NOTICES
Further Thoughts on the Protection of Ceremonies
by Arvol Looking Horse
Since the statement of protecting
our ceremonies, there have been many
issues that have come out. Many people
reporting on one another, many people
arguing for the participation of non
Natives, many non-Natives telling me
that 1 am a dictator of these ways. I see
this as good and bad because I now see
since these reports, there is a much big
ger problem than I ever knew in concern
of the violations. Even more reports of
deaths, charging, molestation and
mixing of other beliefs, this must stop!
These violations are affecting our
children’s health; many of our children
ending their life with suicide. They do
not feel that ceremonial energy that
was meant for them. The people in
these hoc'okas need to become stronger
and connected with our children’s needs
to survive.
This Bundle is our way the Creator
gave us to help us survive with
spirituality. It is all about transferring
spiritual energy for health for your loved
ones and thinking of seven generations
to come. These prayers also go out to
the world, for all, Mitakuye Oyasin.
I don't like the division, but again
when was the last time we really united.
I would rather see our people, even if
there are only a few, unite strong and
understand what this is all about, to
stand with me for these ways to be
protected, so this Bundle can stay for
our future generations.
These sacred protocols were always
there. The teachers are the Grand
fathers. There was nothing new in my
statement. The only thing that changed
was allowing other Native people
whose nations come from this same
ma-co-c'e (land) to participate in
Sundances and vision quests. Their
ancestors understood the values and
traditions of ceremony in the connec
tion to this Turtle Island.
I have known in our history that we
shared our ways with other nations with
respect. Our people would intermarry
with other Native nations; they would
become a Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota
Oyate. It was the same when our
woman married another nation’s man,
because we have the same teachings and
bloodline to this ma-co-c’e.
I have heard Native and non-Native
people fully understand my statement,
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yet many are misinterpreting the
statement because they don’t want to
see the truth and how it affects them.
Many have wanted me to re-explain
what all this means with the decision.
The decision was based on many years
of the elders coming to me with dreams
and concerns of what is going on. I
waited to make another statement, to
allow time to bring things out and open
the eyes of the people to look at what is
happening with our sacred ways. Just
how serious these things have become
has now been revealed.
I will explain the things that people
have been questioning. First, I under
stand that there have been people at the
meeting that are talking about not
agreeing with my decision. I announced
my decision in Lakota; that has a much
larger meaning. During the meeting,
that was taped, Sam Moves Camp stated
that I make a decision after all the issues
were discussed. Yet I am getting word
from non-Natives that they have talked
to some men at the meeting and they
were told that they did not agree. Yet
no one said anything after I spoke.
These men are only a few. I guess
they have learned how this affects them
after the statement went out, so they
backed away. Some of the people get
ting back to me are reporting the misuse
of their friendship with these men and
other men that call themselves inter
cessors. They have questioned how they
could agree with this decision even when
they do these violations themselves.
I still stand by these Lakota men
and have to work with them. I don’t feed
that negative energy. We are the Buffalo
Nation and I will not report them. It is
up to these people to correct these
things themselves. The Buffalo teaching
is to stand around one that has fallen
and help them stand; these ways belong
to them, even if they have become lost.
The other need is to establish our strong
societies again to deal with these
matters. Those society men who are
compassionate and walk in a respectful
manner, yet strong in their energy with
spiritual guidance to correct these
violations in an honorable way.
I stated the only government
protection of our ways is the eagle
feather law, because we are dealing with
non-Native participation that does not
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honor our spiritual laws that are in
place. This only law is when only
enrolled members can own this sacred
item for ceremonial use. The feather
represents knowledge and you have to
earn this for any part of our ceremonies.
I realize that during the 1900s many of
our people were taken away from their
families. 1 have participated in provid
ing a healing ceremony for adoptees.
Many are even full bloods and cannot
find their families. We can still find a
way to provide our people in recog
nition of their right to their identity.
Those that know their lineage can
still prove their bloodline. Our
intermarrying with other nations is not
that old that it cannot be found. In the
meantime, we need to continue to focus
on the protection that is available now.
That first teaching of bloodline came
when the first Keeper was told by Pte
Skan Win that the Bundle must stay in
the bloodline and passed down through
a vision or dream from the Keeper. So
it is the same teaching of our Native
bloodline with the ceremonies.
My position is the Keeper of the
Bundle that consists of the Seven
Sacred Rites. I am being responsible to
remind the Oyate that these ways are
being violated. Even to a degree that in
1979, when we were bringing out the
Sacred C'anupa, we received a warning
in ceremony from the Grandfathers that
if these abuses continued, they would
leave. We decided to put away the
Bundle for seven years from 1980-87
and get the word out that we were warned.
We could be just another nation, with
no identity, no cultural language, no
cultural way of life and we could probably
lose our reservations and sacred sites.
Pte Ska Win told us her spirit would
stand upon Mother Earth in the future.
These signs have been coming every
year since 1994, with the births of the
white buffalo calves. This is a blessing,
to see the reminder that the bundle she
brought is still here for us, but yet it is
also a warning. If you remember, she
came the first time when we were hav
ing a hard time of starvation. The buffalo
disappeared because we forgot the buffalo
teachings of honoring the Creator in the
way we walk. We have forgotten these
important teachings once again.
I stated that I cannot dictate to the
spiritual leaders who they allow to
attend and support ceremonies, who
they feel they need to doctor or where
they travel. This was to only remind that
the white brothers and sisters, they could
still attend and pray with us at a cere
mony if the spiritual leader allows this.
Again it is the hoc'oka, the center, where
our Oyate stand, that needs to be protected.
This is also a reminder even with our
own people, they need to prepare their life
to stand in that altar and learn these
protocols of a drug- and alcohol-free life.
They must have a calling that is
interpreted in ceremony to at least begin
to learn the language and not give in to
English. The language is very important
in communicating with the Grandfathers.
When I attended the UN Indig
enous Day with representatives from
indigenous nations from around the
world, they discussed the criteria to
maintain our voice in the protection of
our sacred sites and cultural identities. All
agreed it was to maintain the language.
Don't give up your ways because you
don't know how to speak yet. You can
learn as you go along and this sacred lan
guage will come back for your Tiospaye.
We are the only indigenous nation
in the world that has opened our sacred
ceremonials, of the altar, out to the public.
Now we are seeing the abuses and viola
tions. Anyone can read a book or get close
to our ceremonial people, then go out and
practice our ways without proper protocols.
Racism is when a race is not given a
right because of the color of their skin in
American society. These sacred instruc
tions were given to our people’s society,
as many other nations were given their
own. If that were the case, then all the
other indigenous nations that protect
their sacred ways would be racist.
Our nation’s protection of these
sacred ways is prayers of strength for
all Mitakuye Oyasin. Indigenous
peoples understand these boundaries of
protection. Iktomi is always there to
trick us. It is our responsibility to
protect the life of our Lakota, Dakota,
Nakota future generations. This gift
belongs to them from the Creator.
I would like to remind you of a time
when we can all gather at the sacred
sites, with “all nations, all faiths, one
See Sacred on page 16.