| At that first Sundance, I was thrust into
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| | One day is called "Tree Day," on which a
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| an alternate reality. A brutal reality.
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| | tree is sacrificed and placed at the
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| The three counties that compose the Pine
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| | center of the arbor where the ceremony
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| Ridge Reservation are the poorest in the
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| | occurs. The following four days are the
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| nation. At that time, in 1991, the
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| | Sundance itself, which involves three
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| average life expectancy of a resident on
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| | Inipis or more each day. Along with
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| the "Rez" was 48 years. Infant mortality
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| | traipsing far into the hills and
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| was at a rate six times higher than the
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| | gathering hundreds of Stone People for
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| general US population. Alcoholism and
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| | the lodges, felling as many as 100 pine
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| drug use and gunplay and car wrecks were
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| | trees (sustainably!) to re-build the
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| rampant. All this in America's
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| | arbor which had a diameter of about 200
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| Heartland!More than 85% of the population
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| | feet, and setting up camp sites,
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| had nothing to do with the traditional
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| | gathering sage, and tending fire for
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| ways. They were oriented to Christianity,
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| | Inipis, I was working 14-hour days.I had
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| and had more than a little fear of the
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| | been given no more spiritual direction
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| things they surmised were going on "up
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| | than "Live your life as a prayer as you
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| there." I was told, if I were to come out
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| | build a place for the people." I had to
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| to Sundance, to be prepared to die.They
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| | thrust myself into a world where my
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| weren't kidding, and it was not
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| | primary relationship was with Nature. And
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| necessarily about Sundance itself. It was
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| | Nature told me what to do as it placed me
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| about being on the rez. And being white
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| | closer and closer to the thin line
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| -- wascicu (wa-si-chu) -- didn't really
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| | between this world and that which lies
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| help, either. In their home town, Wanbli,
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| | beyond death. As guideline, I used the
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| one of the families ran out of toilet
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| | principles I learned while tending fire
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| paper. I volunteered to walk across the
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| | for the Inipi, and just expanded them to
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| street to their Auntie's to borrow some.
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| | fit the size of accommodating around
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| It was night. Six of the kids in the
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| | fifty dancers and 100 supporters.My
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| house gathered at the door to watch. When
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| | solace was found by constantly turning to
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| I asked what's up? the eldest replied,
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| | my relationship with my Creator for
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| "Don't you know you're going to get
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| | strength and understanding, and the
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| killed?"During one six-week stretch while
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| | clarity to help others. There was so much
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| I was on Pine Ridge, which has a
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| | to do, and the resources so limited. By
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| population of about 20,000, there was one
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| | actively giving thanks for everything
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| violent death each week.The Chips' home
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| | that was around me that I did have, I
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| (inherited from Woptura) was about 640
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| | found that I received many "you're
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| acres on the prairie adjacent to the
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| | welcomes" from nature that were both
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| Dakota Badlands. A log cabin built in the
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| | deeply personal and objectively
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| 1920s, a clapboard house with ceremony
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| | obvious.Over the course of a number of
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| room, and a trailer were the family
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| | visits to the rez over the next few
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| homes. Water came from a persnickety hand
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| | years, I began taking on the
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| pump, outhouses were the only privies,
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| | responsibilities of Chief Firetender for
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| and the roads were no more than
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| | the Sundance. Charles Chips, the
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| splintered and sliced asphalt, if they
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| | Spiritual Intercessor, prepared all
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| weren't gravel and dirt. Winters were
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| | aspects of the ceremony itself, including
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| brutal, insulation was sheets of plastic
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| | choosing and working with the Dancers. I
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| stapled to the inside of the one-layer
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| | was responsible for everything that had
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| thick walls, and the diet was primarily
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| | to do with the physical aspects of the
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| canned and highly processed goods called
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| | ceremony and grounds and, since I was
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| "commodities" dispensed by the
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| | very familiar with the property,
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| government.Seeing the Government's hand
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| | mobilizing and working with the
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| in everything, I have since come to
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| | supporters who arrived to assist the
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| believe that advancing "civilization" is
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| | Dancers.In this role, I passed on the
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| not interested in killing off the Lakota
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| | little I knew about moving people to "one
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| people (or Native Americans for that
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| | mind, one heart." What I did grasp was
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| matter) it is hell-bent on eradicating
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| | intention and an almost incredible amount
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| their way of being, which is all about a
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| | of respect for whatever snippets of
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| heart-consciousness that acknowledge
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| | ancient tradition we were taught. Amongst
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| everything is alive and all is to be
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| | the most powerful experiences of my life
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| shared.With the nearest hospital over 100
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| | were the times when I got to go along to
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| miles away in Rapid City, I, as a former
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| | sacrifice a buffalo (tatanka) for the
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| paramedic knew that I could easily die
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| | people's feast at the end of the dance.
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| from something as simple as a badly
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| | These were no hunting trips. At the time,
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| broken leg. Perhaps the strongest prayers
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| | the sacrifice of buffalo was just
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| of my life were prayed when I first
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| | beginning to be allowed again. They were
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| understood the danger of the environment
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| | almost eerie interplays between species
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| I was in. Actually, they were prayed
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| | who understood their roles in the
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| specifically while being a passenger in
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| | creation. I also began to understand how
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| Charles' 1978 Olds while racing through
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| | sacred space works: what you put in is
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| the partially paved, curved roads of the
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| | what you take out.I found that no matter
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| Badlands at 100 MPH riding on tires of
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| | how daunting the size of the event, no
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| half-rubber and half-splintered
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| | matter how complex the details, or
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| steel-radial belts!Arriving about two
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| | foreign the language or tradition, what
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| weeks before the Sundance started, I was
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| | allows things to happen in a good
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| asked to tend fire for it with a few
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| | way--what provides a home for Spirit and
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| other people. That meant hauling firewood
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| | fosters the miracles happening in any
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| out of the creeks with no more than a
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| | spiritual orientation--is the focused
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| 1960s vintage pick-up, and chain-sawing
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| | intent of the people who participate in
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| up to twelve cords for use during the
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| | it to channel something Greater than
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| ceremony. Every inch of my exposed body
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| | themselves toward the well-being of
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| (and in the oppresive heat, I could not
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| | others. Out of that, the participants
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| cover what I needed to) was peppered with
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| | create the result.I found that regardless
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| itchy, swollen bites from thumbnail-sized
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| | of the knowledge or use of the ancient
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| mosquitos. I would usually stay at least
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| | prayers, as long as the intent of the
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| another two weeks afterwards, half in
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| | participants was clearly for the greater
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| recovery, half in clean-up and all about
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| | good, that is exactly what happens.Next:
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| connection with the land -- so much a
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| | ...and then, there's Ego.Russ Reina
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| part of the people, and now, inseperable
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| | shares over 35 years of experience in the
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| from my heart.Sundance lasts for an
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| | healing arts through his web site It is
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| "official" period of nine days. Four days
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| | a potent resource for those wishing to
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| of this are preparation, during which
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| | deepen their abilities in connection and
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| time there is a least one Inipi per day.
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| | develop their powers as healers.
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