Sun dance

NativeAmericanreligionsSundancetheOrigin&DevelopmenttheIntroduction&FunctionOtherceremoniesNativeAmericanreligions•NativeAmericanreligioniscloselyconnectedtothelandinwhichNativeAmericansdwell.•NativeAmericanspiritualityisoftencharacterizedbyanimism(['ænimizəm]泛灵论),withastrongemphasisontheimportanceofpersonalspiritualityanditsinter-connectivitywithone'sowndailylife,andadeepconnectionbetweenthenaturalandspiritual‘worlds’.•NativeAmericanreligionsarebetterexplainedasmoreofaprocessorjourneythanareligion.ItisarelationshipexperiencedbetweenCreatorandcreated.•Allofcreationhaslife.Rocks,trees,mountains,andeverythingthatisvisiblelivesandispartofcreationandthereforehaslifewhichmustberespected.NativeAmericanreligionstheOriginofSundance•TheritualoriginatedlongagoandhasbeenwidelyadoptedbyPlainspeoplesfromSaskatchewan,Can.,toTexas,U.S.•Thesundancewasthemajorcommunal(集体的)religiousceremonyformanytribesofPlainsIndianswhosebison-huntingcultureflourishedduringthe18thand19thcenturies.ProhibitedbytheCanadianGovernmentin1895;outlawedbytheUnitedStatesgovernmentin1904.Reason:someNations'SunDancesincludethepiercings.Manyceremoniesweresimplydonequietlyandinsecret.theDevelopmentofSundanceWithbetterunderstandingofandrespectfornativetraditions,bothgovernmentshaveendedtheirprohibitions.ThefullceremonyhasbeenlegalinCanadasince1951,andintheU.S.sincepassageofthe1978AmericanIndianReligiousFreedomAct.Thesundanceisannuallypracticedonmanyreservesandinotherareas.theDevelopmentofSundanceIntroductionTheSunDanceisaceremonypracticeddifferentlybyseveralNorthAmericanIndianNations,includingdancing,singinganddrumming,fasting,praying,and,insomecases,self-torture,thepiercingofskinonthechestorbackforthemenandarmsforthewomen.Introduction•Traditionally,aSunDancewasheldbyeachtribeonceayeararoundthetimeofthesummersolstice.•ThesiteselectedwasalongariverorcreektoprovidewaterfortheTribeandthehorses.•Originally,theKiowaSunDancecelebrationlastedforabout10days,with6‘gettingready’orpreparationdays,followedby4dancingdays.Introduction•TheNativeAmericantribeswhopracticedsundancewere:TheArapaho[ə’ræpə’həu],Arikara,Asbinboine,Cheyenne,Crow,Gros,Ventre,Hidutsa,Sioux,PlainsCree,PlainsOjibway,Sarasi,Omaha,Ponca,Ute,Shoshone,Kiowa,andBlackfoottribes.Introduction•TheTai-me,asmalldecoratedstonefigurecoveredwithermine(['ə:min]貂皮)andfeathers,wasthemostsacredobjectthetribepossessedanditplayedanimportantpartintheSunDance.TheTai-meandit'sroleintheSunDanceIntroduction•TheKiowareceivedthefirsttai-mefigurefromanArapahomanwhomarriedintotheKiwoatribe.•TheArapahooriginallyobtainedatai-mefigurefromtheCrowIndiansduringtheirSunDance.•HelatermadecopiesoftheCrowTai-meandbroughtittotheKiowapeople.ItisestimatedtheKiowaobtainedthefeatheredTai-mefigureinthe1700's.TheTai-meandit'sroleintheSunDanceIntroductionTheTai-mekeeperorpriestwasthecentralfigureintheKiowaSunDance.Itwashewhodecidedwhetheradancewouldbeheld.Thepriestrantheentireceremonyandwouldgivedirectiontotheothertribesmenwhowouldgathertheitemsneededfortheconstruction.PreparationfortheSunDanceIntroductionMenwerechosentolookforatreewithaforkinthetop.Thiswastobeforthefirstandcenterpoleofthelodge([lɔdʒ]小屋).PreparationfortheSunDanceIntroductionThenextmorning,armedwarriorschargethesun-pole.Theyattackthetreeinefforttosymbolicallykillitwithgunshotsandarrows.OnceitisdeaditiscutdownandtakentowheretheSunDanceLodgewillberaised.PreparationfortheSunDanceBeforeraisingthesun-pole,abundleorafreshbuffalohead(thatdependsonthetribe)withabroadcenterstripofthebackofthehideandtailisfastenedwithstrongthrongstotheforkofthesun-pole.Thenthepoleisraisedandsetfirmlyintheground,withthebuffaloheadfacingtowardthesetting-sun.Thetreerepresentsthecenteroftheworld,connectingtheheavenstotheearth.IntroductionTheforkofthetreerepresentstheeagle'snest.theSunDanceTheeagleisoneofthePlainsIndians'mostsacredanimal.Itflieshigh,beingtheclosestcreaturetotheSun.Thereforeitisthelinkbetweenmanandspirit,beingthemessengerthatdeliversprayerstotheWakan-Tanka(god).Introduction•Itisthebuffalo,thatmakesupthemainthemeoftheSunDance.•Thebuffalomayknockdownadancer,orthedancermaychallengeit.Onemustshowcourageandstanduptothebuffalobeforetheitfindshimworthytogivehimwhathedesires.IntroductionThebuffalosymbolizedlife.PlainsIndiansreliedonbuffalofortheirfood,clothing,andshelter.AndthisrelationshipwaspraisedandblessedwiththeSunDance.Theyalsobelievedthatthebuffaloesgavethemselvestothemforfood,sothenaturalcoursetothemwouldbetoofferapartofthemselvesinreturnoutofgratitude.Thusthesacrificeofthedancersthroughfasting,thirst,andself-inflictedpainreflectsthedesiretoreturnsomethingofthemselvestonature.IntroductionSelf-inflictedtorturehasalsocometosymbolizerebirth.Maledancerswerepiercedonbothsidesoftheirchestandtetheredtothecenterpolebymeansofskewers(/skju:ə/串肉杆)attachedtoleatherthongs(皮带).Introduction•AlthoughnotallSunDanceceremoniesincludedancersbeingrituallypierced,theobjectoftheSunDancepracticeistomakeasacrificetotheGreatMystery,andtopraywhileconnectedtotheTreeofLife,adirectconnectiontotheCreator.•Acommonexplanationi