Piercing at Sun Dance, Cont'd

Thought I would continue as people have had many questions…

My first dance was over 30 years ago now. Joe Bad Moccasin was a friend I came to know when I lived on the Rosebud in those summers from late May til early September. Joe Bad was a very funny person and he had figured out all the ins and outs of Sun Dance. As I prepared for my first dance he told me, “Rags, you dance next to me and I will keep you safe and make sure that you have a good dance. Now the first thing is this … placement. You have to figure out where the sun is going to be late afternoon because you DON’T want to be there when it is … you want to be in the shade … because after being out all day you are going to be hot and tired. So we are going to figure out how far back in line to stand when we line up in the morning so that we are in the perfect place in the circle come afternoon time!!’ Now this made no sense to me (as I’m sure that made no sense to most of you) at that time … but it sure did later that first day. You see, in the morning all the dancers line up and you walk into the dance circle … and space yourself … and that is where you stand the rest of the day. And what Joe Bad had figured out was where the sun would be beating down the most in the afternoon … and where it would not be!! And that is where we stood.

He also taught me about when to pierce. “Always pierce on the second day” he told me. “Don’t pierce on the first day because you are just getting used to dancing and you want to get in the groove,” he would say. “Don’t pierce on the third day because that is the healing round day and that round can last for three to five hours and you don’t want that!!” he said. “And don’t pierce on the fourth day because that is the last day and the last day is chaotic. So pierce on the second day.”

So that is when I always pierced. On the second day. He told me to always pierce on the very first round (after the greeting of the tree round) because, “ …it was still cool and the person piercing would have a steady hand.” So I always pierced in that round and I remained pierced all day. I remained pierced all day because of a pledge I made at the very first Sun Dance I witnessed.

I’ve told that story too many times before. Don’t mean to bore you. Someone did ask so I will re-tell in a few sentences. There was a man who was heyoka, his name was Tom. His son was very sick. This man wore a full face head mask with only eye and nose holes cut out, a wool Union calvary coat and a Sun dance skirt. He remained pierced to the tree all four days, day and night.

This was my first Sun Dance I witnessed, I was a fire keeper, and at times would be able to stand under the ‘shade’ surrounding the dance arbor.

…. This dancer, Tom, would dance full throttle all of the time even though it was terribly hot and he was dressed in a wool coat. But I was told, because he was a true heyoka, that he was probably cold. I would stand under the arbor and dance behind him … I could feel his energy. It was truly amazing … deeply moving. And then during one of those times as he was leaning back, he turned his head and looked at me … he was maybe four feet away … he turned his head and looked right into my eyes … and something happened deep inside … I was never the same after that moment. And n that moment I KNEW I would Sun Dance and I pledged I would stay with the tree all day when I pierced.

It was this very same man who the dance leaders unattached and brought, alone, into the sweat lodge one night. That old fire keeper told me to bring that heyoka the stones for the lodge. I brought him the seven stones and before closing the door I thanked him for his dance and he said to me, “No, thank YOU.” I could not believe he was thanking me for simply bringing him the stones and water for pouring. But you see, that is the way of Sun Dancers. Leksi Albert always said to us, “You are only Sun Dancers. You are not special. You eat last. You drink last. You feed the elders first. You feed the children. You make sure the community is safe. When you dance you don’t look at people under the arbor. Don’t show off … this is a prayer not a time to be macho. Those wounds from the piercing …those are private.” That is what Leksi taught us. I have always tried to remember that. Humility. Generosity. I don’t always succeed.

You know those wounds…

… there is something really interesting to tell you. They are like little barometers. When I get angry they catch on fire!! They actually hurt. When I think bad thoughts they light up. It is like having mini-consciences on your chest and back. As an Iyeska I have staked out on my arms and legs … back and chest … so when I ‘light up’ it is a full body experience. Not pleasant. The piercing, then, is much more than it seems at first glance. As with all ceremonial endeavors there are many layers involved. Many levels of understanding. This is not just a physical event … it is truly holistic in nature and I believe one’s very soul is pierced when one is pierced. Jesus was pierced wasn’t he? I’m not saying a Sun Dancer dies for your sins … but a Sun Dancer pierces for a reason … a prayer or prayers are involved. It isn’t an empty event. There is much involved … and Joe Bad and Leksi Albert were great teachers.

One last story … on the third day of my first Sun Dance at Hollow Horn Bear it was really really hot. July Rosebud hot. There were rows and rows of us dancing … the dust created by all of us dancing in unison was pretty cool actually … but now was causing a bit of an issue. The drummers were even slowing down a tad … we were all pretty beat … and then a set of dark clouds appeared overhead. A front had moved in really fast from the West …

… the wind picked up and it began to hail!! I mean it hailed!! Leksi Albert stood in front of us laughing and yelled out (because it was so loud he had to yell) “Which one of you guys prayed for this?” And the drummers picked up the beat as the hail beat on us … but it felt so good! The hail was building up on on the ground. We danced faster as the beat increased … Albert led us in a circle and we moved into the pattern where you face each of the directions and honor the directions. We faced West first …the storm … the Wakinyan … the hail hitting our faces … we all were smiling and laughing and yelling ‘ouchie’ and people under the arbor were standing and the women were trilling … Man..it was so exciting … we moved through all the directions. All tiredness was gone. All thought of wanting to rest was absent. We could have danced all night.

After we finished the four directions the storm passed … the cloud moved on … the sun returned … the heat returned …but we were all refreshed and happy … life was good.

What did Ernie Banks, the great Cubs player used to say? “Let’s play two!!” It was kind of like that … we were ready to keep dancing another four days hahahaha. I miss those days. I miss being young. I miss my elders. I miss Sun Dancing. But I was very lucky to have this in my life … Wopila Tunkasila. Wopila Joe and Albert.

Much love to you all this day … Rags the Appropriator hahahhaa