"
Moves Walking then told High Hollow Horn and the four other holy
men that they should gather together the following things:
a pipe a ballmade of buffalo
hair, and covered with
buffalo skin
some
kinnikinnik
sweet
grass

 Page 129
a Spotted Eagle a bag of earth
feather
a knife some red and blue
paint
a hatchet a buffalo skull
some sage a food rack,
painted blue

The five men then left to prepare for the following day, and by now
very many people had gathered around the sacred lodge, for they
could see that something important was soon to happen. One man said
that "this must be the seventh rite, for until now we have had only six,
and I believe it will be a game which will represent life. I think they
will throw a ball, for I just heard that it is to be a part of the
equipment. Tomorrow should be a great day!" All that night the
people talked about what was to happen the next day, and everybody
was happy, for that which the White Buffalo Cow Woman had
promised would now be fulfilled.
Before dawn the next day, all had been prepared, and the floor of the
sacred lodge had been strewn with sage. Just before the sun came up,
Moves Walking slowly approached the tipi, crying as he walked, for
he had been thinking of the six other rites that his people had, and he
knew that today the White Buffalo Cow Woman would again be with
them. Many people went out to meet Moves Walking, and they also
cried as they approached the sacred tipi; Moves Walking entered first,
and after sitting at the place where the sun goes down, he cleared a
place in front of him with a knife and then asked the helpers to bring a
coal from the fire. He took sweet grass, and holding it over the coal,
he prayed.
"Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, You have always been and always shall
be. You have created everythingthere is nothing which does not
belong to You. You have brought the red people to this island, and
You have given us knowledge that we may know all things. We know
that it is Your light which comes with the dawn, and we know that it is
the Morning Star who gives us wisdom. You have given us the power
to know the four Beings of the universe and to know that these four
are really One. We see always the sacred heavens, and we know what
they are and what they represent. This day will be a great day, and all
that moves upon

 Page 130
the earth and in the universe will rejoice. On this day I put Your sweet
grass upon the fire which is also Yours, and the smoke which goes
forth will spread throughout the universe and will reach even to the
depths of the heavens."
Moves Walking brought the sweet grass down on the coal, stopping
four times; then he purified the pipe, the ball, the buffalo skull, and all
the equipment which was to be used that day.
"O Wakan-Tanka, my Grandfather," Moves Walking prayed, "I have
used Your sweet grass, and the smoke has spread throughout the
universe. Here I will build the sacred place, and the day which is now
approaching will see it. They will look at each other face to face. In
doing this I am fulfilling Your will. This is Your place, O Wakan-
Tanka. You will be here with us!
Just as the first rays of the sun began to enter the tipi, Moves Walking
picked up a stone axe, offered it to Wakan-Tanka, and struck the
ground at the center of the sacred place which he had scraped in front
of him. Then, offering the axe to the west, he struck that side of the
sacred place, and in the same manner he struck the ground at the three
other quarters. Then, after holding the axe to the earth, he once again
struck the center.
Moves Walking took the knife and slowly scraped the earth from this
place which he had marked out and placed the earth at the east; next
he took up a handful of the purified earth, and, after offering a small
part of it to the Power of the west, he put the earth on the western side
of the sacred place. In the same manner earth was placed at the other
three directions and at the center. Then, with the earth which he had
piled at the east, Moves Walking made a mound at the center and
carefully spread it all over the sacred place. Finally, he leveled it off
with an eagle feather.
He then picked up a pointed stick and, after offering it to Wakan-
Tanka, drew a line in the soft earth, from the west to the east; after
offering the stick again to the heavens, he drew another line from the
north to the south. Finally, the altar was completed by making two
lines of tobacco on top of the two paths drawn on the ground, and then
this tobacco was painted red. This altar now represented the universe
and all that is in it. At its center was

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Wakan-Tanka; His presence was really there in the altar, and that is
why it was made in such a careful and sacred way.
While Moves Walking was making the sacred altar, he sang the
sacred-pipe song (Cannumpa wakan oloowan), while another Lakota
in the lodge made low and rapid thunder on the drum.
Friend do this! Friend do this! Friend do this!
If you do this your Grandfather will see you.
When you stand within the holy circle,
Think of me when you place the sacred tobacco in the pipe.
If you do this He will give you all that you ask for.
Friend do this! Friend do this! Friend do this!
If you do this your Grandfather will see you.
When you stand within the holy circle,
Send your voice to Wakan-Tanka.
If you do this He will give you all that you desire.
Friend do this! Friend do this! Friend do this!
If you do this your Grandfather will see you.
When you stand within the holy circle,
Crying and with tears send your voice to Wakan-Tanka.
If you do this you will have all that you desire.
Friend do this! Friend do this! Friend do this!
That your Grandfather may see you.
When you stand within the sacred hoop,
Raise your hand to Wakan-Tanka.
Do this and He will bestow upon you all that you desire.
There is much power in this song because it was given to us by the
White Buffalo Cow Woman at the time when she brought to us our
most holy pipe. This song is used even today, and it makes my heart
good whenever I hear or sing it.
As Moves Walking was making the altar and singing the sacred song,
a young girl who was to play an important part in the rite was brought
into the tipi by her father, and, passing around the lodge sun-wise, she
took her place to the left of Moves Walk-

 Page 132
ing. Her name was Wsu sna win (Rattling Hail Woman), and she was
the daughter of High Hollow Horn.
Moves Walking picked up the sacred ball, which had been made from
the hair of the buffalo and covered with tanned buffalo hide. He
painted this ball red, the color of the world, and, with blue paint
representing the heavens, he made dots at the four quarters; then made
two blue circles running all around the ball, thus making two paths
joining the four quarters. By completely encircling the red ball with
the blue lines, Heaven and Earth were united into one in this ball, thus
making it very sacred.
He then put sweet grass upon a coal, and over the smoke he purified
the pipe and began to pray, holding the pipe stem to the heavens.
"O Wakan-Tanka, behold this pipe which we are about to offer. You
we know are the first, and You have always been. We shall walk the
path of life, carrying in one hand the sacred pipe which You have
given us, and in the other hand will be our children. In this way the
generations will come and go and will live in a holy manner. This is
Your sacred day, for on this day we shall establish a rite which will
complete the seven rites of the pipe. O Wakan-Tanka, look down upon
us as we offer the pipe to You. On this day the four Powers of the
universe will be with us. O You, Power, there where the sun goes
down, who control the waters, we are about to offer this pipe: help us
with your two good days! Help us!"
This tobacco was placed in the pipe for the West, and then pinches of
tobacco representing the other Powers or directions, were put into the
pipe, with the following prayers for each:
"O You where the Giant lives, who purifies with Your white breath,
and You, winged one who guard this straight path, we are placing You
in this pipe, and so help us with Your two sacred red and blue days!"
"O You, Power of the place where the sun comes up, and you
Morning Star, who divides the darkness from the light, giving wisdom
to the two-legged peoples! with You we shall offer this pipe. Help us
with Your two good days!"

 Page 133
''O You, Power of that place where we always face, from which the
generations come and go; O You, the White Swan, who guard the
sacred path! there is a place for You in this pipe which we are about to
offer to Wakan-Tanka. Help us with Your two good days!"
"O You, winged of the blue heavens; You who have strong wings and
eyes which see everythingYou live in the depths of the heavens and
are very close to Wakan-Tanka. We are about to offer this pipe; help us
with your two sacred red and blue days!"
"O You, Grandmother, from whom all earthly things come, and O
You, Mother Earth, who bear and nourish all fruits! behold us and
listen! Upon You there is a sacred path which we walk, thinking of the
sacredness of all things. Upon You there will be made sacred this
young and pure girl, Rattling Hail Woman, for it is she who will stand
at the center of the earth, holding the wakan ball. Help us, O
Grandmother and Mother, with Your two good days, as we offer this
pipe to Wakan-Tanka!"
With these prayers the pipe was filled and placed against the little blue
rack made of forked sticks stuck into the ground. Moves Walking then
picked up the painted ball and handed it to the young girl, telling her
to stand and to hold it in her left hand and to raise her right hand up to
the heavens. Moves Walking then began to pray, holding the pipe in
his left hand, and holding his right hand up to the heavens.
"O Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, Father, Wakan-Tanka, behold us!
Behold Rattling Hail Woman, who stands here holding the universe in
her hand. Upon that earth all that moves will rejoice this day. The four
Powers of the universe, and also the sacred heavens, are there with the
ballall this Rattling Hail Woman sees. The dawn of the day, and the
Light of Wakan-Tanka is now upon her. She sees her generations to
come and the tree of life at the center. She also sees the sacred path
which leads from the place where You always face to there where the
giant lives. She sees her Grandmother and Mother Earth and all her
relatives in the things that move and grow. She stands there with the
universe on her hand, and all her relatives there are really one. O
Grand-

 Page 134
father, Wakan-Tanka, Father, Wakan-Tanka, it is by Your will that
Your Light is now shining upon this girl. This day we all feel Your
presence. We know that You are here with us. For this and for all that
You have given us, we give thanks.''
Moves Walking then stood before the buffalo skull and spoke to him
in this manner: "Hunka spirit, today they have given to you a paint
which I now put upon you, for you are related to our people, the two-
leggeds, and it is through you that they live. After I put this sacred
paint upon you, you will go forth with this young girl, and you will
give of your grace to all the people."
Moves Walking then painted the buffalo by making a red line around
the head, and then a straight line from between the horns to between
the eyes. When he had finished this, he went and sat next to Rattling
Hail Woman and spoke to her.
"Rattling Hail Woman, you are sitting there in a sacred manner! It is
good, for the spirits of the buffalo have come to see you, and,
therefore, I shall reveal to you the vision which I have received. In my
vision I went towards the place where the Giant lives, and I saw a
great people moving as if on a journey. They, too, had their guards,
their chiefs, and their holy men of prayer, just as we do. And as I
came before these people, they stopped and one of their leaders came
forward and spoke to me.
"'Two-legged, behold these people who are sacred! They are now
going to teach an honored young one to walk, and in her life you will
see four ages.'
"Then they brought forward a tiny girl, who sat down, and I saw that
she was a little buffalo calf. She stood up and began to walk, but then
she staggered and lay down. Her people, who I now saw were buffalo
people, gathered around the little calf, and one buffalo cow snorted a
red breath upon her, and when the calf lay down again I saw that she
was now a white yearling buffalo. The mother continued to snort red
and to nudge the yearling. When she got up again I saw that she had
changed a second time, and was now a larger buffalo. The young
buffalo then lay down, but when she got up again she was full grown;
and then she ran away over the hill, and all the buffalo snorted, so that
they shook

 Page 135
the universe. I then saw buffalo at all the four quarters, but they were
now people, and I saw the little girl standing at the center with a ball
in her hand. The girl tossed the ball to the place where the sun goes
down, and all the people scrambled for it and returned it to the center.
In the same manner, the girl tossed the ball towards the place where
the Giant lives, towards the place where the sun comes up, and then to
the place towards which we always face; each time the ball was
returned to the girl at the center. The last time the little girl threw the
ball straight up, and immediately they all turned back into buffalo,
and, of course, none of them were able to catch the ball, for the
buffalo people do not have hands as we do. The little girl, who was
now a buffalo calf again, took the ball and nudged it towards me, and
the leader of the buffalo people then said to me: 'This universe really
belongs to the two-leggeds, for we four-legged buffalo people cannot
play with a ball; you should therefore take this and return to your
people and explain to them that which we have taught you here.'"
Moves Walking then explained this rite to Rattling Hail Woman and to
the other people gathered there: "In the buffalo there are four ages, as
they have shown me in this vision. Rattling Hail Woman and the
buffalorepresented by his skullshall together go forth from this tipi,
and she will throw the ball as I have explained to you in the vision. It
is the will of Wakan-Tanka that this be done. Do not forget that the
ball is the world and, also, our Father, Wakan-Tanka, for the world or
the universe is His home; thus, whoever catches the ball will receive a
great blessing. All of the people must try to catch the ball, and
Rattling Hail Woman will be the buffalo calf at the center. She shall
now leave, stopping four times as she goes, and each step that she
takes will be for the benefit of her people."
All the people had gathered around the tipi in order to hear what was
being said; they all were dressed in their best clothes, and everybody
was happy. High Hollow Horn walked out of the lodge first, holding
the sacred pipe, and after him followed his daughter, Rattling Hail
Woman, carrying the ball in her right hand. Moves Walking then
followed holding the buffalo skull,

 Page 136
and snorting. Four times he pushed Rattling Hail Woman with the
skull, and each time red smoke came out its nose. As he did this,
Moves Walking sang one of his wakan songs.
In a sacred manner from all directions,
They are coming to see you.
Rattling Hail Woman has been sitting in a sacred
manner.
They are all coming to see her!
Finally, when they stopped the fourth time, High Hollow Horn and
Moves Walking stood on either side of the girl, facing towards the
place where the sun goes down. The girl then threw the ball towards
the west, and one of the people there caught the ball and, after
embracing it and offering it to the six directions, handed it back to the
girl at the center. In the same manner, the three then faced towards the
place where the Giant lives, and the ball was thrown in that direction,
all the people scrambling for it, finally returning it to the center. Then
the ball was thrown to the place where the sun comes up, and then to
the place where we always face, and each person who was fortunate
enough to catch the ball was given a horse or some valuable present.
The fifth time, the ball was thrown straight up, and there was then a
great scramble, until finally one person had the ball and returned it to
the girl at the center.
When the throwing of the ball had been finished, High Hollow Horn
offered the sacred pipe to Moves Walking, who held the stem towards
the heaven and began to send a voice to Wakan-Tanka.
"Hee-ay-hay-ee-ee! [Four times]. I am sending a voice to You, O
Wakan-Tankato You who have always been, and who are above all
things. Father, Wakan-Tanka, You are the chief of all things;
everything belongs to You, because it is You who have created the
universe. Upon this great island You have placed our people, and You
have given us the wisdom to know all things. You have made us to
know the moon and the sun, the four winds

 Page 137
and the four Powers of the universe. We know that the generations
come from, and return to, that place towards which we always face,
and upon this straight red path leading to where the giant lives we
have walked in a sacred manner. And above all, we know that our four
closest relatives are always our Grandfather and Father, Wakan-Tanka,
and our Grandmother and Mother, the Earth. O Wakan-Tanka, behold
today Rattling Hail Woman who holds in her hand a ball which is the
earth. She holds that which will bring strength to the generations to
come who will inherit Thy earth; and the steps that they take will be
firm, and they will be free from the darkness of ignorance. Rattling
Hail Woman stands here holding Your world, and, from this day on,
this ball will belong to the generations to come, and they will rejoice
as they walk hand-in-hand with their children. Help them to walk the
sacred path without ignorance. May the heavens above behold us here
and be merciful to us! Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka! Father, Wakan-
Tanka! may we always know and do Thy will. May we never lose this
relationship established here! May we cherish it and love it always! O
Wakan-Tanka, be merciful to me, that my people may live!"
The sacred pipe was then smoked or touched by all who were present,
and those who were fortunate enough to have caught the holy ball
were given presents of horses or buffalo robes, and all the people had
a great feast and everybody was happy, for that which the White
Buffalo Cow Woman had promised in the beginning had now been
fulfilled.
I, Black Elk, should now explain to you several things that you may
not understand about this holy rite. First, it is a little girl, and not an
older person, who stands at the center and who throws the ball. This is
as it should be, for just as Wakan-Tanka is eternally youthful and pure,
so is this little one who has just come from Wakan-Tanka, pure and
without any darkness. Just as the ball is thrown from the center to the
four quarters, so Wakan-Tanka is at every direction and is everywhere
in the world; and as the ball descends upon the people, so does His
power, which is only received by a very few people, especially in
these last days.

 Page 138
You have seen that the four-legged buffalo people were not able to
play this game with the ball, and so they gave it to the two-leggeds.
This is very true because, as I have said before, of all the created
things or beings of the universe, it is the two-legged men alone who, if
they purify and humiliate themselves, may become one withor may
knowWakan-Tanka.
At this sad time today among our people, we are scrambling for the
ball, and some are not even trying to catch it, which makes me cry
when I think of it. But soon I know it will be caught, for the end is
rapidly approaching, and then it will be returned to the center, and our
people will be with it. It is my prayer that this be so, and it is in order
to aid in this "recovery of the ball," that I have wished to make this
book.

 Page 139

Index
A
Altar:
for "The Keeping of the Soul" rite, 23;
for the sweat lodge, 33, 49;
for the sun dance, 88-90;
for Hunkapi rite, 108;
for purification rites, 121ff.;
for "The Throwing of the Ball" rite, 130f.
Arikara: 102n.
B
Ball:
symbolism in ritual game, 127f.;
symbolism of, 132
Black, significance of color: 92, 92n.
Black Elk (personal name): 137
Black road, symbolism of: 7n
Blue, symbolism of: 123
Buffalo:
symbol of the universe, 6n.;
 parts representing aspects of creation, 10n.;
image used in sun dance, 72;
skull used in sun dance, 90ff.;
who showed purification rites to the Lakota, 118;
giving the rite for "The Throwing of the Ball," 134-35
Buffalo wallow: 23, 122
Burial:
scaffold, 14;
significance of Sioux burial, 14n.
C
Caddo Indians: 102n.
Cherry tree, symbolism of: 123
Circle, symbolism of: 92
Circumambulation, explanation of sun-wise movement: 5n.
Coomaraswamy, A. K.: 70n.

 Page 140
Corn: 101ff.;
symbolism of, 108-10
Cottonwood tree:
why considered sacred, 74-75;
its manner of prayer, 75, 75n.
Crazy Horse (personal name): 45
Cross, explanation of power in its form: 59
D
Darkness, symbolism of: 36, 42n.
Death, importance as reminder: 8n.;
see also burial
De Smet, Father: 14n.
Drum, symbolism of: 69
Drying rack, symbolism of: 76
E
Earth, different aspects of: 6n.
Eye of the heart: 42
F
Feather on Head (personal name): 117
Finger (personal name): 65n.
Fire:
 sacredness of, 23n.;
symbolism of, 32
Fireplace, construction of: 32
Flesh, symbolizing ignorance: 85
Fletcher, Alice C.: 10n.
Four ages:
myth of, 9n., 28, 36, 63, 65;
description of the ages, 100n., 135
G
Generosity: 25, 126
Ghost dance song: 6n.
"Give Away": 126
Great Spirit:
presence in everything, 64n., 65n.; see also Wakan-Tanka
Guénon, René: 8n., 9n., 70n.
H
High Hollow Horn (personal name): 11ff., 128ff.
Hokshichankiya: 27, 28, 113
Humility: 26, 54n.;
symbolized by rabbit, 85
Hunkas, the hiding of: 111
Huntka: 20


 Page 141

K
Kablaya, Spread (personal name): 67ff.
"Keeping of the Soul" rite prohibited by government: 10n.
Kinnikinnik: 16n., 20, 48;
observances in cutting, 50, 57
L
La Flesche, Francis: 21n., 43n.
Lamenting: 44ff.;
reason for, 45-46;
for women, 46
Light, as destroyer of ignorance: 40
Lodge:
construction for ceremonial, 4n.;
symbolism in sun dance, 80;
diagram of sun dance, 81
M
Maka (the earth): 27
Matohoshila, Bear Boy (personal name): 101
Maya owichapaha ("She who pushes them over the bank"): 29n.
Menstruation: 116ff.
Milky Way: 29n.
Moon, symbolism of: 71
Morning star, symbolism of: 63
Moves Walking (personal name): 128ff.
N
Neihardt, John G.: 5, 45n.
Nicholson, R. A.: 75n.
O
Onikare (sweat lodge): 31;
see also purification
Osage Indians, purfication rites of: 42n.
P
Papa (dried meat): 17
Pawnee Indians: 102n.
Peace, establishing three types of: 115
Pipe:
description of, 6;
explanation of the ritual of, 21n., 26n.;
identified with human body, 21n.;
purification of, 23
Power, in objects and animals: 45n.
Purification, ancient rites after menstruation: 117
R
Rabbit, representing humility: 85
Rattling Hail Woman (personal name): 132ff.
"Red and Blue Days," explanation of: 19n.

 Page 142
Red Day Woman (personal name): 17
Red road, symbolism of: 7n.
Ree: twist tobacco, 48; nation, 102ff.
Relationship:
sacredness of, 15n.;
with the powers of the world, 47;
establishing of a, 101, 107ff.;
symbolized by corn, 110;
made with the powers of the six directions, 112;
with the buffalo, 122, 124-25
Rock:
given with pipe, 7;
diagram of circles on, 7n.;
symbolism of, 32
S
Sage:
used in purification rite, 54;
significance in sun dance, 92
Schuon, Frithjof; 26n., 42n.
Seating, within tipi: 5n.
Slow Buffalo (personal name): 117ff.
Songs:
in the sweat lodge, 40, 54, 55, 65, 66;
for the sun dance, 70, 83, 84, 87-91, 93, 94, 100;
for the Hunkapi rites, 112;
for the "Preparation for Womanhood" rites, 122, 125;
sacred pipe song, 131;
in the rites for "The Throwing of the Ball," 136
Soul:
release of, 29;
significance of release of, 29n.;
see also wanagi
Spiritual influence: 27, 28, 113
Spotted Eagle: 25, 55; see also wanbli Galeshka
Standing Hollow Horn (personal name): 4ff.
Sun, symbolism of: 71-72
Sweat lodge: 7n.;
as symbol of the universe, 32;
diagram of, 33;
purpose of, 41;
see also purification
Sweet grass, used for purification: 12, 13, 41, 48, 49, 54, 68, 84, 88,
93, 99, 103, 128, 130
Sword (personal name): 45n.
T
Thunder-beings: 5n., 31, 54;
to test "lamenter," 59;
see also Wakinyan-Tanka
Tripod, for supporting "soul-bundle": 17n.
Twenty-eight, symbolism of number: 80, 107
V
Visions: 44, 45n.;
as distinct from dreams, 59, 66;
sun dance received, 68;
rite for "The Making of Relatives" received, 101;
rites