The Sun is, from many circumstances, a natural object of worship among
the unenlightened nations of men. With the Dakotas, the sun is sometimes
appealed to as a witness. Sometimes they pray to it, generally with the
honorable title of _Hunkayapi_. Sometimes, as a god, it communicates
with men in dreams and visions. But the nature of the communication is
that the men should dance the _wiwanyagwacipi_, with the promise of
success in hunting or war. Generally the object of dancing to the sun
is to secure victory over enemies. In this aspect it is a _waihdusna_
or _self-immolation_ to the sun; it is an offering up of one’s strength
and manhood to secure the aid of the sun in the day of battle. The Bible
says, “the stars in their courses fought.”
There are occasions, also, when a man dances the sun dance as a
thank-offering. He is sick and apprehends he will die. He makes a vow
that if his life is spared he will dance to the sun. Or, he is on the
war path and he prays to the great _hunkayapi_ for success, promising in
that event to dance to his honor. These are said to be the occasions and
reasons for the _Wiwanyag-wacipi_.
More than a quarter of a century has passed since I witnessed this
ceremony, and I was there only a couple of hours about the middle of
the day. On the north side a couple of tents, fastened together, were
stretched around poles, forming a large semicircle. In the focus of the
radii stood three dancers, with their eyes turned towards the sun, which
was then in the south. Their faces and the upper part of their bodies
were gaily painted, and their heads were adorned with feathers. A blue
or red blanket was strapped around their waist, and hung down like a
woman’s skirt. Each one had a fife made of the bone of a swan’s wing, on
which they kept up a toot-toot-toot-ing, varied by the measures of the
dance and the song. Behind them in the shadow of the tent sat the singers
and players on instruments—the drums and rattles. A few women sat still
farther back, who formed a part of the choir, and joined in the chorus.
The chief dancer on this occasion, if I remember rightly, was _Mahipiya
sua_, who afterwards shot himself. The dancers always make incisions
in their flesh, in which they insert swan’s down or horse hair. These
incisions are commonly made on the shoulders and arms. When the sacrifice
is intended to be as complete as possible, an incision is made in the
back, through which a cord of horse hair is passed, and a buffalo head is
attached to the lower end, so that every time the body moves up and down,
a slight motion is given to the buffalo head which lies on the ground
behind him. At the close, if his strength remains sufficient, he drags
the buffalo head around the place.
Occasionally a man inflicts still more torture on himself than this. He
makes an incision in his breast, and passing a cord through it he draws
it tight and fastens the other end to a pole which stands immediately in
front of him.
The ceremonies of the sun dance commence in the evening. I have been
under the impression that the time of the full moon was selected, but
I am now informed that it is not essential. The singers and players on
instruments practice their songs in the night, and there is some dancing.
There is also feasting. Before morning the company generally lie down and
sleep awhile.
The real dance commences when the _Hunkayapi_ makes his appearance.
Then the dancers begin and continue without _eating_, _drinking_, or
_resting_, until nature is quite exhausted. Some join in the dance as
particular friends of the dancer. They may occasionally sit down and
smoke, but if the maker of the dance falls down or is observed to be
quite exhausted, a friend may step forward and make a valuable present to
some one. In this case the dancer may rest awhile and begin again. Some
give out entirely before the sun goes down, when the dance is concluded.
Others are able to continue into the night.
A man who dances to the sun is expected to make a song of his own, which
embodies the _god-communication_ to him.