The Sun Dance and Other Ceremonies of the Oglala Division of the Teton Dakota (Forgotten Books)

"The Sun Dance and Other Ceremonies of the Oglala Division of the Teton Dakota" is a non judgmental description of various ceremonies of the Oglala Sioux written by James Walker about 1900.James Walker MD was a physician who went to the Oglala Reservation (Red Bud) to help with the TB epidemic. The job was huge, so he solicited the help of the shamans. Unfortunately at that moment there were only 5 living shaman, mostly without students. Dr. Walker became their friend and student. Fortunately for us, Dr. Walker was interested in the lore and culture of the Sioux Nation, and collected the stories, myths, and ceremonies of the Oglala. Dr. Walker claims he was actually inducted as a Shaman in the Bison Society, the medicine society which ran the Sun Dance. As such, Dr. Walker had to be a participant in the Sun Dance at its highest level. This book is Dr. Walker's description of the Sun Dance, the Hunka Ceremony, and the Buffalo Ceremony, along with several narratives Dr. Walker was given by his friends, the Shamans.The material is a simple statement of the activities of the ceremonies. It is not judgmental nor interpretive. For the Sun Dance, Dr. Walker follows the succession of events from choosing to be a Sun Dance participant, to choosing a mentor, to preparing oneself to dance, to a day by day description of the entire 8 days from gathering the clans, to choosing the "Tree" and all the other activities that accompany the Sun Dance. The same is true for the other two ceremonies. Unfortunately, none of the songs used in the Sun Dance are recorded here. But several narratives of Sioux mythology are included.Included in the Sun Dance account is a marvelous list of the many spirits of the Sioux spirit world, along with a statement of their creation story.There is some controversy as to authenticity of these accounts. And Dr. Walker has been accused of Christian shading of the mythology of the Sioux. It should be noted that another collector, Della Deloria, some 30 years later could not find any scrap of the stories Dr. Walker lists. But that finding has to be critically reviewed in several different lights. Raymond DeMallie has written a detailed analysis of this controversy in his introduction to "Lakota Myth" by James Walker, edited by Elaine Jahner. Also see, "the Sons of the Wind" edited by DM Dooling with an afterword by Elaine Jahner. .Whatever the reality, the Lakota themselves have been distributing Dr. Walker's accounts as their own mythology since 1972. And this book stands as the most complete description of the Lakota Sun Dance extant with only minimal differences from the 4 or 5 other first hand observer accounts known.

Purchased for mother

Priceless for Lakotas heritage continuity...

I bought this book it was good

great book - excellent transaction