Lakota Sundance---if you would like to attend

Sorry for the late notice. I didn't think to post this here. However, this is not a show or an act. It is a serious Lakota ceremony---the most important of the 7 sacred ceremonies. This is the Plenty Wolf Sundance, named after the Sundance Chief that runs it.

It will be east of Boulder Colorado in a secluded spot overlooking the Valmont Reservoir.

Tree Ceremony is on July 16th. The Sundance will be held from Wednesday, July 17th and end on Saturday evening, July 20th.

Anyone who would like to attend, and does so respectfully is welcome to come. You would be joining the supporters who stand on the perimeter of the arbor while the dancers pierce and dance within the arbor. If you would like to attend you can DM me for information.

This Sundance was performed for many years near the White Horse Creek in the Pine Ridge Reservation, close to the famous church where the AIM Wounded Knee protests took place, and the Wounded Knee Cemetary..Many of the dancers come from the Denver-Boulder area so during COVID the dance was moved to Boulder, and has been performed here ever since. One landmark near the current location is Valmont Butte which is on the other side of Valmont Reservoir. That is a spot that is sacred to tribes that called this area home.



Some rules to follow when attending the Sundance:

1.) No cameras, cassette recorders, video cameras, or other media is allowed. Do not take pictures or recordings of the ceremony or the dancers, or the sweat lodge or the sacred fire and altar at the sweat lodge. It is ok to take pictures of things outside of the ceremony such as tipis, and so forth, unless the dancers, chief, etc. are there. If the chief or others are away from the arbor and not resting between dances you could ask if it is ok to take their picture.

2.) No guns or weapons are allowed.

3.) No drugs or alcohol are allowed.

4.) No person under the influence is allowed in.

5.) Women on their menstrual periods are not allowed near the ceremony or the sweat lodge. There is a special place set aside where they can be. (Menses is considered a sacred event in Lakota tradition due to its connection with childbirth, but it brings chaotic energy into the ceremony.)

6.) No pets, dogs, or cats allowed into the ceremony area.

7.) No crossing the East entrance of the Sundance Arbor, or between the sweat lodge, altar, and fire (Though there is not much of a way around the altar and the fire so the path between the two is not strictly enforced.)

8.) Dress Respectfully. Women must wear a long, preferably cotton, skirt to cover their legs.

9.) Don't bring medicine bundles, crystals, etc. into the ceremony area.

10.) This Lakota Ceremony must and will be conducted as a Lakota Ceremony.



This ceremony is done so that the "People may live," and by people, they mean not only all humans, but all animals, trees, rocks, grandmother earth and so forth---basically all of creation.



There are a lot of expenses in putting this ceremony together. There is no admission or charge of any kind to attend or participate. But everything from firewood, to port-a-potties, preparing the grounds, supplies, setting up a kitchen, food, a dumpster for trash, and so many other supplies and even paying workers and kitchen help and so forth costs quite a bit.

If you would like to donate to help with these costs, there is a nonprofit that supports this and other Native Ceremonies---The White Horse Creek Council. It is a 501c nonprofit so any donations are tax deductible. One way you can donate is to search out their paypal. If you look it up, there are three of them, All three will work but the best one is the one that has a logo of a drawing of a horse with the words, White Horse Creek Council. There is also a gofundme set up under the name, Sundance Ceremony 2024 (set up by Felix Evans). (For clarity and full disclosure, I am the Treasurer of the White Horse Creek Council)

Even if you can't attend the ceremony, donating is a way you can indirectly participate.

 

Thanks

 

Happy New Year!
(The Lakota New Year is at the completion of the Sun Dance. Of course, there will be sun dances through out the summer so some groups have yet to have their New Years. It might be confusing a bit today, when you can hop in a car and travel to all kinds of sun dances, but way back when, the only sun dance you'd attend would be that of your own band.)

It was a great Sun Dance, as always.

I forgot to mention that, you can camp on site during the Sun Dance so all you need is a tent and sleeping bag. Next year there will be another one about this same time, depending on when the full moon is, if you are interested.