Post by Okwes on Nov 27, 2006 11:38:10 GMT -5
The 2006 Blackfeet Sundance
Calvin Tatsey
I am the father of four and the grandfather of eight. I am an enrolled member of The Blackfeet Nation, of Montana. I have resided on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation throughout my entire life, with migrations to attend school, training, work and to experience different cultures, people and places. I have experienced every Blackfeet ceremony, except for The Sundance; however, I have assisted with the preparations of and observed several throughout their durations. I have worked at several occupations, e.g., cowboy, farm-worker, tree planter and thinner, logger, lifeguard, store clerk, police dispatcher, police officer, jailer, correctional officer, casino surveillance, heavy equipment operator, building constructions, etc. I have a degree-in Human Services and Chemical Dependency Counseling and have graduated from two Law Enforcement Academies: the Montana Law Enforcement Academy and Corrections Corporation of America. My life-and-work experiences are vast and many; my cultural experiences are the same. My writing will involve and draw from both, but will only be related and apply to Native American issues, news and first-hand stories pertaining to culture, ceremonies, language and Blackfeet life; some will be short and some will be long, but I think that they will all be interesting and entertaining.
November 10, 2006
A Holy-Blackfeet Bundle, the Natoas (Sundance Bundle), a.k.a. the Many White Horses Bundle, which hasn’t been used for a Sundance for seventy-seven years, was used during this past June, of 2006. The last time that a Sundance was held under the authority of this bundle, was in 1929.
There are other Sundances that occur here annually; however, they are not genuine-Blackfeet Sundances. Not genuine because of the bundles. One bundle is of Cree origin, another is of Sioux, and so forth… There’s absolutely nothing wrong with their power or medicine, they’re just not Blackfeet, and each bundle and its owner receives the utmost of respect and honor, of which they deserve.
To put everything into context before I go any further, that’s like using Catholic symbolic representation or protocol to conduct Pentecostal services, or Pentecostal to conduct Baptist services.
My Nawtoo Ohtikunni (Holy-Medicine Chief) Clayton ArrowTopKnot, is the current- owner of the Many White Horses Bundle; Clayton was also the Head Medicine Man of the 2006 ceremony.
The Sundance of 1929 was held on Two Medicine River; the Sundance of 2006 was also held on Two Medicine. The sponsor of the 2006 Sundance was, Mr. Terry Wellman, a well known and respected, local business owner and a member of the Blackfeet Tribe.
The next consecutive Sundance will be held on July 6, of 2007. The day might change slightly, but it will happen.
This year’s ceremony was attended by few, when it should have been attended by every traditional man and woman from our reservation. From what I’ve been advised, politics got in the way. Certain traditional people were whispering to others that if they had anything to do with it, that they would get hurt, because, “…it was ‘real medicine’ that was being used [it was real medicine and it will be the same next year and the year after that and the year after that]…” Clayton questioned what those people had been involved with previously. Our comments were of the same nature; we both wondered what they, being traditional and heavily involved-in traditional-ceremonial activities, had gotten used to, for them to fear a real Blackfeet Sundance ceremony. That reminded us of something that a dilettante would say.
Anyone interested in attending the 2007 Blackfeet Sundance, can contact me through my email address: calvintatsey@yahoo.com
Calvin Tatsey
I am the father of four and the grandfather of eight. I am an enrolled member of The Blackfeet Nation, of Montana. I have resided on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation throughout my entire life, with migrations to attend school, training, work and to experience different cultures, people and places. I have experienced every Blackfeet ceremony, except for The Sundance; however, I have assisted with the preparations of and observed several throughout their durations. I have worked at several occupations, e.g., cowboy, farm-worker, tree planter and thinner, logger, lifeguard, store clerk, police dispatcher, police officer, jailer, correctional officer, casino surveillance, heavy equipment operator, building constructions, etc. I have a degree-in Human Services and Chemical Dependency Counseling and have graduated from two Law Enforcement Academies: the Montana Law Enforcement Academy and Corrections Corporation of America. My life-and-work experiences are vast and many; my cultural experiences are the same. My writing will involve and draw from both, but will only be related and apply to Native American issues, news and first-hand stories pertaining to culture, ceremonies, language and Blackfeet life; some will be short and some will be long, but I think that they will all be interesting and entertaining.
November 10, 2006
A Holy-Blackfeet Bundle, the Natoas (Sundance Bundle), a.k.a. the Many White Horses Bundle, which hasn’t been used for a Sundance for seventy-seven years, was used during this past June, of 2006. The last time that a Sundance was held under the authority of this bundle, was in 1929.
There are other Sundances that occur here annually; however, they are not genuine-Blackfeet Sundances. Not genuine because of the bundles. One bundle is of Cree origin, another is of Sioux, and so forth… There’s absolutely nothing wrong with their power or medicine, they’re just not Blackfeet, and each bundle and its owner receives the utmost of respect and honor, of which they deserve.
To put everything into context before I go any further, that’s like using Catholic symbolic representation or protocol to conduct Pentecostal services, or Pentecostal to conduct Baptist services.
My Nawtoo Ohtikunni (Holy-Medicine Chief) Clayton ArrowTopKnot, is the current- owner of the Many White Horses Bundle; Clayton was also the Head Medicine Man of the 2006 ceremony.
The Sundance of 1929 was held on Two Medicine River; the Sundance of 2006 was also held on Two Medicine. The sponsor of the 2006 Sundance was, Mr. Terry Wellman, a well known and respected, local business owner and a member of the Blackfeet Tribe.
The next consecutive Sundance will be held on July 6, of 2007. The day might change slightly, but it will happen.
This year’s ceremony was attended by few, when it should have been attended by every traditional man and woman from our reservation. From what I’ve been advised, politics got in the way. Certain traditional people were whispering to others that if they had anything to do with it, that they would get hurt, because, “…it was ‘real medicine’ that was being used [it was real medicine and it will be the same next year and the year after that and the year after that]…” Clayton questioned what those people had been involved with previously. Our comments were of the same nature; we both wondered what they, being traditional and heavily involved-in traditional-ceremonial activities, had gotten used to, for them to fear a real Blackfeet Sundance ceremony. That reminded us of something that a dilettante would say.
Anyone interested in attending the 2007 Blackfeet Sundance, can contact me through my email address: calvintatsey@yahoo.com