Description and analysis of a Lakota ritual performance staged in 1991, where heated debate broke out between the dance organizers, who included non-Lakota dancers and critics who advocated more narrow restrictions on participation. At... more
Description and analysis of a Lakota ritual performance staged in 1991, where heated debate broke out between the dance organizers, who included non-Lakota dancers and critics who advocated more narrow restrictions on participation. At issue was the capacity of ritual practice to revise social borders and reconstruct established norms, patterns of association, and sentiments of belonging.
Modern and postmodern civilization exhibits a variety o f pathological trends that have not only polluted the environment but have contributed to a spiritual crisis within humanity. Personal and social fragmentation has resulted from us... more
Modern and postmodern civilization exhibits a variety o f pathological trends that have not only polluted the environment but have contributed to a spiritual crisis within humanity. Personal and social fragmentation has resulted from us losing touch with our spiritual roots. This paper explores aspects of archaic ontology as a remedy for the fragmented selfthrough an examination of the Native American Sun Dance ceremony. Through personal narrative and a review of the literature on the Sun Dance I explore ways for ethical intercultural exchange that can help us rediscover our spiritual connection with the Earth and how we might begin to embody the wisdom we encounter.
