After an incredible two and a half weeks of camping, we are back to our residence near the city. We have had such wonderful experiences, and just too much to give due credit in one post, so I will just summarize it as best as I can for now. My son J helped us load up and get to the land up above Goldendale. We camped in our usual spot beneath the beautiful Oak tree, to enjoy much needed afternoon shade. As the temperatures reached above 109 degrees in the shade, we were lucky to have such a sweet place to rest upon occasion. The hottest day during the Sundance brought a welcome rainstorm, with much fanfare from the Thunder Beings, the Wakiyans. If the little girls I was caring for were not so terrified of the storm, I would have been dancing in the rain. As it were, I was able to reach out with my feet from the shelter I provided for the children to get a nice soak.

The Isnati Lawanpi (girl to young woman) Ceremony was beautiful to behold. It brought tears to many eyes to see these young girls step forth with such grace into young womanhood. What a gift it is to see this Cermony celebrating such an important time in a young girls life. It is very important to honor these steps in the lives of our boys and girls. Sometimes the events in our world move us much too rapidly to truly enjoy each moment as it unfolds.

As for the Sundance, I feel doubly honored this year. First of all, I was moved to tears to see and feel the grace of our lovely little Sundance tree. She swayed so sweetly in the breeze as she carried the prayers of the people amongst her branches. Such an image of Beauty shall be held within my heart forever. The sound of the drum and the prayer songs full of Love and Hope, as sung by the people as we danced around the Tree of Life, is a memory I shall hold dear when times in the faster world threaten to bring me down.

The greatest gift I recieved during this ceremony, was brought to me through the Children. I had the honor of caring for three young girls, besides my little S, as their mothers were otherwise occupied. The other children invariably navigated towards our little circle, and one girl in particular spent much of her time with our group. Amazingly enough, I had not even a single problem arise with these little ones for companions! Such fond memories of stories, songs, and laughter are treasures of my heart which gives such Joy to think upon. I shall miss those little ones! Although I missed the mothers of these mischievious little girls, as they are my very dear friends, this was a gift and an honor I shall never forget. My little S was such a great help in those busy days as I rose before the sun, and did not rest my head until well after the sun went down.

It truly felt good to hold my family close, as we all live so far away from each other. For two weeks we were able to catch up, sharing this time with Songs, Dance, Prayers, Laughter, Tears and Feasting. Enjoying the fellowship of our Brothers, Sisters, Aunties, Uncles, Elders and Children just seems to fill me up with courage to re-enter the world that moves much faster and is filled with uncertainty and danger. For a short time we held each other close and reaffirmed our love for the Earth and all her bounties, bringing forth hope for the present and future of our children. We must move forward in a good way, honoring and respecting the Earth and all living things, until the time comes for us to gather once again when it is time to go Home.

My little S and I had an awesome Sundance, with so many memories of friends, family and walks through nature to find new magical places to sit and enjoy together. And the nights when we summed up our adventures of the day, along with silent moments of star gazing, will be held dear to our hearts forever and always.

Pilamaye,

Teri
~

Today I am reminded how precious time truly is. We have one and a half weeks until we leave for Goldendale WA for Ceremonies and camping for two weeks. We Love to camp! There is something about living outdoors in the Summer that brings Nature into a truer focus, and helps us to honor the Land in a more intimate way. It is still quite cold at night, and the wind seems to blow often, yet for some reason we do not seem to mind those things. We just bundle up, prepare to get dirty and remember how precious fresh water is. There is just something about connecting with the Earth and utilizing her natural resources to survive that brings out the best in me. Some people love the City… I love all that is pure and natural about the great outdoors which brings about such a wonderful sense of freedom!

During this time, we all work together setting up Teepees, preparing sweat lodges, cutting wood, gathering fresh water, and getting evergreen bows for the Sundance shade arbor. My little S and I have our own special place, in the shade of an Oak tree, in which we camp each year. This sweet little spot is very near our main camp… although some folks have individual camps, there are several main camps in which we set up to cook, eat and socialize together. The greatest thing about this whole adventure is how well we all work together! Everyone pitches in, so no one is overburdened, and there is such a great feeling of comraderie. Even if we haven’t seen some people in a year or more, we just seem to come together as if it were yesterday since we last saw each other. There is so much Love, hugs and sometimes tears, and we just feel so very grateful for these lasting friendships which carry us through some difficult times.

Well then, time to get back to organizing our camping gear and supplies. We still have to some last minute things to attend to, and I need to finish up the beaded medallion of a horse, which will be presented to one of our beloved Elders at a camp meeting before Tree Day. We are honoring each of our Elders with a medallion to show our Love and Gratitude for the Wisdom they share with us, and I feel blessed to be chosen to bead one for a very dear friend who has touched my heart many times throughout the years.

So you see, about this time every year I am reminded just how precious our time together is… S and I treasure every moment spent with our friends and family who live far away. This year we have an extra special focus on the Children and teachings for them, as well as learning more about the plants and herbs around the Land, and certain survival skills. There should be some very interesting discussions and plans for the future, which I am looking forward to. I am very happy to see such positive growth. I wish to send out prayers for safe travels for our friends and family who are preparing for this journey as well.

The Gift of the Sacred Pipe

Before the appearance of the Buffalo Calf Woman, the Indian honored the Great Spirit. But for the Sioux, the coming of Buffalo Calf Woman brought a most important instrument, the pipe, which is now used in all ceremonies.

The sacred pipe came into being many, many years ago. Two men of the Sioux tribe were hunting when they saw something approaching in the distance. As the figure grew close, they observed a maiden, attired in white buckskin, carrying a bundle wrapped in buffalo hide.As she walked slowly toward them she sang out and repeated; Behold me.
Behold me,
For in a sacred manner
I am walking.One of the men had evil thoughts about this maiden and moved towards her. The other Sioux tried forcibly to restrain him, but the evil warrior pushed the good warrior away. A cloud descended and engulfed the evil one, and when it lifted, his body was a skeleton being devoured by worms. This symbolized that one who lives in ignorance and has evil in their hearts may be destroyed by their own actions.The good warrior knelt in fear, trembling as the buckskin-clad maiden approached. She spoke to him, telling him to fear not and to return to his people and prepare them for her coming. The warrior did so, and the maiden appeared, walking among them in a sunwise, (clockwise) direction.She held forth her bundle and said:This is a sacred gift
And must always be treated in a holy way.
In this bundle is a sacred pipe
Which no impure man or woman should ever see.With this sacred pipe
You will send your voices to Wakan Tanka.
The Great Spirit, Creator of all.
Your Father and Grandfather.With this sacred pipe
You will walk upon the Earth
Which is your Grandmother and Mother.
All your steps should be holy.The bowl of the pipe is red stone
Which represents the earth.
A buffalo calf is carved in the stone facing the center
And symbolizes the four-legged creatures
Who live as brothers among you.
The stem is wood and represents all growing things.
Twelve feathers hang from where the stem fits the bowl
And are from the Spotted Eagle.
These represent all the winged brothers
Who live among you.

All these things are joined to you
Who will smoke the pipe and send voices to Wakan Tanka.
When you use this pipe to pray,
You will pray for and with every thing.
The sacred pipe binds you to all your relatives;
Your Grandfather and Father,
Your Grandmother and Mother.

The red stone represents the Mother Earth
On which you will live.
The Earth is red
And the two-leggeds who live upon it are also red.
Wakan Tanka has given you a red road-
A good and straight road to travel,
And you must remember that all people
Who stand on this earth are sacred.

From this day,
The sacred pipe will stand on the red earth,
And you will send your voices to Wakan Tanka.

There are seven circles on the stone
Which represent the seven rites
In which you will use the pipe.

The Buffalo Calf Woman then instructed the people to send messengers to the different bands of the Sioux nation, to bring in the leaders, the medicine people, and the holy ones.

When the people gathered, she instructed them in the sacred ceremonies. She told them of the first rite, the Keeping of the Soul. She told them that the remaining six rites would be revealed to them through visions. As she prepared to leave she said:

Remember how sacred the pipe is
And treat it in a sacred manner,
For it will be with you always.
Remember also that in me are four ages.
I shall leave you now,
But shall look upon you in every age
And will return in the end.

The Sioux begged the woman to stay among them. They promised to build a fine lodge and let her select a warrior to provide for her, but she declined their offer.

No, the Creator above,
The Great Spirit,
Is happy with you
You the grandchildren.
You have listened well to my teachings.
Now I must return to the spirit world.

She walked some distance away from them and sat down. When she arose, she had become a white buffalo calf. She walked farther, bowed to the four quarters of the universe, then disappeared into the distance. Her sacred bundle was left with the people.

To this day, A Sioux family, the “Keepers of the Sacred Bundle,” still guards the bundle and its contents on one of the Sioux reservations.

Today, other ceremonies have supplanted some of the original seven ceremonies taught by the Buffalo Calf Woman. The Sun Dance, Sweat Lodge and Vision Quest are still major ceremonies that are widely practiced. The Pipe Ceremony itself is now used to open gatherings, meetings, and sweat lodges. The Pipe Ceremony is used in naming ceremonies, in which one is given an Earth or Indian name. It is also used in Indian marriage ceremonies.

When we pray in this way, with the sacred pipe, our prayers are carried through the smoke into the heavens to the Great Spirit, Wakan Tanka. In this way, we ask for Health, Help and Happiness for the People and the Earth. Asking for guidance is the first step, as we set our intentions, then paying attention to our surroundings and acting upon the answers we are given is up to each of us.

The Seven Sacred Rites

Seven traditional rituals use the sacred pipe in accordance with the Buffalo Calf Woman s teachings.

The Seven Sacred Rites
• The Keeping of the Soul
• Inipi: The Sweat Lodge Ceremony or Rite of Purification
• Hanblecheyapi: Vision Quest
• Wiwanyag Wachipi: The Sun Dance Ceremony
• Hunkapi: Making Relatives
• Ishnata Awicalowan: Preparing a Girl for Womanhood
• Tapa Wanka Yap: Throwing the Ball

*Special Note – To read the full version of the story of White Buffalo Calf Woman, in beautiful detail, as told by John Fire Lame Deer in 1967, please visit White Buffalo Calf Woman brings the first Pipe

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