GET ON TOP OF YOUR TRUTH

WARPONY (MEEKO) AT HIS FIRST AND LAST SUNDANCE.

Summer solstice brings the sacred Sundance to the world.
A time to pray.
A time for peace.
A time for harmony.
All My Relations
WarPony, Assinboine Sioux

EXCERPT FROM THE NOVEL, WIND WOLF WOMAN describes Warpony at his first and last Sundance.

Coming home from a hard day’s work, Meeko was surprised when Granbear silently handed him his piercing ropes. This simple gesture had sanctioned Meeko to perform his first Sundance.

Before sunrise the following morning, a large group of men went to collect the sacred cottonwood tree. Shadowhawk motioned for two men to climb up and place ropes among its branches to keep the tree from touching the ground as it fell. The group of men carried the sacred tree back to the Sundance circle amidst many singers and drummers. Granbear met them with his Staff of Life and placed the tobacco, buffalo meat and water into the prepared hole for the sacred tree. Shadowhawk hung the hand made leather images of a bull buffalo and a man then placed four Chokecherry branches into the tree to symbolize the abundance for the world. Many people placed prayer flags and tobacco ties in the tree’s branches, while the Sun dancers fastened their piercing ropes to the sacred tree.

Following Granbear’s signal, the men stood the sacred tree up in the hole. As the wind slowly began to dance with the colorful prayer flags, Meeko stood next to Granbear and felt a power growing from the joyous faces of the people. Granbear motioned to Meeko to join the new pledgers, each walking silently to the front of the tree to pledge a new beginning to life, while others followed close behind to offer their flesh offerings.

Meeko entered the Sun dancers’ lodge, with his piercing sticks along with two eagle feathers, a eagle bone whistle and his dark blue Sundance skirt, painted with a bear face surrounded with many colorful ribbon streamers. He sat quietly in prayer and began to twist pieces of sage into wreaths wrapping them carefully with blue material, one for his head, two for his wrists, and two for his ankles.

Suddenly a spirit named Crow spoke. “Meeko you will do fine. I will be with you.” Meeko noticed the many scars on the warrior’s chest, legs and back, feeling secure with the help promised from this sacred spirit.

At sunrise, the Sun dancers left the sweat in silence going to the Sundance tipi to dress for their first day in the Sundance circle. As he stood in line, the spirit Crow, placed two shimmering Golden Eagle feathers on Meeko’s head, saying, “The eagle will help you be strong in your first Sun Dance.”

Meeko walked into the Sundance circle and saw the sacred circle come alive with the rising sun. The symbols of Eagle, Bear, Buffalo and Lightning Man moved on the dancers garments as the drums and the singers high pitched voices joined in with the sounds of the dancers eagle bone whistles, all raising their eyes in silent prayer up to the sun.

Meeko blew his eagle bone whistle while letting his feet glide to the rhythm of the drum’s beat. At the end of the first endurance, Meeko left the circle and went with the others to rest under the arbor where Granbear quietly acknowledged that he was doing well.

A helper approached with burning cedar. Meeko inhaled deeply to feel the smoke’s power touch his soul. When the dancers returned to the Sun Dance circle, Meeko saw the Spirit of Crow, walk to the Tree of Life and lay down on a bed of sage. He noticed another spirit pierced Crow on the right and left side of his chest, placing his piercing sticks through each slit. After the ropes were hooked over the sticks, Crow Spirit stretched his arms outward as he raised high into the tree. There he hung for the next four days. The red that shines at dawn and twilight continued its etheric colors in a serene glow coming from another world.

As Meeko slept, many pictures danced on the back of his eyelids. He saw people of long ago being pierced at the Sundance tree, many dragging Buffalo skulls hooked to their backs. Meeko cried with joy, knowing that he was gathering his power in the same way as his ancient ancestors had done, long ago.

On the second day, Meeko entered the sacred circle to see Spirit Crow still hanging in the sacred Tree with outstretched arms looking directly into the sun. By the third day, many dancers had fallen and sat with heads bowed in shame knowing they could not continue this year in the Sundance.

Seeing this in his dream time, Meeko feared he too, would not be able to continue. Crow, walked on his thoughts, saying, “Once I too, was afraid of piercing, but I wanted to dance for the people. Meeko go to Father Sun and ride his rays. This is your time. You can do this!” Then vanished. Meeko fell into a deep peaceful sleep.

On the fourth day, Meeko entered the Sundance circle with two red circles painted on his chest, indicating to the Sundance leader where he wished to be pierced.

By mid-afternoon, Meeko noticed an eagle flying overhead and remembered his first call from Eagle. ‘How high can you fly, Meeko? How high do you dare fly?’ He felt strength beyond his knowing, surge through him as he glanced toward the tree to see Crow break free from the ropes, dropping gracefully to the ground with a peaceful spiritual beauty reflecting from his face.

Inspired by his guardian spirit, Crow, Meeko looked at him and went to the buffalo robe to be pierced. He lay still as an appointed grandmother caressed his forehead. Granbear placed a bundle of sage in his mouth as Shadowhawk took his knife and cut two slashes in his flesh, one to the left and right side of his chest.

Shadowhawk lifted Meeko onto his feet then hooked the ropes to the piercing sticks. Meeko pulled against his bodily flesh, as he danced backward then toward the tree. He touched the tree in prayer when suddenly the tree came alive; its bark felt like soft skin moving as if the tree was taking a human breath. Meeko blew his eagle bone whistle as the beat of the drums drove his pounding feet. Three times he danced to and from the sacred Tree of Life, causing the ropes to stretch his skin outward from his chest as he filled his heart with the strength of Great Spirit. On the fourth and last time, Meeko danced away from the tree with his head held high as he faced the sun, staring unflinchingly as his spirit rode the suns rays. His skin stood out from his chest as he tore free. Meeko ran with breakneck speed around the circle, with many friends and family following to honor him as his spirit soared.

At the end of the Sun Dance ceremony, the participants, now considered holy, lined up and lay their hands on the heads of those who wished to be healed. When this was completed, Granbear called the sun dancers for their final sweat, each praying they would be strong enough to walk the coming year as a true Sun dancer.

WARPONY’S LAST SUNDANCE.

WARPONY (MEEKO) PULLED TWELVE BUFFALO SKULLS, ATTACHED TO HIS BACK, FOUR TIMES IN A SACRED CIRCLE WHICH HELD TWO HUNDRED PEOPLE. MAY THIS BEAUTIFUL SOUL, REST IN PEACE UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN.

All My Relations
Mahinto

From SHA TONGA'S DESK

Let me introduce my new friend David H. McMillan. It was long before day break as I watched David enter the sweat to pray for the upcoming Sundance. This was his first Sundance and his story.

Hello readers, First, let me honor Mahinto. I also would like to thank the other pledgers for their help and kindness.

I was apprehensive about coming to the Sundance. I did not fully know what to expect, or what would be expected of me. After meeting Mahinto, I learned many things needed to be understood: The sacred Sundance Tree, the Medicine Wheel, Inipi, and Old Man Four Generations and the principles of a sun dancer.

During our time to get prepared, became a combination of some serious understanding. Mahinto gave instruction as needed, working diligently with each new pledger.

It was about this time that it dawned on me, I finally understood what Mahinto had been saying all along. We do not dance for ourselves. We dance for all things. The people, two legs, the four legs, the crawling things, the flying things, the swimming things, the stone people, the star people, the world and those that have gone before us and for those who have yet to come.

We concluded the Sundance with a Give - A – Way. I must say, the Sundance experience opened my heart and gave me a new understanding of how to walk the Sundance way during the coming year.

All My Relations,
David H. McMillan

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