SunDance 2009
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Here’s a special message from BuFoon John (Itchwoot) freshly returned from SunDance 2009:
Native American Sun Dance is perhaps the most significant event that has taken place in my life. I have attended eight of the ceremonies over the past dozen or so years and I have danced at all eight. This being my ninth, I had decided not to dance.
Apart from the spiritual gifts that often turn into physical ones, from the Creator and the Helpers, there are other events that take place from our brothers that inhabit the animal world and often provide experiences that seem to implode ones mind.
This year, on the first day of the ceremonies, I awoke just before Sunrise and found a place a little away from camp that faced east, so I could do my prayers and greet the sun, as I try to do most days. When at home it’s not hard to do at all. I have a place not far from our home, on the property I have been honored to care for these past 12 years. But when I’m away from home, it takes a bit of searching to find the right place away from the noises of the rest of the industrial world waking up and starting the wheels of enterprise – and often destruction to Mother Earth – with no greeting to her or Grandfather Sun or any regard for Mother Earth, the giver of life through the Creator. Only that she is here to be trod upon, burned, dug into and covered with concrete, not to mention all the other abuses. Yet she continues to provide for us and continues to give us life with unconditional love. But these atrocities are not what I want to talk about at this time.
I found a great spot to do my morning greetings, spread my blanket, set out my canning jar of water, my ceremonial pipe, shell filled with sage, tobacco, and sweet grass. I sat cross-legged facing East, somewhat chilled, as Grandfather Sun that caresses Mother Earth and who gives us life had not come over the distant hill. Early morning in the Rocky Mountains can be cool, if not cold, even though the temperature gets into the 90 degrees during the day.
As I was quietly singing my sound songs, I lit the shell filled with the gifts to the Creator and watched my songs and prayers being carried in the smoke, as I smudged myself with my eagle feather fan. Sipping lifegiving water from the fruit jar, thanking the Creator and the the ancestors for all of my life’s gifts. Why the fruit jar and not a fancy cut glass or fancy goblet? When I was a boy, my mother would often hunt for canning and fruit jars at second hand stores and even at the local dump, whenever we would go and empty our garbage. The fruit jar is a symbol that reminds me of the days when we were very poor in material things. It reminds me to be humble. It reminds me of the gifts I have received and how fortunate I am in this material world and not to become greedy.
Lost in my thoughts of what once was and what might happen at this ceremony, lost in my sound songs, I noticed some movement about 10 feet in front of me. It happened just at the time Grandfather Sun burst his first rays of light in broad streaks over the eastern hills. The movement was a Red Fox, beautiful, sleek, with a long bushy tail. Definitely decked out in its finest regalia. I whispered his name in a sacred language. It was the first word that came to me in the secret of languages shared by shamans of all levels: “Tokala.”
I can only guess Tokala was a male, although it very well could have been a female. I was not privileged to be able to distinguish gender and it really doesn’t matter. What does matter is Tokala sat and looked at me, as we exchanged thoughts on a mind/spirit level not unlike E.S.P. I refer to it as M.S.P, Mind/Spirit Perception, or M.S.C., Mind/Spirit Communication. It can happen on those occasions when time is of no importance. The connection between man and his cousin is significant, in that the M.S.C. has a purpose as a gift from the Elders. We have all experienced a time when we were just thinking of someone special in our lives and the phone rings. And guess what? They’re on the other end of the phone line. Or you just get that feeling that something is happening to someone you love or know, and sure enough, the phone rings and they’re on the other end telling you about the event that has happened. That’s the kind of Mind/Spirit Communications I’m talking about.
“Good Morning Tokala.”
“Good morning Man,” comes from Tokala. And so the dialog began. How did it go and what was said can’t really be put into words. It was a feeling of understanding, respect and gratitude for the opportunity to visit with each other. Not to say there wasn’t dialog, but the dialog was Mind/Spirit, not vocal, yet understood in the same way as words are. Yes, every bit understandable on the level in which the communication happened.
In my thoughts I wished I had my camera, but it is not one of the implements one usually takes when he is doing morning prayer and greetings to the Creator, Mother Earth and the Ancestors. But I got the feeling it would be OK to get up and go to my camp and get my camera. I slowly got up and Tokala did too. I thought my movements were being interpreted as aggression. I whispered over and over that I wished to take his picture and I would be grateful, and prayed he would stay so I might capture his image as a memento of our spirit connections together.
The spirit wall of the Shaman flashed before my eyes, as I moved back to my camp. Visions are not new to me, but this one was a puzzle. Why the Shaman’s wall now? Why the live visit with the fox?
I got my camera and returned to my prayer blanket. Tokala had observed my every movement and waited for me. He posed as I took several pictures and then put the camera down.
We continued our exchange of Spirit/Mind Communications as part of my greetings and prayers to Grandfather, Mother Earth and the Ancestors. The process went on for several hours, not minutes or just glimpses of the fox as he ran off, but several hours. To be honest, I lost all notion of time. I was aware of my skin beginning to get hot, perhaps a little sun burned. I was aware of thirst, since I had finished my canning jar of water, and I was aware of beads of sweat on my face as the day warmed up. I was grateful for the heat, since sitting naked before sun rise, facing the place Grandfather will come, was pretty cool if not downright cold at that time of morning.
Tokala too was feeling the thirst, and I am sure hunger. I didn’t bring food, so had none to share. Besides I don’t think yogurt and soy protein would be his idea of a breakfast. I think he would much like a nice fat ground squirrel or several mice. He gave me one last greeting, stood up and wondered off to hunt mice and to get a drink of the life giving water from Mother Earth.
I am still enjoying the experience of the Spirit/Mind Communications with Tokala. I am still playing the thoughts, over and over, of what took place, and am asking the Creator and the helpers to help me put it all in perspective and give me some understanding as to the meaning of this incredible gift.
It will all come together. In the meantime, I will let my mind rally in the glow of this life-changing event and be grateful for the gift.
