Article 10 – The Sundance
By Shelby Tobacco
“Wee… Wee…Wee.” The sound of the eagle whistles were blowing in sync and harmonizing with the powerful drum beats. The beats were so strong and commanding, that I could physically feel them in my chest. Twelve of us, myself included, were in a trance, our eyes fixed on the “Okan” which translates to “The Tree of Life.” The Okan is a strong mature poplar tree that stands in the centre of the lodge and is decorated with beautiful colours of blues, yellows, reds and purples symbolizing offerings and prayers.
For four days and nights, we will dance and pray. We will cry and laugh. We will suffer and endure the raw elements of Mother Earth. For the four days we will not eat and we will not drink. We will feel the pain of hunger in our bellies and we will crave the sweetest and for water. We will sacrifice our flesh and suffer. We will deny ourselves of the essentials of life.
“Dance Hard! Don’t look at me. Don’t look at each other. Keep your eyes on the tree. Dance for yourselves, your communities, your families and your children!!! ” admonished the Sundance Chief in a loud, firm encouraging voice.
The Sundance Chief is Norman Sanderson. He is a man in his late 50’s. He is still very tall with broad shoulders and dark caramel skin, still very smooth with no wrinkles. He was still a nice looking man, but you could tell that he was very handsome when he was younger. His salt and pepper hair blew in the wind. He wore his moccasins, jeans, and a flannel checkered jacket.
It was mid June and the Sun was shining brightly, and it was at its highest peak, beaming on us with its scorching heat without mercy. It was the third day. We, Sun dancers, had been dancing since 6:00 am that morning, and our legs were beginning to feel like limped spaghetti. I estimated it to be noon, because the sun was so high in the sky.
The cutter walked in through the east end of the lodge. Making his way to the west end, drinking from a Timmy’s cup. I envied him, for I had not drank a drop of liquid in three days.
“Ladies first” The cutter hollered
The cutter is the man who will pierce our flesh with eagles’ bones. The bones then would be tied to the Okan and we will have to dance until the bones broke free from our skin. The cutter is named Jim Muskwa from Saskatchewan. He is a short and stalky man. He is in his late 60s and has hardly any teeth left. His hair is black like a raven’s without a single strand of white. He has a contagious laugh and is very humorous. He reminds one of a trickster.
Norman walked towards me. We made eye contact, and I knew I was the first one. I was standing closet to him, so it was an easy choice to be the first to be pierced. He led me into the centre of the lodge near the Okan. The cutter and the Sundance Chief sat on a buffalo robe.
The robe was beautiful! On the robe was all the sacred gifts that had been used for generations; turtle rattles, sacred pipes, hand drums, eagle staffs, holy bundles from hundred years, medicines of sage and sweet grass. All the tools that my people have been using since the beginning of time.
The two men Norman and Jim put on latex gloves. The also had surgical knives which had been sterilized and wrapped in their own packaging. These items are modern luxuries used for making the incision clean and safe. The drums were still beating and the singers were still singing and chanting. I bowed to my knees as the cutter sliced my upper left arm and inserted the bone. Funny enough, I did not feel the knife enter my body. Norman spoke softly into my ear and said “pray.”
After the bones were securely in place, they helped me to my feet. The women gathered around me. I kept my eyes on the Okan. As I was preparing to dance, I looked to my feet, the colorful ribbon skirts the women were wearing surrounded me, and the beadwork on their moccasins glittered like diamonds.
“Mee-mee-to! Dance!” The women yelled.
I danced! I danced hard to the beat of the dream. The women holding me back to put weight on the bones. I leaned backwards and began to dance around the Okan. My vision became blurry. I was in a trance; it was like a living dream. A warm tingling feeling took over my body and I could feel the spirits of the ancestors enter my soul. It was truly a spiritual experience. The world became blurry around.
The women were buffalo-calling and the men doing the warrior cry. I took a deep breath and pulled back. The flesh of my body broke off with the eagle bones. The whole Sundancers yelled as we all rejoiced. I did it! I offered my own flesh to the Creator. I suffered. I endured pain. I prayed. I did it!
When I was finished, the men and women continued to pierce, dance and sing. This is just many of the ceremonies that take place during the Sundance. It truly is a wonderful experience. If anyone has an opportunity to see or visit a Sundance I highly recommend that they do.
About the Author: Shelby Tobacco is from Mosakahiken Cree Nation. She is a mother of three small children. Shelby is enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts 4 year program with a major in Social Science. She is enjoys food, political science, and her kids.
Instructor’s Remark: In this remarkable non-fiction piece, Shelby Tobacco celebrates an aspect of her Indigenous Canadian tradition known as the Sundance. As Shelby’s instructor in the Composition and Rhetoric course (ENG.1002), I encouraged her to submit this personal reflection on the Sundance because I believed that Non-Aboriginal readers will have the opportunity of learning about this beautiful ceremony (Joseph Atoyebi PhD).