Sundance

             <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman;"> Sundance The Sundance, also known as Wiwanyag Wachipi, is a ceremony performed by many different Native American tribes. Although each tribe may do their rituals in a variety of ways the general idea of the Sundance ceremony is the same. Many people believe that the ceremony is performed to worship the sun, but that is not the reason. The different tribes perform this ceremony for thanksgiving and to help bring happiness and safety to the tribe for the upcoming year. The Sundance typically occurs at the time of the summer solstice. It can last for four to 28 days, but most last only 8 days. For example in the Lakota Tribe the ritual last for 28 days but they prepare for it for an entire year. The last four days are the most important. On these last four days is when the dancing and rituals happen. Leading up to the ceremony days the dancers are fasting and cleanse themselves in the sweat lodge. The days leading up to the ceremony are also spent in prayer and meditation. <span style="height: 121.75pt; left: 0px; margin-left: -6pt; margin-top: 75.25pt; position: absolute; text-align: left; width: 183.75pt; z-index: -2;">   The ceremonial sun lodge is set up by placing a forked tree in the center of several other trees that have limbs connecting each one in a circular formation. In the fork of the center tree a bundle is placed which can contain several different things for a religious offering. For example in the Sioux tribe the bundle would be filled with buffalo hide, tobacco and brush. The contents of the bundle will vary depending on the tribe. The tribe also brings items to place on an altar inside the lodge. There are four important areas in the lodge that represent the wheel of the Sundance. The areas are that of the four cardinal directions. These help develop the spokes of the sacred wheel that is painted and has eagle feathers attached to the middle of it.

<span style="height: 161.25pt; left: 0px; margin-left: 206.25pt; margin-top: 51pt; position: absolute; text-align: left; width: 258pt; z-index: -1;">   Once the lodge is ready the dancers will prepare to do their ritual. First the young men have their body painted, and then they enter the lodge and have their chest pierced and pegs put in by the leader, usually a medicine man. They then are attached to the center tree by the piercing with rope. The dance requires them to dance as long as they can until the peg is ripped through their skin. After that they are treated with herbs and then they continue to dance. While they are dancing they continuously blow on an eagle bone whistle and look up at the fork in the tree. The reason they are connected to the center pole is that they believe that is the best way to connect with creator. The buffalo is one of the main driving points of this ritual and is used in several aspects of the ceremony. The buffalo is what many tribes compare themselves to, in the aspect that the herd stays together and the tribe stays together. Some of the dancers will be pierced in the shoulders and drag buffalo heads around the lodge. On the last day there is a final cleansing and a feast is prepared for the tribe. The Sundance is believed to show that there’s a cycle of death and rebirth. This ritual is performed as a sacrifice to help keep the world in balance and to ensure the health and happiness of the tribe. Throughout the years the Sundance has caused great controversies with many local governments. The government thinks this ritual is too brutal and should not be performed. In earlier years the practice was banned from being performed, which caused several generations to lose that part of their culture. Canada was one of the first to ban it then the United States followed. However, the bans did not stop many tribes from performing it in secret. The tribes are able to perform the Sundance today but some choose not to do the piercing part of the ritual. Many of the tribes who still perform it choose not to have non-Indians attend because they do not understand the importance of the ritual. The Sundance ceremony is one of the most importance ceremonies done by Indians today, it is believe to ensure that the world will renew itself so that the tribes may flourish and that nature stays in balance. Webliography In this article the Lakota are talking briefly about what the purpose of the Sundance is and what rituals are preformed throughout the ceremony. It is considered the right of passage to manhood. // Picture from this site  // This article discusses that the Sundance was not just practiced by the American Indians, but in Europe and other places also. It also gives several reasons why they practiced the Sundance and some of the controversy that was brought up by outsiders On this site they discuss the last Kiowa Sundance that was performed in 1887 because of the government and how the Kiowa still perform some of the rituals still today. It also states how the Sundance was not meant to worship the sun but for connection with the earth and safety for the tribe. It describes how they prepared and preformed their rituals. In this article the author refers to the Sundance by its other name Wiwanyag Wachipi. He goes into depth about the different symbolic items that need to be present at the Sundance. Also, the process of getting the lodge set up and the importance of the four corners is discussed. The Sundance has been ridiculed by non-indians and many tribes have banned them from these ceremonies. Eventually the government stepped in and didn’t allow the piercing part of the ceremony but that law has now been removed. Also, not all tribes perform this dance that same way but in general there are many of the same practices that happen. The importance of the buffalo to the Lakota tribe and the Sundance is discussed in this article. The dancer is making a sacrifice to help keep nature in balance for killing many different animals. These rituals are done to bring peace and happiness to the tribe for the upcoming year. In this article the Lakota Sundance is specifically talked about. They do the ceremony a little differently than other tribes, the take a whole year to prepare for the Sundance that last 28days. They also go into depth about the cutting down of the center tree. This article tells the legend of how the Sundance Wheel was formed and the impact of the four corners and the animals that came to help develop the wheel. The Sundance is one of the most sacred rituals that can be performed. It is a way to represent a cycle of deaths and rebirths. It also discusses women participating in the ceremony. The Sundance was not allowed to be practiced for a while and in this article it discusses the cultural loss to younger generations. It also tells about Trojillo who had a vision of the Sundance and taught it to several tribes. It also discusses the monthly prayers that are done leading up to the ceremony to prepare the tribe. This article describes the importance of the Sundance and how it is meant to ask for thanksgiving and protection of the family and tribe. It is meant to help the world renew itself each year. To ensure that the next year will be safe one. This site is made for people who are wanting to attend a current Sundance and it provides the information needed before anyone one should attend the ceremony. This site talks briefly about the Sioux Sundance and how it last for four days and there is fasting and sweat lodges done before the ceremony. It also tells about people who have gone to the ceremony. This article discusses the different tribes that perform the Sundance, the rituals that go along with it and the importance of the buffalo and being connected to the creator through the center tree. Discusses that reason why the lodge is made the way it is and how members bring offering to the central alter. Also discussed is an animal calling ritual preformed by the tribe members. This site talks about when the Sundance is held during the year. Also it discusses the people who pledge themselves to do the dance. Another item talked about was how the government tried to stop the Sundance. This article discussed the importance of the Sundance today and how they are still being preformed. This article is asking people to be respectful for the Sundance is being done for the wellbeing of mother earth. This article discussed who is invited to the Sundance and how long it last for the Lakota tribe. This article describes one of the reasoning behind the ceremony and how there are different rituals for each tribe. This article discusses how the men were painted before the ceremony and the events leading up to it for several different tribes. It also talks about how the government tried to step in and stop the Sundance.
 * 1)   "THE AMERICAN INDIAN CULTURE." //School of Metaphysics Online Campus//. 2002. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. []
 * 1)   Beckett, Elizabeth, Holly Bernitt, and Vishwa Chandra. "Dance." //The Sun:Man's Friend & Foe- Dance//. 1998. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. []
 * 1) <span style="background: white; color: black; 0in line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric;">  Boyd, Maurice, and Linn Pauahty. "Sundance - Sonnentanz." //STERNECK.NET - Kultur Und Veränderung//. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. []
 * 1) <span style="background: white; color: black; 0in line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric;">  Brown, Joseph Epes. "Lakota Rites - Wiwanyag Wachipi." //Lakota - Culture and Spirituality//. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. []
 * 1)   Chan, Wendy, and Kiran Mirchandani. "Sundance." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. 8 Apr. 2011. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. []
 * 1) <span style="background: white; color: black; 0in line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric;">  Horse, Thunder. "The Sundance: Sacrifice, Integration, Reciprocity, and Regeneration." //Republic of Lakotah – Mitakuye Oyasin//. 30 Oct. 2009. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. []  // Picture from this site //
 * 1)   "The Lakota Sundance Ceremony." //Angelfire: Welcome to Angelfire//. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. []
 * 1)   "Native American Indian Legends - The Sundance Wheel - Arapaho." //First People of America and Canada - Native American Indians. Turtle Island. Legends, Treaties, Clipart.// Web. 13 Apr. 2011. []
 * 1)   "Native American Indian Sundance." //Indian Artifact | Native American Indian Artifact | Mesoamerican Artifact//. 2009. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. []
 * 1)   "Native American Sundance." //Native Americans Online//. 2002. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. []
 * 1)   Oyasin, Mitakuye. "Sundance Ritual." // Webpanda.com - a Non Business Site // . Web. 13 Apr. 2011. []
 * 1)   "Salt Creek Sundance." //About Salt Creek Sundance//. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. [|http://sc.saltcreeksundance.com]
 * 1)   Straight-Arrow, Francine. "Sundance Ceremony." //INTRODUCTORY CLASSES ON NATIVE AMERICAN SPIRITUALITY//. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. []
 * 1)   "The Sundance." //Ani Kutani//. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. []
 * 1)   [|Sundance.] "     Dictionary of American History. 2003. // Encyclopedia.com. // 13 Apr. 2011< [|http://www.encyclopedia.com] >.
 * 1)   "Sundance (religious Ceremony) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." //Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia//. 2011. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. []
 * 1)   "Sundance 2010." //Kunsi Keya KunsiKeya//. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. []
 * 1)  // Sundance Wiwang Wacipi // . Web. 13 Apr. 2011. []
 * 1)   Wigington, Patti. "Sundance - What Is the Sundance?" //Paganism & Wicca - Pagan and Wiccan Religion//. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. []
 * 1)   Young, Gloria A. "SUNDANCE." //Oklahoma State University - Library - Home//. 2001. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. []