Yuwipi Dreams

Before the rifle made its appearance the Lakota people used the bow and arrow in war and when hunting. The string of the bow was made of rawhide. A piece of rawhide, or leather, is used to tie each finger of the yuwipi man behind his back. The thumbs, facing upward, are tied last. The leather wrapped around each thumb, then the wrist, and knotted below the hands.

You see these very old yuwipi bundles here? Look. You see the Spider? You see the bow and arrow? The Spider and the Thunder Beings. Both part of yuwipi. Heyoka energy. But more sophisticated, not so easily defined as you read about on Google or in a book. Heyoka energy not always silly backward stuff. Too hard to explain but it might be enough to say it is chaotic. Difficult to reconcile with Western thought and belief.

A while ago now I was talking to my Sun Dance leader. He is a Lakota medicine man and the man who many years ago put me on the hill for this yuwipi altar. I was about to turn 65 and felt it was time to add to the tattoo on my arm. For me the body marking symbolizes the stages of my life. So I asked him his advice about the next tattoo. He said, “You have been a yuwipi man for a while now so it would be good to get a bow and arrow tattoo on your arm.” That is what I did.

Funny. Sometimes I forget about my tattoos and roll up my sleeves. Some people see the bow and arrow and smirk. They think I’m playing Indian by having a bow and arrow on my arm. I don’t even try to explain. Others sincerely ask and I’m able to tell them the meaning. Students have always been respectful about it. The thirty somethings not so much.

I have had five of my eight fingers operated on now. My hands burn a lot and my fingers lock up and burn. Trigger finger. So the doctor has to go in and cut the little tendon so that my finger will straighten. Only three to go. I think my hands burn because of yuwipi. You see so much energy comes into that piece of leather … the spirits see the man being tied up … that Sunka Sapa … that Black Dog is being ridden in by Inktomi …. that calling song is really powerful…. I go away while being wrapped up …. and that Inktomi comes in on that Black Dog and he is causing trouble …whispering to people … sending lightening around … my hands burning up … I get so hot sometimes … and the tiospaye do their best to protect me and get me on the ground without my getting hurt …

and the lights go out … and the Sunka Sapa song finally stops and Inktomi and the Sunka Sapa run out … they run out you see and they call out for others to come …the 405 … and in that moment when the singers change the song … boom!!! My hands are untied but they are tied. You cannot understand that can you? Neither can I.

They tell me that within seconds of the lights going out the rattles on the altar light up. That song changes .. and the rattles light up.

Sometimes people don’t believe things. So the spirits ask that the lights be turned on in that moment. The lights are turned on. And the people see I am still wrapped up and tied up. And that everyone is sitting where they were sitting … many feet away from the altar … no one is playing games … any maybe even a large stone has now appeared on the earth altar by the center stick … a gift for someone … things happen in yuwipi …

…the lights go off again … a song begins and the rattles light up once again. And the person who ‘put up the ceremony’ now asks for help. Because that is what yuwipi is about. It is not a show. It is not ‘powerful’ or empty. It is about helping people. It is about the spirits loving us and helping people. We have many stories about our yuwipi. You can ask the tiospaye members if our yuwipi has helped or healed them. It is not my place to do that.

But now I’m heading toward my 71st birthday in three months. And I have stitches in both hands from the latest finger surgery. And my hands burn. I ask why they are burning? Is it because of past yuwipi? Or is it because I am being asked to do another soon and I’m not listening? I ask in the lodge. I have these dreams. These yuwipi dreams.

Last night I was under water with the fish oyate. They were all on the edge of the lake because there wasn’t any water out in the middle anymore. All these big fish. Right on the edge. You could reach in and pick them up … they were thrashing about. Like they were suffocating. I was asking for help but no one was listening. People were walking by. People didn’t care. Didn’t notice. It was a disturbing dream. I sat for a long time this morning in my chair with the candles … don’t know what to make of it exactly.

But my hands hurt terribly this morning. Worse than normal. The altar is yelling but what? I did a lodge but we can’t do things together because of COVID. We are in this awful conundrum. The spirits are calling out … lord that sounds crazy huh? But you should feel this. This burning.

It is like we are all tied up. Wrapped up. Fingers and hands tied up behind our backs. Rope around our neck. Hearing the name ‘Trump’ uttered too often again. Fires still burning. Suicides … a Dean I knew at Bucknell just committed suicide. He was a father and only 50 something years old. It is all too much for too many.

I think I know why my hands are burning but what are we to do when we cannot gather for yuwipi? or lodge? When people are scared to even gather around a fire? Rightly so … but you know what I mean.

Anyway … Anyway … keep breathing. Greet the day. Give thanks for the water and the Sunlight.

Leave corn meal.

It is important we let people know we see them. We see their pain and sorrow and loneliness. Hard to smile at someone with a mask on but do your best!!

Mitakuye Oyasin

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