Sun Dance (rituals, beliefs, attend, America, experience)

[Abram]

When growing up my mother was very into the Native American culture. We attended pow-wows, festivals, and sun dances. I vividly remember the sun dances. I saw and felt things I could never explain or replicate.

There was an arbor circle with an arbor pole in the middle. The arbor pole was a tall tree that was cut down and was carried to the site with never touching the ground. The arbor circle was very sacred and you had to smudge your self in sage smoke before entering each time. You could not were rubber sole shoe either. Women on their period (moon cycle) could not enter.


There were ropes that hung down from the top of the arbor pole that would be tied to pieces of bone. These bones were pierced into the chest skin (left and right side.) They would stand there and sing and dance. When it felt right they would lay back and break the skin.


This was a real brief description that leaves other rituals out. But this has impressed me even to this day. I have always wanted to discuss this with people who understood it but never met anyone who has been to one. I would love to share and discuss this with someone who's been to one.

[painted wolf]

I've never been to one... they arn't from my area. Perhaps someday I'll be invited to participate in one.. but who knows.

I do know that for a long time this ceremony was illegal in the USA... it "came back" (publicly) during the civil rights movent of the 60's.
You can also dance with buffalo skulls dragging from behind you, pierced into your back and sometimes women will "simply" cut pieces of skin off thier arms and chests.

The most basic way I've heard this discribed is the idea that we suffer for ourselves and our people, we don't expect anyone elce to do it for us. By giving from yourself you help everyone and everything.
Self sacrifice is a highly valued virtue.

wa:do

[Abram]

Originally Posted by painted wolf

I do know that for a long time this ceremony was illegal in the USA... it "came back" (publicly) during the civil rights movent of the 60's.

So we take there land and beliefs, wow!

You can also dance with buffalo skulls dragging from behind you, pierced into your back and sometimes women will "simply" cut pieces of skin off their arms and chests.

They would also line up 5 skulls behind him in a row dragging on the ground. He would walk around the arbor poll until they broke the skin, if the skin wouldn't break kids would start sitting on the skulls one by one.

Me and my brother both gave a flesh offering. We still have the scars on our arms as remembrance.

I loved the sweat lodges, my mom was a smoker back then and when she came out her sweat was yellow. It is a great way to detoxify.

I got to tell you the sprit movement could be felt in ways I have never felt before. They some how had a direct link to something? You could hear it, feel it, think it, and even taste it. It was there that I knew there was something else out there, not a doubt in my mind.

In fact we were all sitting in the arbor circle and singing, dancing and some chief Indian guy walked up to a friend we met there and asked her to leave the arbor circle now. Everyone was confused as to what was going on, the chief told her she was on her moon cycle. Come to find out she was pregnant and the chief who she has never met could tell from in side the arbor. So crazy...

Little long winded I know, like I said I've never shared this amazing event in my life. I wish the world could experience the power that was there.