MNN. August 21, 2005. Recently, serious breaches of indigenous protocol took place at a Sun Dance Ceremony on Tayac Territory in Maryland. Fools Crow, a Lakota, brought the Sun Dance to this Nation in 1985. His nephew, Mel Lone Hill, did the organizing and singing for the first four years.

Background. Chief Billy Tayac?s daughter, Nora, was deathly sick. She was in hospital losing her battle with a staph infection. It had gone through her whole body, giving her a 10% chance of living. Splitting the Sky sought out Chief Fools Crow who was lobbying for the Black Hills in Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. He brought him to the hospital. Fools Crow conducted a pipe ceremony over her. In a matter of minutes she started to resuscitate. The heart machine showed immediate signs of improvement. She?s been healthy ever since.

That same night after the miraculous cure in the hospital the Tayacs asked Fools Crow for permission to start a sun dance in the east. Fools Crow approved. He saw this as an opportunity to fulfill a prophecy that the sun dance would go to all four directions.

The last dance. This sun dance in August 2005 was the 20th and last one. My family has been attending over the years to support the ceremony and Indigenous dancers. We have always respected our friends and allies of whatever color. Supporters from all colors come to help out. Only indigenous people can dance.

Four years ago some young activists came from British Columbia to dance and take part. They were welcomed. From the beginning they disrupted the ceremony. For example, the young sun dancer, Kiko, on many occasions did not want any white people inside the dance arbor when he was piercing, nor did he want them to touch his ceremonial pipe. Even though a white woman was running the kitchen and making sure everyone was fed, he and his party all refused to take food from a white person during the feast.

This year at the security checkpoint, they refused to allow the chief?s wife, daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter to enter the grounds. They were being excluded from the tree ceremony which was taking place on their land using their trees.

The renegade sun dancer did not want any supporters from the four colors to enter the arbor to support the dancers. This is despite his own father being non-native. Does this make him a hypocrite by trying to exclude those who are not pure blood, who have the same ancestral mix as him? That would include such admired Indian patriots as Leonard Peltier and Quanah Parker, famous in the 19th century, and others! What if he had said he did not want any black people to touch his pipe or support him? What would be the reaction of our black friends and allies? How do we know what genetic background anyone has? We did not conduct DNA tests.

Throughout these transgressors were counseled about their unacceptable behavior. Their breaches of protocol continued. This finally led Mel Lone Hill to convene an Elders Council to discuss the matter and bring the concerns of a majority of the people to these young persons. A former sun dancer, Jason Corwin, was selected to be the War Chief and to organize the meeting of the elders and these young people. He also had to deliver the Council?s consensual decision to Kiko who remained in the sun dance arbor.

Small Condolence Ceremony. Later that evening a small ?Condolence Ceremony? was conducted with the elders and the young people. A piece of soft cloth was used to wipe our eyes so we can see things clearly. An eagle feather was used to clear our ears so that we could listen and hear each other. A glass of water was drunk so that our words would be as clear as the water going down our throats without sharp edges. The thorough well-thought out discussion lasted two hours. The War Chief explained that in the past such grave breaches of protocol could result in instant death. The consensus was Kiko would continue to dance while his friends would sit behind the pipes and skulls in the arbor to make amends.

Kiko was instructed on how to make amends. He would explain as fully as possible the breaches of protocol made by himself and his friends. He would explain his understanding of these breaches. What did he learned from this situation? What can the people learn? Then he would make a regretful acknowledgement of his and his friends? offences. He had to convince the people that he understood and truly regretted what they had done.

End result. At the end of the Sun Dance Kiko, still ten foot tall and bullet-proof, tried instead to justify his actions. They were not meant to be disrespectful and that we misunderstood. The people were angry. He had not explained what was wrong with his behavior as he had agreed to do the night before. In effect, he could not show humility.

Many felt deeply insulted. His actions misrepresented the sun dance.

There was widespread condemnation. Splitting the Sky, and other older sun dancers, refused to shake his hand. In the past this meant a death sentence. In contemporary times, serious violators of protocol are shunned and abandoned.

Because of the Two Row Wampum philosophy, when we go to another nation?s territory we respect their rules, regulations and protocol. If not, then we must excuse ourselves and leave. In our non-intrusive way, we cannot force our agenda on someone else.

Later in the evening Kiko?s wife, Kanahoose, tried to present the chief?s wife with a gift. The chief?s wife said she did not want any gift from these people. They are no longer welcome. Their actions left almost everyone outraged and disappointed.

Kahentinetha Horn
MNN Mohawk Nation News
Contact: kahentinetha2@yahoo.com
Call: 518-358-6012