Vision Quest Ceremony 3 – Down From the Hill and Out of the Pit
/We woke with the sun and bird songs and insect hum. It was going to be another hot day. Jays squawked and a troop of five wild turkeys wandered past the camp. We walked down to the sacred fire, still burning since the kids left, and bid our children good morning. Their spirits were still alive in the fire, we were told. We prayed they were faring well.
Harold stopped by and told us that we would retrieve Catrina and Brad today. We would be summoned when it was time. The day portended to be a scorcher and we hoped to get them sooner rather than later. The pickup truck pulled up to our campsite late morning. We had left fresh water and cherry juice earlier that morning outside the sweat lodge at Catrina's request so it was ready as soon as they returned.
Cy, our driver, retraced the bumpy route to Catrina's hill while our fellow passengers engaged in lively, good-natured conversation. Upon arrival, all chatter ceased. Harold opened a space in the prayer ties in front of the makeshift altar that surrounded Catrina. We chanced a glance. Catrina, cowled under the heavy wool blanket, was led out of her space and back to the truck. She stumbled and seemed disoriented and weak. The men dissembled her altar space, rolled up her prayer ties in a ball and placed everything in the truck bed. We rode in the back seat behind Catrina. Not a word was spoken, but the driver turned up the A/C and aimed the cool air at her... a small bit of relief for her overheated body.
With Catrina still in the front seat, we proceeded to the pit. Men dissembled the altar space above the cave entrance and finally opened the cave entry, bidding Brad to emerge. He crawled out into the bright sunlight and placed his blanket over his head and was assisted in getting into the truck. We brought them both back to the camp in solemn silence. They were led from the truck directly into the sweat lodge. They entered and David followed along with several others of the group, then Harold and the ceremonial singers. I refrained... I wimped out. I just didn’t have it in me to face another stiflingly hot, claustrophobic session inside the lodge.
I watched as the hot rocks were passed into the lodge and then the entry flap closed. I felt left out… perhaps I’d made a mistake by not participating. But as I heard the sizzle of the water on the rocks and the singing begin, I knew I'd made the right decision. I thankfully breathed the fresh air outside, well aware of what was happening inside the lodge. Finally, the singing stopped and lodge flap was thrown open. Brad and Catrina finally emerged, tired, thirsty and hungry, but seemingly satisfied with their achievement and completion of their 4-year commitment. We welcomed them back.
They relaxed for short while, rehydrated and recouped. We all walked down to the Little White River which flowed by the camp. We trudged down the steep river bank and sat on shallow sand bars letting the rushing water engulf us. It was deliciously cool. Lolling in the river, we kind of let the time get away from us and soon we were all burned crisp and skittering out of the sun.
The heat in camp was oppressive... 108F according to the thermometer. Even after our refreshing river soak, our tees and my long skirt stuck to me and in no time I was wringing wet with perspiration... sweating is definitely not my thing. Inside our tent was worse… no afternoon siestas this day. There seemed to be no respite. We chased shade around the big cottonwood tree, moving our chairs constantly, but relief would only come when the sun went down.
“When you pray with this pipe, you pray for and with everything.”
Catrina and Brad hold the chanupas as we share the sacred pipe.
Part of the Vision Quest ceremony usually entails smoking the chanupa, the Lakota word for the sacred pipe. The ceremony is often part of a larger tribal event, but due to Covid, passing the pipe from person to person in the sweat lodge was avoided. Alternatively, the kids honored us by asking us to share the pipe with them, just the four of us. It is believed that the smoke carries one's prayers to the Great Spirit and connects the smokers with the spirit world. The pipe is specially made incorporating much-valued pipestone. We'd visited Pipestone National Monument in Pipestone, Minnesota several years ago and remembered the stone and the specialized pipemaking Native American craft.
We smoked and talked. It was good to be with them again. We felt we had supported them in the ways they needed and wanted. We also felt that they needed to be with their tribal community and now socialize and support others. It was time for us to leave and head back to Las Vegas. The communal meal that evening was lively and pleasant with shared food and lots of conversation. We headed back to our tent as the group headed to the fire for drumming and song.
Rain and wind made for a long night. Lightning pierced the skies and lit the tent. Thunder roared and bellowed. A cricket chorus chimed in whenever there was a lull in the storm. The tents were still in tact in the morning, but loose items were scattered about. We shared tea with the kids, then packed up to go, highly encouraging the menagerie of insects clinging to the tent to remain in their Lakota field rather than return to Las Vegas with us.
We made the rounds of the camp, hugging people goodbye, thanking them for their support and promising to stay in touch. We loaded the last of our gear into the car and hugged the kids goodbye. They promised to try to spend Thanksgiving with us in Las Vegas this year.
Our takeaways from this experience?
--We feel we renewed and strengthened a bond with Brad which had weakened with our many years away. We developed a relationship with Catrina that we'd never had. We had substantive, meaningful conversations with them rather than just catching up on major life events over a quick meal. It was wonderful.
--Learning and being exposed to the Lakota culture, ceremonies and traditions, especially the Vision Quest, was edifying. We have no delusions that our short time there was in any way something other than a very brief glimpse into the Lakota ways. While there, we associated mostly with other white people and were certainly not totally immersed into a new culture, but rather just peeked at it for a couple of days. Still, it was an excellent experience. For those interested, Black Elk's Sacred Pipe is a good introduction to Lakota ceremonies and beliefs.
--The universality of our humanness emerges, no matter what the culture nor where we are, when we are in sync with nature and the natural world. It's easier to find answers and meaning when there are fewer distractions. Whether it be the Great White Buffalo Woman or Pacha Mama or Mother Nature, the connection and oneness is the same if you look for it.
--The slow pace of life in camp encouraged meaningful thought and a time for introspection and finding direction.
--We were considered 'elders' in the camp... mostly because we were. We were older than the holy man, Harold, and probably everyone else there. It seemed odd to us. We don't think of ourselves as old or elderly and sometimes forgot how much older we were than the rest of the camp. At one point, David jumped out of the truck to open a pasture gate and one of the younger fellows rushed ahead to help him. I commented a bit churlishly that David was fully capable of opening and closing gates by himself. “It's not that we think he can't do it; it's out of respect for his age. He shouldn't have to do it.” was the gentle retort.
That's it. The Vision Quest is complete. We were told we fit into camp life 'seamlessly'. It made us feel good even if it was a bit of flattery. We were invited to a Sun Dance in northern Michigan in August. Brad and Catrina plan to go. I doubt we will. Maybe some time in the future.
For now, it was time to begin the 1,200 mile journey back to Las Vegas. It's never a fast trip for us, but we have things to do and people to see once we get back. Join us next time for a walk in the City of Presidents.