THE NATIVE VOICE Rapid City, South Dakota http://www.native-voice.com/new_cfm/ May, 2002 Arvol Looking Horse By Frank King III TNV: What are the obligations of the people to the Sacred Pipe and the Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Bundle? Arvol Looking Horse: At the age of twelve, it seemed that I had no choice in the decision of being the next bundle keeper. At that time I went through the coming of age ceremony. I was told that the spirit chose me. When I was taken through the ceremony, the many Elders that used to come and pray with the bundle were there to witness. I was very sad that my Grandmother left me, it was kind of confusing for me to carry all those lonely feelings while we were going through the ceremony. They explained that I was the youngest to ever carry the bundle, suddenly I felt like my life was not my own. I did not understand what this all meant yet or the challenges that I would face in the future and somehow inside, I knew, I could never turn back. When the Elders placed the headdress on me, they said that I would never have to Sundance or vision quest, unless I have a hard time and a dream would come to me. During that time many of those Elders that I saw that came to Green Grass stayed near the C'anupa for four days and sometimes longer, because our protocol said four days. I witnessed the love and compassion for the Sacred C'anupa. I remember Elders praying from their heart with tears, because it was natural. In those beautiful four days of their visit, I remember the laughter of innocent jokes that didn't hurt one another and the sharing of stories of the beauty of our people. They camped around our place and participated in ceremonies. I remember the Elders when I was young were very respectful and humble, I learned so much by watching them. When you sang ceremonial songs or shared anything very important about our traditional way, people would stand up with respect and listen patiently. Later on I realized that asking about ceremonies was very serious. When Elders would talk in formal meetings discussing spirituality or decisions concerning the people, if someone came late, they would lead him clockwise and set him on the far end, then somebody would stand up and pray, because it was about respecting that energy and maintaining it together, as life was meaningful. Those that came to listen, sat on the outside quietly. Today we need to address the Lakota ways, because a lot of people think that our way means taking on names and not having to earn that name later on in life. Today people use their names given in ceremony on business cards and even have it stated if they have participated in a ceremony. The only time it was used was in ceremony was for the Grandfathers to recognize you or share with your relatives, because it was so sacred. If you dared to state your ceremonial name openly to your relatives, then the people knew you had something important to share. If you were given a name at a young age, as a child, then it was ok, but when the Grandfathers name you, it was kept sacred. Long ago everyone had to make there own C'anupa and many people had one. The only ones that were forbidden to touch the C'anupa were the ones that had blood on their hands, meaning to take someone's life on his own free will. We were called the "C'anupa Oyate", People of the Pipe. Today a lot of people have not made their own C'anupa, but I still feel it is important that we bring this understanding back to our own children one day. When a person takes that time in their life to mold their own C'anupa, they will truly understand the responsibility of what energy they put into it. As during the time of creating this C'anupa, we are also communicating to the Creator of how life is important to us. They will understand that they do not carry this for ego, but rather on behalf of the people and seven generations to come. They will have compassion and a true understanding in listening to the wisdom of truly protecting our ceremonies and the Sacred C'anupa. There are four stages that we all go through: 1: A child being born, which is the ceremony of recognizing the mind, body and spirit, the "Wakan Ye-s'a", sacred child. 2. At the age of twelve, we start the coming of age ceremony, so the young man and young woman understand the importance of life as mind, body and spirit. 3. We begin to earn a name and some would make a vow to Sundance, which is to sacrifice yourself to the tree of life. A cottonwood tree is chosen to give it's life for the people, the cottonwood tree holds a lot of water, the blood of Mother Earth, similar to how we are. The Tree Nation has its sacred path; extending from the ground of Mother Earth and reaching to the Universe, a teaching for us all. 4. Becoming an elderly person, by this time each person should have gone through the seven sacred rights and they are ready to go into the spirit world. After a person passes on, the Spiritual Leader talks to their mind, body and spirit. The spirit rests in the hair. After one year the people do the "Wiping of the Tears ceremony". The family, during this mourning period, cannot go to big pow wows or gatherings, singers can't sing, and dancers can't dance, the family should spend time together to support one another. If a person had unfinished work to do for the people, then someone would step forward and do the "Wiping of Tears ceremony" so they could finish their commitment, but this commitment had to be really important. Long ago people used to cut their hair. After the year of spending time with the relative's spirit, the Tiospaye (family) would then release that energy to the spirit world where other passed relatives are waiting. We have a give-away for the people to remember this momentous time. The relatives are forbidden to shed anymore tears, they allow that spirit to go on into the spirit world, if they continue to cry, it will bring "Wakuza" (to bring bad energy) to the family. I have witnessed a lot of terrible changes. Today I see a lot of these ceremonies that are advertised for obtaining money. Especially for some Sundances, they are not performed in a humble respectful way. The only time that we talked about ceremonies was when there was a tobacco offering. The White Buffalo Calf Woman said that if you abuse these ways you will suffer, mind, body and spirit. We have to go through these ceremonies together seriously, letting go of what is out there holding us back, this is why we have "ini kaga" (breath of life.. to make), to purify. This is when the "I-yan" (stone people) and the "Mini Wiconi" (water of life) come together in inipi (sweat); this was the first creation upon Mother Earth. Before I was twelve, I thought this bundle was just a bundle that my grandmother, Lucy Bad Warrior Looking Horse, kept. As the bundle's importance was explained to me, I was in awe and overwhelmed. I kept looking at that bundle and realized it was the same bundle that the White Buffalo Calf Woman brought to the people nineteen generations ago, that is long time. I was told that the first Keeper lived four times his life span and I knew our people used to live well over a hundred years old, so this really began to make me realize just how ancient it was. I realized just how powerful this bundle is, to survive all the terrible things we have gone through as a people. I can't have bad thoughts, speak in foul language or take a gun and hunt animals, because I would always have to keep in mind the respect for the bundle. I was told that the people would provide for me, that the bundle was the core of the Nation. I thought I would never leave this place or have to travel. Back when I was young, I would daydream about this and thought that this would be nice, but as time went on, I never saw it happen. Every now and then the Elders would come back, but as time passed they died and more new elders would show up and after a while, I realized that a lot of things now were becoming seriously lost. It's kind of sad the way things are. My grandmother once had a lot of land in Green Grass and she gave half the land to the church, because at the time, that was the only way to pray freely. After my Grandmother and Grandfather died a few years later, my father would ask us go to church now and then, as my Grandfather respected both ways. In the earlier 70¹s they called us devil worshippers. One day, while we sat in church, the preacher said that the people that lived a couple miles west of the church, us, are devil worshippers and that we drum at night. My father said, "Lets go home, because I don't feel good about this", so we left that church. I think the people chose to forget where they got the land from to pray, my Grandmother. Because we were struggling to be left alone as we did not have the freedom of religion yet, we stayed quiet and did not make waves. When my Grandmother died she left 40 acres to me, as the Keeper of the bundle. She told me that it would stay with the bundle, if the spirit allows it. My Father has gone and the land that was left for the bundle is now 6 acres, but it makes me remember that my Grandmother told me before she passed on, that I was the last Keeper. Even though she shared this with me, she also said that the power of prayer brings miracles. So I work and pray that her prophecy can be changed and we will deserve the sacred bundles, the spiritual energy to stay with the people, so we can have good health; mind, body and spirit. The reason why the bundle came to the people was our Ancestors at one time began abusing the sacredness of life and forgot the connection to Mother Earth, along with the teachings of the buffalo. We depended on the buffalo back then, not only for food and shelter, but what they taught. When one of the buffalo would fall, the rest would circle around them to give their energy so the fallen one could stand and together they would move forward, always facing the wind. They used their energy to heal, as we do in ceremony. This taught leadership, responsibility and respect toward one another. When our Ancestors forgot these teachings, the buffalo disappeared, so they prayed for deliverance. This is why the White Buffalo Calf Woman brought the Sacred C'anupa, nineteen generations ago. The red stone represents the blood of our people and the stem represents the connection to Mother Earth and the Universe, therefore representing the responsibility to be the caretaker and protector of our Mother Earth. I think our families should put aside some of their time to pay respects to our sacred way of life that can teach our children respect and honor. The real meaning behind the name of the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota People means the protection and responsibility in respecting the gifts the Creator gave to us, this includes our identity with our language. It means so much more then an enrollment number. In the earlier 70's, I believe was one of the hardest time that we had. We were going to move to North Dakota, because the Standing Rock Reservation offered us a better living. Back then my father and mother left to move north, because my father said, "I can't take this life any more here in Green Grass." I think back at that time, I remember the Chairman of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe promised to give me a stipend, build me a home and take care of me if I would stay. He saw some of the problems that we had as a family trying to survive with out the people¹s support. Since then I have been waiting, but I have never seen this happen. My father wanted to move, because years before we had 60 to 80 head of cattle and about 50 head of horses, but the tribe came down one day and asked my Dad, Stanley, if he had receipts for all our tractors and equipment needed to maintain a ranch, everything we owned. He said "No! we bought and paid for everything, but we don't keep the receipts." My mother had received a settlement and purchased most of the equipment. I remember the tribe coming down taking it all, it was very sad, because it was the first time I saw my father cry. One day after a time of feeling sorry for myself, I remember crying on top of my Grandmothers grave and nothing to live for. All I had was the shirt on my back and the sacred bundle, what could I do? I remembered that the four Black Angus cows and some horses that my Grandfather gave to me were gone, from the Tribe stealing them. My Grandfather said, "You take care of these and they will take care of you", but now they were gone. I remember my father talked with me and told me that I should go to Rosebud, SD and get away from here for a while, so I went. My father said, "When you feel better come back", because at that time I was not spiritually strong and I needed to be when I was around the bundle. I came back later on and I have always since worked to create a home in Green Grass and be able to survive on my own, even it meant leaving for time to work do it, but I have always returned home. I came to realize that the spirit always stays with me. The church put us through a lot of pain and some of the Elders have talked to me about boarding school and shared their horrible experiences. The boarding school was no place for a Lakota, Dakota, Nakota People, especially the man; it took their responsibilities away from the importance of family and affected their minds from the abuse that was done on them. For years I have always shared with the people that we should do a class action suit as Canada did, to get some compensation for the massacre of our culture, "Relief Programs" as it is called today. We could create programs to bring back our traditional teachings, especially our language, so we can bring back the true meaning of who we are as the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota People. We are not the devil worshippers as we were once told we were. This created a dependency on alcohol to forget, it became a disease since. My Grandmother said, "Now that the alcohol has been allowed to take our people, we will begin to see the abuse of our sacred ways even more." First it was alcohol, next it became other ways to forget with drugs, even to the point that people claim it is medicine. The C'anupa always stood alone, the White Buffalo Calf Woman stated this, when approaching the Creator we need a clean spirit. We have to help each other stand, to learn from the buffalo teachings. It is a heavy responsibility of being the Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf pipe, but at the same time there is also the responsibility for all the other Spiritual Leaders and Medicine people out there to assist and work with me, because we are in a very strong position to bring understanding and maintain the importance of bringing back the sacredness in our way of life to our people. We need to work together with all Indigenous people in the world in bringing recognition to the importance of protecting all the Sacred Sites on behalf of our Mother Earth and our future generations. In the last hundred years the two-legged is the only species that is destroying our Mother Earth and all its inhabitants along with it. The knowledge that has been passed down is the key to change this path of dysfunction we are now on, to keep the "ho-c'o-ka" (our spiritual center) strong. I would like to see our sacred way of life return, along with all the other Indigenous People's bundles and ceremonies, so the future of our generations to come have a chance to witness the beauty of what our Mother Earth has to offer. May we live in Peace and Harmony! AHO, Mitakuye Oyasin! |
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