"It’s difficult to write about “spirituality;” it’s an individual experience. In this era of instantaneous electronic communication young Indian men and women utilize daily, it is essential to bite the bullet and write about the spiritual experience in hopes that young people will turn to cultural spirituality in times of and to develop ones identity.

Scientific experiments indicate humans retain the ability to band together to create a “group” influence on each other. Scientists acknowledge that electronic/magnetic fields have many influences over our existence.

Whoa you say! What has that got to do with spirituality?

Anyone who has experienced the group influence of either being present or participating in what we generally call a Sundance does not need me to explain how strong that influence is. The concentration on one’s personal and group relationship with the Creator/God that goes along with our ceremonies does have an influence. Some of our elders, and some of our younger spiritual leaders (Heyoka, for instance) had a heightened sense regarding these “aura”, at the risk of sounding like some crystal-stargazer groupie. Whether that heightened sense comes by “gift”, by sacrifice or by practice is open to debate. All I know is, it exists."

Get the Story:
Harold Monteau: Beyond the Sundance (Indian Country Today 8/5)

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