Weekly Discussion: January 8, 2007
Many of you know I am a mixed blood. I am Native and European, so I won't go on about that. But so you understand where I am going with this there is a little history that I need to share. I was in a college in MN when I met one young lady who became my extended family niece. Her family is Blackfeet and lead Sweats, Sings and Sun Dances. She had been trying to get me to come to one for almost six years before I was actually able to make one. That was last summer. Many of you know about Sweats or Sweat Lodges, so I won't get into those, but I was in a whole new world in a way and did alot of learning last summer.
A Sing is a cerimony that is done for many different reasons. The one that I will be writing about was for the Sun Dance Lodge. We shared food and there were lots of jokes, and after the special berry soup the Sing was fully under way. There were many special songs and chants that were done for the Lodge, they were to ask the spirits of the ancestors to guide and bless the upcoming Lodge. The people who were dancing were asked to bring up their pipes or flags, mostly both to one of the Elder Men to be prayed over and for the person requesting to dance that they be allowed. In the past there are ones who have been denied, but not this year. The Sing started around nine or ten pm and didn't get done until around four or five the next morning. Depending on what the Sing is for as you see they can last for many hours. There were alot of songs I didn't know, but I could feel the energy building. (Put that into the same context as a circle with music and allow that to show you the feel of the Sing)
The Sun Dance Lodge
Ok so it seemed no one got up early the next morning, but the Sing didn't end until earlier that morning. I wasn't paying that much attention to time as I was on "Indian Time" (Same thing as Pagan Time) So we went to the site where the Lodge was going to be set up and then we as a group would go to where the chosen tree and lodge poles were.
Prayers were said and the leader for this Lodge talked about the importance of the tree, the direction it should fall and then some history of and for the Blackfeet people. The directions, ancestors and tree were honored and the "Hunters" as the men were called began chopping with hand axes. Oh no! The tree fell the wrong way! The leader touched the tree and was told to go on with the Lodge. Many of the people were crying because the tree falling the way it did ment it was going to be a hard Lodge, a testing Lodge. It was. We all went back to the site for the Lodge and the Center Pole or Old Man was put into the hole that had been dug for him. There were prayers said before they did that. The first day of the four days is for the cutting and setting up of the Lodge. The "Center Pole or Old Man" is very important for the rest of the Lodge is built around that and it has to have the forked part facing a certain way and the poles around and on top have to be done just so, the same with the brush around it and it has to be done before sunset that day.
There is a special wall of brush that is to keep the dancers from the rest of the people while they are dancing. It keeps them focused and their minds on the prayers and visions that they are asking for. Men on one side, women on the other and one dancer is chosen from each to be the head or lead dancer, they speak for the rest of the dancers. Anyway they go into the walled area that first night and don't eat or drink until the end of the fourth day. The end of the fourth day is usually close to noon or a little later. (But again I jump ahead of myself)
The second and third days are for the skull dragging, piercings, naming cerimonies or weddings. Special prayers for others who are there are done after the dancers finish. It rained almost every day and the singers drummed (hand drums) as much as they could, even with the brush roof the rain still got into the center of the Lodge and didn't give the drums much time to dry out.
Two women had to leave because they got their moon time. It is common among the Nations for women to go else where durring their moontime(menses, "time of the month")as "woman energy" durring that time is really strong and disrupts the flow of the men and what ever is going on. This is also a time for the women to do their own special prayers and Moon Lodge things. It's seen as a natural part of life.
So back to the story. Hehe I stepped up and said I would help by doing dishes and minor help with the cooking. Everyone helping and doing durring this time is important for the flow of energy to go smooth and the least mount of trouble in the camp. Things durring this time have to be kept as mellow for the dancers as they can't worry about anything, but dancing, singing and prayers. I made it into the Lodge several times and was there for most of the piercings and some of the skull dragging. The Blackfeet belive that all tobacco smoking carrys prayers so having a cig durring any of the cerimonies is not concidered a bad thing.
Early on the fourth day I took some tobacco I had been given and requested that part of it be shared with Old Man and the ancestors in the center of the Lodge and the rest is in my bundle. The prayers are for staying strong in my walk and to keep me pointed in the right direction. I learned alot durring those four days and made some friends. I am looking forward to this summer as I will find away even with moving to be at the next Lodge.
The last day after a few cerimonies the dancers were given the special berry soup and fruit as well as water and gator aid. The dancers ate first and then everyone else got their plates and drinks. Durring the last meal the Give Away was started. Now I have seen some give aways at some of the pow-wow's when special cerimonies were going on, but the generosity of the people I was with was awesome! I wasn't expecting some of the things that I was given, nor was I expecting the good words that were spoken to me and about me. Course I did get teased too, but it was all good. I was the imported kitchen help. All the way from Kansas!
Now you have seen a part of life that is special to me and how this plays
into my beliefs and walk.
What cerimonies carry the most meaning to you?
Is humor a part or is it all tight and no free flow of energy? Why?
When things get hard what happens?
Do you make the effort to keep going or do you stop?
Every week, a list member introduces, by e-mail, a subject (formally) for the group to discuss. While this doesn't stop us discussing anything else in the meantime, it does provide us with a way to pool all our knowledge and experience, thoughts, debates etc. on all things pagan. 'Oldies' and Newbies alike learn a lot from this.
Usually, it's the discussions afterwards which truly inform, as these introductions are precisely what it says on the packet - introductions. However, here you will find this week's introduction , links to previous ones and a link to upcoming topics.
Join Witchgrove here: