Medicine Wheel Sun Dance
Thursday, July 19th
Chapter 4

Wow, what a day! Sun Dance began at sunup. I don't remember the dancebeing as long as it seemed like today. It was also the day where I adopted Mark as my son. Wait. I'd better back up a step.

Joel woke me up. Joel is the camp Heyoka (jokester). He is also the 'caller'. He wakes everyone up just before sunrise by walking through the camp pounding on his very flat drum. Whenever the Dance is beginning to start up, he goes through camp pounding on the drum calling everyone to the arbor.

I would love to know what the different rounds (dances) mean. (By way of explanation.... The dancers don't dance the whole time. There are periods of rest in between dances. But each time they returned to the circle, that dance had a reason for it. And each time they returned to the circle is called a round.) I would guess that were as many as ten different rounds today. Wow. Long day for everyone. It's also hot.

Also, the word has it that we are breaking many traditions. One of them was.... The male band never showed. (There was a reason for this that we later found out about.) So this dance saw all females at the drum.... which, or course, included Ellen and Karla. No one can remember ever seeing this happen before. (They did great!!!)

Tu Bears and I were coming back from one of the rounds when Mark came up behind us and asked if he could talk to us. It seems that during the first round as he watched the dancers go out into the arena, he got this clear insight that he was to join them. After hearing what he had to say, both Tu Bears and I were in agreement that yes, he was to dance. The question remained as to whether or not he would dance for three days (which would mean that he would go up to the dancers 'village' tonight.... which also meant he would have lots to do before he could be ready for that), or take the time to prepare more and then go in tomorrow and dance two days. She told him he would get a couple of signs that would tell him how many he was to dance.

And then she told him, she had something to say to him.... She goes into this 'story' about how Yukpa hashi had come to her to ask to adopt him as her son. After the 'story', she then took us through the Adoption Ceremony. Mark and I are true family now. It blesses us both. And then I told him of my vision.... and that I had a name for him. His name was/is 'Many Hands'. His smile was huge.... You can imagine mine.

And then knowing he had to get his gear organized as well as talk to Dennis Fourwinds, he took off. The pieces fell into place like magic. Normally, dancers prepare for a year for this weekend. There are certain requirements that must be met before one can 'dance'. For instance, first off.... he needed a eagle bone whistle (the male dancers whistle in time with the drumbeat. In this way, they are calling in the Great Spirit.). Before Mark got back to camp, he had a whistle. Seems Bill, the Head Firetender, had an extra one. No problem.

The lack of a feather fan is an optional choice anyway, so no problem there.

But then, he needed a pipe. I had the thought before I left home that I needed to take my pipe (the one Tu Bears had gifted me at Vision Quest) to Sun Dance with me. So I stuck it in. When the need for a pipe was brought up, I said to him that I had the pipe.... that I had 'Big Eagle' with me. I also told him I would be honored to have him take the pipe into the arena with him. (You can't know what an honor this is.... It's huge. You'll hear more about the pipe's journey a bit later.)

He also found the opportunity to talk to Dennis Fourwinds, the Lead Dancer, about the possibility of his joining the dancers. Although this went against tradition, because Mark was part of our band, and he was known to all there, he would be allowed to go in, provided he had what he needed to dance (Whistle, Pipe, etc.). During that conversation, Mark also told Fourwinds that he wanted to wear the new pouch that I had made for him into the arena. Well, tradition says that 'medallions' can be worn if they have something to do with the sun. So Mark showed him this personal bundle that I had made for him. It has this white center with all of these red bugle beads coming off of that center in a sunburst fashion. How much more like the sun can you get? HUGE smile. So he was given permission.

Before Mark found his way back to us again, he had received two signs that had 3's in them. I don't remember what they were though. But he felt strongly about going in for three days.

Well....that night we saw him off to settle in with the dancers. I have a very good feeling about this. I think he'll do alright.... probably better than alright, actually. Smile.

I cleaned up the camp kitchen a bit before turning in. And now, it's lights out....
Nite.....