Wakinyan Oyate awaken Ina Maka

BLACK ELK PEAK – Each spring the clashing of the Wakinyan Oyate (Thunder Beings) awakens snow covered Ina Maka (Mother Earth) and she gives birth to bright orange, royal blue, and yellow flowers while listening to the chorus of meadowlarks and mourning doves.

On Saturday, March 23, the scent of pine filled the mountain air surrounding Sylvan Lake where more than 700 men, women and children began their two and a half mile pilgrimage to the top of the sacred mountain now known as Black Elk Peak. With them they carry offerings of peji hota (sage), wasna, choke cherry juice, tobacco ties and pipes to offer their prayers of gratitude to the Wakinyan Oyate for awakening Ina Maka.

This ancient spring equinox ceremony was revived in 1986 by a lone Oglala Lakota elder named Grover Horned Antelope who trekked up the mountain isnala mani, by himself. However his quest did not go unnoticed as it caught the lens of a local TV station who filmed him as he explained why he had made the two and half mile journey to the top of Harney Peak. Horned Antelope explained it was a ceremony to welcome back the Wakinyan Oyate, (Thunder Beings)

This caught the eye of a few younger Lakota men, who had been practicing traditional Lakota ceremonies. One of them was Steve Vance from the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation who said his interest was piqued when he watched Horned Antelope explaining the Welcoming Back the Wakinyan Oyate ceremony on television.

He said he spoke to several others who were also interested in Horned Antelope’s ceremony.

“There were several of us younger ones, Ben Rhodd, Russel Eagle Bear, Joe Chasing Horse who saw what Grover was doing and we said, ‘Lets go there.’ We had the transportation and money so we brought the older men up here the next year. We were young men when we first started coming up here.”

Ben Rhodd said that after he watched Horned Antelope on television he too questioned what the elder man was doing, so he sought out the wisdom of Chancey Dupris a Wakan Wicasa from Cherry Creek on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.

“Chauncey said the people used to do that long ago and what that man is doing, it is good, but it should be the people, the heyokas” who perform the ceremony, Rhodd said. “We were all at Wanblee at the Black Crow’s Sundance. We talked it over and we said, ‘Let’s do it.’ No one else, other than Grover Horned Antelope was doing anything like that back then. So the next year, 1987, we all started coming up here.”

During that first year they celebrated the rejuvenation of Ina Maka (Mother Earth) they led a dozen people to the top of what is now Black Elk Peak, where they made offerings and prayers to the Thunder Beings.

Thirty seven years later Vance, Eagle Bear, and Rhodd, who are the elders now, are still coming to this sacred mountain to offer prayers of thanks to the Wakinyan Oyate for the renewal of life.  

They are all older now and some can no longer make the two and a half mile hike up the mountain, they have nonetheless been a constant every year to make sure the younger generation carries on the ceremony. 

Eagle Bear explained that although some of the older men can no longer make it to the top of Black Elk Peak, their prayer offerings and pipes are carried to the peak by the young men who they believe will continue this sacred ceremony even after they have made their journey to the star nation.

“We are here right now but if were to go, it will live, people will continue to come up here,” Rhodd said. “That’s why we are teaching our younger ones now.”

Vance explained that early in the morning, before the trek up to Black Elk Peak begins all the offerings are gathered on a buffalo robe alter were they are smudged and blessed then young men are designated to carry the offerings to the top of Black Elk Peak.

Vance said that in the beginning they always tried to hold the ceremony on the exact date of the Spring Equinox, but found that by moving the ceremony to the closest week-end, more students were able to attend.

“There were people here yesterday and the day before and there will be people here tomorrow,” Vance said. “My sister in eastern Nevada went to a high place in Nevada. My brothers in Utah went up to the highest place in Utah. This ceremony is being carried out by people all over the world. In Australia they are doing this, in Egypt they are doing this.”

Rhodd estimated that more than 700 people attended this year’s event. Although inclement weather was predicted he said “We came with prayer and asked for good weather for the young ones that are coming up here. Our prayers were answered, cause look the sun came out.”

People arrived and left the ceremony sight throughout the day and Vance said his team would stay and until the last person was down from the peak.

The 100 Horses Women’s Society from the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation provided a hot meal for the event which included buffalo chili, vegan chili, crackers and refreshing hot chocolate, hot tea and coffee.

Several organizations provided snack bags filled with sandwiches, fruit, snack bars and juice for hikers coming and going from the mountain.

Sponsorship for the Welcome Back the Wakinyan Oyate event were the Tokala Inajinya Youth Leadership, RST Boarding School Group, Youth Leadership Mentoring Program, RST Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program, Piya Mani Otipi Outpatient Program, RST Adult Corrections, Sicangu Oyate Land Office, RST Wellness Center, RST Commodity Program.

(Contact Ernestine Anunkasan Hopa at editor@nativesunnews.today)

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