Sun dance symbolizes rebirth
by John Woelke, reporter

    Through lack of understanding, the United States government outlawed many Native American rituals and ceremonies in the early 20th Century.

    In more recent years, tribes have attempted to revive ceremonies like the sun dance.

    The sun dance is a sacred and important religious ceremony Plains Indians perform once a year.

    The sun dance starts with a purification of the body and soul in a sweat bath.

    A medicine man makes an incision into the dancers’ chests inserting a pencil-size skewer of bone. Fastened to the bone is a long skin rope, the opposite end of the rope is fastened to the top of the sun-pole.

    Over the course of four days, sun dancers fast with no food or water and try to break free of their tether. Although dancers do not partake of food or water, they believe spirits feed and nurture their souls. The self-inflicted torture symbolizes rebirth. The torture represents death, and as the dancer breaks free, he is symbolically resurrected.

    In The World of the American Indian, John C. Ewers writes, “To the throb of pain and drums, men dance before the sun in the climax of a solemn rite once performed by most plains tribes.”

    Elizabeth Atwood Lawrence, historian and author, explains the significance of the ceremony.

    “The sun dance shows a continuity between life and death—a regeneration. It shows that there is no true end to life, but a cycle of symbolic and true deaths and rebirths,” she says.

    American Indians hold nature in high respect and believe in a fine balance between humans and animals.

    “Thus the sacrifice of the dancers through fasting, thirst and self-inflicted pain reflects the desire to return something of themselves to nature,” she says.

    For more than 20 years, Eddie Sandoval, director of counseling and testing on NE Campus, has taken part in sun dance ceremonies each year in South Dakota.

    Sandoval and his sister are both pipe bearers and lead sweat ceremonies in a sweat lodge Sandoval built in Granbury.

    A pipe bearer has earned the right to have a pipe through education from elders and respect and understanding of ceremonies, Sandoval said.

    “The pipe is the most important thing we have,” he said.

    A sweat ceremony cleanses the body and soul using one’s emotions and the spirits around him, Sandoval said. Rocks are heated to produce heat to force the impurities from the body and songs are sung to communicate with spirits.

    Through individuals and tribal communities, the Native Americans are restoring their ceremonies and traditions.

    The TCC campuses have helped celebrate November as Native American Heritage Month.