It has now been three days since leaving the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of the Lakota Indians. The last evening I would have to say held the most meaning to me. We were given the opportunity for reflection by Howard. I really enjoyed listening to him speak about his experiences and why he decided to come back to the reservation. I could feel inside of me the emotions he described during each and every story.
Now let me back up just a little as well. Howard is an artist who does drawings and paintings. His talent is beyond belief. One of his pictures really hit me when 
I saw it, and I immediately purchased it. This scan does not do the drawing justice. It really is best experienced in person. Something just hit me about the painting, something I am still feeling but cannot seem to describe. The white buffalo is vary sacred to the Lakota but in the drawing it is much more than that. Take some time and look at this, tell me what you think.
Back to the conversations with Howard. Howard would take long moments to gather his thoughts before speaking. This was what I expected after reading some of the books I previously listed in my posts. When Howard spoke, you could tell these were words for us to hear, digest and take with us. These were not words of idle conversation but of words of stories that were “life”. These stories told of a past way of life and the adaptations to the new ways of life.
As I reflect upon not only Howard but all the speakers I looked for connections to God. Many of our speakers where Christian. Their beliefs were similar to my own Christian beliefs. There was a large mix of Lakota beliefs as well mixed in. The Lakota people both the Christian and traditional spiritual beliefs are all very connected to things in nature. Even in Christian services or before hearing from a Lakota elder we did smudging, which involves the burning of sage, cedar and sweet grass. You then take the smoke and move it about your body. Things like the medicine wheel are also incorporated or parts and ideas of the medicine wheel are in Christian services.
Even with the traditional Lakota beliefs, there are many connections that can be made to my Christian beliefs. It is not that they have a Christ figure but looking at the basics of a creator, purpose, love, what God did and does all seem connected to those same beliefs I have. No, I am not going to remove my Christian beliefs in place of Lakota’s but I can appreciate their beliefs and how they have incorporated some traditional practices into Christian practices.
I believe I mentioned in another post, that I planned on coming back out in June to learn more and assist on any projects that I might be able to do while out there. While I was speaking with Howard, he mentioned that he had not been out to see the Crazy Horse Memorial since buildings had been added to the property. I told Howard that I would love to go there with him when I come back.
Near the end of the conversation with all of us, Howard mentioned that he has been on three previous Sun Dances. He is now 58 years old and will be doing his fourth Sun Dance this July. Howard on multiple occasions had said how he wished that we could experience what happens at the Sun Dance. I spoke to him afterwards and asked him when the Sun Dance was. After speaking some more, I have searched my schedule and really want to attend the Sun Dance. This will be partly dependent upon my schedule with starting internship. I have asked that my internship starts after this event but I am also open to starting sooner. To even be invited to the Sun Dance is a great honor.
Where God is taking me, I am uncertain for sure. Opportunities are abounding and I have been loving the opportunities that keep getting presented. How will what I have seen and all that I hope to see and be part of this summer be part of my ministry? I am not sure but I am sure it will be part of it. This is not something that I can ignore easily.
God Bless
May the creator be gracious to you.
Well, this will be a scary journey. I wish I wouldn’t worry so much. But maybe you will bring youth there for mission building, or maybe a men’s group who knows.
Douglas,
Your experience with the Lakota People was all too short. I do hope that You will go back to Pine Ridge or one of the other Reserves this coming summer. No one can possibly learn much about this wonderful culture in a week, a month, or even 10 years. I spend much time with the Lakota and Dakota People. They are my Tiyospaye. I follow their ways, which have become my ways. But living here in Milwaukee most of my Native friends are Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Ojibwa, Oneida, Potawatomi, and Pueblo. They all have their own languages, songs, ways of doing a Lodge, styles of dancing and dress, their own stories and spirituality. The three Native American churches here (Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist) are all- encompassing, using songs and rituals from various Native cultures, and blending them with the Liturgies of western Christianity.
For myself, I never had a problem of accepting and incorporating my Native Spirituality with my Byzantine Catholic Spirituality. I look at them as the two rails of a train track: they are parallel rails that go to the same destination. For me, if one of those rails was missing or broken I would get derailed. Christ told us about the straight and narrow road. We call it the Red Road. It is one and the same. Christ is the Light of the world. Native People face the rising sun and pray to the Creator, as the sun is representative of the Creator. Churches use incense in their services, we use smudge. We say let my prayers be in the smudge rising to the Creator. King David said let my prayers rise like incense, and the lifting of my hands like the evening sacrifice. We pray with our hands held high to the Creator. The Sacred Pipe was given us to pray with. The smoke from the Pipe also rises to the Creator. Using the Pipe as a prayer tool to connect with the Creator is no different than using a rosary as a prayer tool, for the same purpose.
Most of the People that I know on the Standing Rock Reserve are Catholic. And yet they are the most Traditionally Lakota People that I know. I have been in their Sweat Lodges and they are hot! The Lakota Lodge is prayerful and seriously taken. I have been invited to and was a supporter at the Fort Yates Sun Dance. This was quite an honor for me. From that time on I am considered a member of the Sun Dance Family up there.
I would suggest and recommend that You or anyone who is trying to put Native Spirituality and Christianity together, for a closer connection to the Creator and His Christ should read the book: The Pipe and Christ by William Stolzman. This book puts many things into a beautiful perspective.
I know that You are new to this exposure. Go to it strongly, but humbly. Let the Elders and the Spirits speak to You. Listen to them. Both the Elders and the Spirits will probably answer any of Your questions or concerns,even before You ask them. Do not be condescending, but have an open heart and an open mind. Keep the Native Peoples in Your heart, on Your mind, and in Your voice. Do not be too enamored with the United States. But remember this: every square inch of the western hemisphere was and is indigenous, and this country was built on the blood soaked land of those indigenous People and on the backs of African slaves.
I appreciate you again reading my reflections. Your insights and wisdom are appreciated. I am very aware that such short visits cannot amount to anything more than a glancing blow at relating to the culture visited. This is another reason for continued reading, reflection, communication with persons from the culture and more visits. Yes I was aware of the use of incense in Christian services. I was leaving that sitting out there for others to make the connection as well. Although they are similar they are also very different. In a Christian service it is more symbolic but as it was explained and used by the the Lakota’s it has a little more literal sense in carrying the prayers. I do also agree that there are many parallels that can be seen between the ideas of Creator and God and worship styles, practices and meanings. Once exposed and allowing yourself to live within both, how can you separate out one or the other, without a loss? I believe that really would not be possible and both need to always be maintained for balance.
I want everyone that sees these posts to realize that I take NONE of this experience lightly. In fact, the entire experience is very forming to my being. There was much I was aware of but was keeping myself unaware of also, but no longer. The book you mention, The Pipe and Christ, seems like a book worth checking out indeed. I have put this on a list of books to get and read.
You mentioned, “I know that You are new to this exposure. Go to it strongly, but humbly.” I go at this very humbly, trying to assume nothing and learn from everything. As for being new to this exposure, yes that is true with regards to the Lakota but not necessarily true with regards to Indian culture. Immature in my exposure but not new. I have failed to cultivate my previous exposures that were done at a young age. Knowing this, I take none of this lightly and go into this, ready to learn, hungry for what is given and shared. Even with that, I cannot feast on steak without the milk toast first. That was what has been nice over the last ten days on the Rez., they exposed use slowly so we could digest what was given. There have been no expectations put upon us other than to be open and honest. I also expect nothing fast but to slowly to begin to discern and digest the information provided to us by the “Elders” and the spirits that have been called upon to enlighten us.
I would have to say with being enamored by the United States, this is not something I every considered as an issue. History is written by the powerful and the “victorious”. This government of the United States is the one who has written the history but the Lakota and the other Indian Nations will not be silenced either. This is an age where their information can finally be taken to the masses. It is only from the bottom up does the real truth surface. There are many dirty secrets that have yet to really be exposed to the masses.
Let me close with this:
Not only in regards to this experience but overall, I take spirituality and God very seriously. To minimize God’s power is very dangerous indeed. I am mindful that God is a God of power and creation. In that, whatever God has created, humans can only imitate with what God has provided. To believe that God does not exist in ways not fully understandable to us is insane. The only things we know of God/Creator, Spirit etc is what has been revealed to us. It is what is revealed that we get a glimpse of God. I would be negligent to ignore what has been revealed and go after the hidden God. That revealed God is what can be seen in all living things, this includes all humans and nature. So with that being said there is much to take in, to be listened to, to be explored humbly and with an open mind,heart and spirit.
Thanks again for your time, wisdom and feedback to those things I have explored and continue to explore.