Keeper of Lakota Pipe Reflects on Non-Indian Role, Commercialization Story-Date: 11:14 a.m. PST Sunday , September 14, 1997 Keeper of Lakota Pipe Reflects on Non-Indian Role, CommercializationIndian Country Today, Rapid City, S.D. Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News GREEN GRASS, S.D.--Sep. 15--Over Labor Day weekend Lakota people gathered at Green Grass on the Cheyenne River Reservation where the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe is kept. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss and pray about two controversial issues that have troubled Indian Country all summer -- non-Indian participation in Sun Dances and spiritual exploiters charging money for conducting ceremonies they claim are traditional. This year, as in years past, the Gray Eagle Society, a group of elderly from the Pine Ridge Reservation who work for the Foster Grandparent Program and say they speak for elderly residents across the reservation, tried to view the Sacred Pipe of the Lakota Nation and demanded that it be moved to their reservation. This week, Arvol Looking Horse, Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe took time to talk about what happened at Green Grass and his thoughts about the recent spiritual controversy. ``Nothing was settled about non-Indian participation at the meeting that was held in the spring, so it was decided we'd have a meeting to talk about that in August,'' he said. ``What happened was that the Gray Eagles were invited and they asked to see the Pipe.'' According to Mr. Looking Horse, the Gray Eagles have traveled to Green Grass every year. ``They are after the Pipe and they are very demanding,'' he said. ``Every time they come, it seems like somebody dies. Two years ago when Sam Eagle Staff came down with a paper, a resolution, from the Oglala Sioux Tribe's tribal council trying to get the Pipe. Later he died.'' ``When they come and ask to take the Pipe, my answer has always been no,'' he said. ``Being Keeper of the Pipe came to me through a dream and I have been Keeper of the Pipe since I was twelve years old.'' According to Mr. Looking Horse rumors have circulated for years that the Pipe is gone. ``People demand to see it,'' he said. ``We bring out the bundle at times for people to pray with, but to unwrap the Pipe there is protocol. It has to be very hard times.'' The last time it was viewed by the public was in the 1930's during the drought. ``On each reservation we have problems and concerns,'' he said. ``We have them on Cheyenne River. I have a wagmuha (rattle) I brought back from Pierre and our own relatives want to put it in some museum,'' he said. ``They have been Christianized.'' According to Mr. Looking Horse, Oliver Red Cloud, self-proclaimed chief of the Oglala nation, has been one of the main instigators of the spiritual conflict facing the Lakota people today. ``The elders always say that when you talk about people, you talk about yourself,'' Mr. Looking Horse said. ``All this confusion with our ceremonies is not helping people.'' He said that spiritual leaders need gas money in order to travel to places where they are asked to pray. Telephone bills also must be paid. According to the Pipe Keeper, accepting help with such items is not unethical. ``We have got to survive in today the way it is,'' he said. ``Nineteen generations ago when the White Buffalo Calf Woman brought the Pipe to the people she told us we need to say each prayer with a good heart and mind,'' he said. ``Today there are so many temptations, some people have lost that understanding,'' he said. Mr. Looking Horse said that he is aware some people are charging for ceremonies and that it isn't right. ``In doing Wakan Tanka's work, the Creator's work, you can't charge,'' he said. ``You have to be in tune with and take care of the needs of your people. You can't concentrate and charge. If you go into a ceremony with a price tag in your mind, you can't do it; it won't work.'' According to Mr. Looking Horse, many American Indian people feel they are being robbed of their spiritual traditions when non-Indians participate in ceremonies. ``They say, `The (white people) took everything away from us, and now they are going to take our ways, too,''' he said. ``If people are going to practice our ways, they have for to have knowledge and experience of the culture and an understanding of the language for the Grandfathers to help them,'' he said. ``Because of this, non-Indians cannot run ceremonies,'' he said. ``At the same time, there is the idea of uncila, having pity and being humble,'' he said. ``We're supposed to have no bad or ill feelings, but make relatives with all people.'' He said that the world of the Lakota has changed. ``We have alcohol in our families,'' he said. ``We have non-Indians in our families.'' Mr. Looking Horse was instrumental in the Wounded Knee Memorial ride commemorating the massacre when over 300 members of Big Foot's Band, mostly women and children, were slaughtered on the banks of Wounded Knee Creek by the 7th Cavalry on December 29, 1890. ``On the ride to Wounded Knee I did a wiping tears ceremony to begin the mending of the Sacred Hoop. We have to maintain that mending of the Sacred Hoop,'' he said. ``We have to maintain peace and unity for our children so there will be no more Wounded Knees here or throughout the world,'' he said. ``That is what I am afraid of -- more Wounded Knees. To keep that from happening, we have to heal together -- all people. ``My work is to create peace and unity,'' he said. ``On August 7, I did opening ceremonies for World Indigenous Days at the United Nations. I talked about World Peace and Prayer Day which I would like to see become a national holiday.'' The Sacred Pipe Keeper said that much of the debate over spirituality occurring now, was foretold by prophecies given to the Lakota people many years ago. ``We were told that in the seventh generation, people would be coming back to traditional ways and that some people would abuse it,'' he said. ``Also we were told that four strong leaders would come from among the Lakota people.'' Mr. Looking Horse said visionaries still exist among the Lakota people today and that not all of them have seen the same things. ``In the past the visionaries' belief was so strong they could do ceremonies and have visions and dreams in broad daylight,'' he said. ``A few people have had dreams about the Medicine Wheel representing the different nations. We need to respect each other's dreams and visions.'' ----- Visit Indian Country Today on the World Wide Web at http://www.indiancountry.com/ ----- (c) 1997, Indian Country Today, Rapid City, S.D. 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