Feb 2006 Missive from Arvol Looking Horse on Eagle Hunter
From Alfred Bone Shirt
On February 3rd, 2006, I rode on horse back, along with my family and friends following the Sacred Staff. Even though there was no tobacco offered to meet and discuss the Bundle that Pte San Win brought to our people, I chose to come to a meeting to address these negative concerns as called by Butch Chasing Hawk, also known as Eagle Hunter. Even though these things should not happen while my family is in mourning, this is part of our traditional knowledge; I felt that through prayer, good things can come from this meeting. It was decided to follow the protocols of this Bundle and ride with prayers of forgiveness of how we, the Lakota, have lost our ways and make good of the negative that has already begun. By this I mean that protocols in even discussing the Bundle of Pte San Win were not met by the man who called the meeting, so we did our best to bring goodness to what has already happened. I was thinking of the young people that may be affected in not knowing their culture that may have read his untruths.
My relatives, with help from the Tribe, ended up feeding and housing the People, which were not prepared by Eagle Hunter and his followers , they did not follow traditional protocol. When a person calls the people together, they were to provide for the people. Many people came, all chipping in with gas money and needs for the meeting, from Pine Ridge, Rosebud, Standing Rock, including Dakota relatives from the east. A financial hardship that was uncalled for. Many calls of support and concern were received from many of the Traditional Oyate from around the country that became aware of the article too late. They promised to make prayers for all concerned, including good prayers for those that did not know their cultural ways in calling for this meeting.
The meeting was documented by Elders with tape recorders and video footage from the Cultural Center and people. So what I am saying here is true.
There were many instances that happened in the meeting that showed the Traditional People the lack of respect. Even as the Staffs were brought in and presented, Eagle Hunter pushed his way to speak, ignoring the request for opening prayers for a good meeting and he began his accusations. After his speech, he would not even stand in respect or remove his covering of his hat, when we finally did make prayers. The prayers made were for the Oyate, Unci Maka and for good things to come from the meeting.
Eagle Hunter began to explain the interpretation of san as in Pte San win. His thoughts were that it really meant old grey buffalo. San can mean grey, faded or white, it is a sacred name that can mean different colors, but our people always identified the color as white, as in a-nu kan san meaning that the eagle has white at both ends. His then even challenged the People that they are following this way of life and questioned their lack of knowledge in the seven sacred rites. Everyone did not even bother to respond to his question of whether or not they understood, as they all felt they understood the best they could in learning this way of life . Instead he stated the cultural values and virtues were the seven sacred rites. The seven sacred rites are ceremonies that we were passed down to help the People in our cultural way of life for health and honor of themselves, on behalf of their Oyate. With those rites came protocols and responsibilities in order to maintain them in a good way, on behalf of the future generations to come. This is my responsibility, to remind the Oyate of the protocols, in order to maintain them in the best possible way, to make sure they are kept in tact for our future generations.
In 1980, through ceremonial instruction, I put away the Bundle for seven years. Even back then, it was evident that the rites were being violated and the danger of these protocols was being overlooked. Through guidance of many Elders throughout the years that came here and visited or meeting them on different reservations, stated their concerns of what was beginning to take place with the ceremonies throughout the land. I realized that putting away the Bundle for seven years was not enough and stood up reminding the Oyate the concerns of what is going on in our ceremonial rites of the violations in the lack of protocols and lack of proper instruction. Many of the Elders concerns were evident in the ceremonies that were taking place. Loss of life of people that went on vision quests and Sundancers has happened that should have never happened. Our ceremonies have violations of molestation and price tags for healing, instead of the energy of a gift . These are sure signs of the effects of lack of protocol and respect. So I took that stand, along with many of the Traditional Elders and Oyate throughout First Nation Country. I continue to stand in my position against these issues of reminding the proper protocols that comes with this Bundle.
I already stated why I leave my home at different times; to work so I can pay bills and eat. My work involves speaking of the concerns of the environment upon Unc i Maka. I attend funerals, meetings, Sacred Horse Rides, youth Runs and gatherings. All endeavors on behalf of the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota Oyate and Unc i Maka. The Bundle is a spirit and travels with me. Many of the People who bring me to these gatherings know this as being true. This is what I see is the problem in Eagle Hunter and the 5 people who stood with him at his meeting, they do not understand the Bundle s strength of being a spirit, that travels anywhere in the world, where even just tobacco is laid down, we can still connect to the help of the Tunka Oyate (spirits, grandfathers) through the Bundle, to seek help in our health and concerns. Even I laid my life down, along with those that believed in the C anupa and we traveled to Iraq during the time of war in 1990 and 2004 to make those prayers. We filled our C anupa on their soil to pray for Peace.
Yet, there are many people that come here throughout these years, even when the C anupa was not popular, before the Freedom of Religion in 1978 and found their way here to make prayers, if that is what they desire. They have the faith and follow the values of our people to focus on their prayers and have had them be answered.
All my life I have faced criticism, even with death threats at a young age of being the Keeper, (an english word translated from c anupa a-wi yan-kan , only an english translation, but has a deeper meaning in Lakota). This in response to Eagle Hunter s accusation of his definition of really only meaning caretaker not keeper.
During the meeting, two other people stood up with accusations, Shirley and Derek Fiddler. Both of them stated inaccurate history of the Bundle and the sacred gourd that I retrieved from the Pierre Museum that belonged to our Grandfather Elk Head. It was decided back then, because of their family s constant controversy of being more closely related, that my family allowed them to take the sacred gourd in a good way through ceremony of passing to Buzzie Black Bear. We felt maybe this would assist them in bringing them back to following our Traditional way of life. Grandfather Elk Head had chosen to follow Christianity with his family. This was the reason why my Great Grandmother was passed the Bundle, but keep in mind; it was passed through reaching an understanding through prayer for the decision that included Elk Head himself. Even then in concern of the gourd, Buzzie chose to not go through the ceremony to pass on the sacred gourd, instead, waited outside the inipi and took it and left. They made words that were not true that they won it in probate and court. Those laws do not have a place or voice in our Traditional way of life . Even now I feel bad that the gourd that called me in storage at the museum to find; may not be used in the good way as intended.
I felt bad to hear my relative Derek, a young man, repeating what he thinks is true from the other side of the family that chose another way of life to lead many decades ago. Not a fault of his own. From his questions of the Bundle of not being real or there, I heard this before from his family and others. It is being said that it is the reason why I do not open the Bundle, it is not there or different from the original. We have protocols to opening the Bundle, with the virgin young women to be the ones to touch the C anupa when we are changing the buffalo robe, as was done 5 years ago. To pray with the Bundle, you must first cleanse your spirit through inipi, as it is dangerous with how we humans are today in the way we don t control our minds. Even with this doubt being stated; it is a clear reason. If there is that doubt, then why should their family bother with having it be proven or want to be ones to care for it? I realized that because of this time of many decades his family was away to Christianity or alcohol, has caused much untruths and confusion. I felt sorry for him, even though he challenged me outside the building again when I went to put away the staffs in the car. I remember when I prayed with him and opened that door to helping him in our sacred inipi to learn of our way of life. He stated to me back then, that he would be sitting in my place one day, meaning that he interpreted a dream that he would be the next Keeper. This is sad, as I am still here living; there should be no intentions by anyone of who is the next Keeper. That is wa-cu-za , against our beliefs; of trying to make something bad come before it s time by making such words. This is shameful, it is not a human decision.
The Bundle chooses the person to represent the values of our People and their culture, in order to maintain who we are as the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota Oyate or Pte Oyate. Pte Oyate means Buffalo People, meaning our way of teachings comes from the Buffalo Nation. Some main examples are; that we stand and face the wind, always with the women and children inside that hoop; our medicines come from their knowledge; we use their energy of their body in ceremonial items used in our ceremonial way of life; and much more&
I was reminded at the age of 12, when my Grandmother Lucy passed the Bundle to me, that I should never speak foul language or ever carry a weapon, which I can honestly say I have not done. She also told me I would be the last Keeper. This I always think of everyday, as I also know that prophecies can be changed through prayer, these prophecies are warnings. We all love our children and want a future for them, that is why prophecies exist. When they have bad warnings, we earn a way through prayers to change our path. So my work has always been to protect the ceremonies and the Sacred Sites around Unc i Maka. To remind people of protocols of this Bundle in order to receive the help it can give in health. I try to be there when it is possible to lay our Oyate to rest. I have stood up for repatriation of our people s bones and bundles in museums; repatriation began when I traveled with my relatives to bring Lost Bird s remains from California to lay to rest by her own people. (Lost Bird was the baby that survived the Wounded Knee massacre and grew up as a trophy for a General and died in destitution in San Francisco.) I rode on horse back for 19 years to pray for healing for our Oyate. I ran to Pipestone in the 80 s for seven years bringing prayers to stop the sale of our sacred stone. I stood up when the Smithsonian Museum was to lay our stone on the ground for a floor and was then also criticized for standing with only a few for this issue, making nonsense noise. I then stated that there may be only a few of us left that will take heart with these serious issues, but if Crazy Horse were alive today, he would stand with me. I also choose to focus on my work by speaking of uniting all nations, all faiths, one prayer to heal Unc i Maka, because I look around and see what happens on the other side of world affects our Oyate. Whether it is war, natural disasters or sickness of the environment, because we are not sovereign in those areas any more; we all buy in stores, buy gas, wear different clothes, all dependent on money to live now. We have been forced into this American Society. Those negative influences affect how we are going to live and survive in the future. I choose to make a voice, upon listening to my Father in his concerns of the lack in respect for Sacred Sites, to unite all the two-legged into realizing that we have a responsibility to heal Unc i Maka and make prayers at these sites. To make it known of their importance of how the Sacred Site s energy can help the people. I also make a voice to protect the wa-ma-ka-s ka (animal nations), as this environment is no fault of their own and they are dieing in huge numbers. Even the animal nation s voice we must listen to, because many of their Nations are being born white; the buffalo, deer, whale, black bear, elk, moose, eagle, dolphin, turtle, lion, zebra, and much more&. A sign Pte San Win predicted of when her spirit would stand upon the earth and to pay attention. She did in 1994, the same time the potential affects of global warming was announced; in a time when again our food and needs would be threatened. This was same kind of time as when she first came; when our buffalo began to leave, because we lost our way. Together, no matter what way we choose to believe in the creator we can heal Unc i Maka through united prayer. I have witnessed miracles in our ceremonies when people gathered around their sick loved one and they walked away in good health to be with their families, when they united in prayer. It is our only way now to survive as an Individual Nation; we can not do it alone! This is the main reason why World Peace and Prayer Day, June 21st was founded, in honor and protection of what is left in our Sacred Sites.
Eagle Hunter spoke and left soon after, this showed me that he is not a traditional person. My sisters were going to present Eagle Hunter with a star quilt showing good relations, even after the trouble he was causing in our time of mourning, to show good energy, but even that he passed up. He broke that circle, especially being the main one to call the meeting and left. This is the same thing that is happening to our ceremonies of Sundance and Vision quests; people break that circle and leave before they are finished of the four day commitment. Instead he left in disrespect and did not sit and listen to the response of his accusations, no matter how hard it is. I had thought that this was the main reason why he posted in the paper, was to understand. He did not talk of his main issue of why the Itazipcola should have the Bundle and why he felt we were not following our traditions and culture, as he stated in the paper. In the end, Dana Dupree spoke of researching Eagle Hunter s lineage and he is not an Itazipcola, therefore he spoke out of line again. Dana also testified the inaccuracy of Shirley Fiddler s statements were untrue of the gourd; with documentation available on record of that transaction.
Eagle Hunter and his 5 people that stood with him, no longer have a voice in our Traditional Om-ni-c i-ya (meeting). I could have been like them and brought up their personal history in stories of their behavior throughout these years in violating our Tribe, communities, their family and children, but I chose only address the accusations that they threw against me and the Bundle, in presenting only my truth. They violated protocol, told lies and showed lack of respect for the Bundle and the teachings, bringing yet more confusion to our Oyate. Even so, they are my relatives; I will continue to hold their health and well-being in my prayers; to one day stand with us in prayer for what we face together in the sad future for our Oyate. But in the mean time, according to our traditional knowledge, they have crossed those boundaries of proper protocol and only produced violations that end up with this kind of decision - they no longer have a voice to gather the Oyate or discuss the Sacred Bundle!
Hetc etu yelo,
Sung-wa-kan i-ma c i-ya-pi-lo
Arvol Looking Horse
19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe
Eagle Hunter
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