Copyright © 2003 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

I am in a good way as a Cheyenne Brother asking you all in a humble way to not hold any public gatherings in which our sacred teachings or ceremonies are exposed to the general public. I realize some of you may be tempted and taunted the monies generated from these types of activities, and many are willing to pay, I ask you to be strong and not let those with big words and a few dollars steer us off course, for the betterment of our "future generations". I feel however until we can restore balance and harmony to our ceremonial ways of life and help our own Nations to heal we must maintain accountability, balance and harmony to our sacred ceremonial ways of life and persevere in our efforts to protect what we have left.The ceremonies we are concerned about are the basis of our very existance, the foundation of our "very" being, and must be preserved and protected. These sacred ways of life have been exposed too much to those who now feel they have a "right" to be "Authoritarians" or "Leaders" in our sacred ceremonies.

I ask each of you as a "Brother" and friend, many of you already know my heart and are in my prayers always. I humbly ask you this in a good way, as we are in a tough way attempting to save these ways for our Grandchildren. Another meeting has already been schedualed and I will see you all there at "Bearbutte" May 10th and 11th. Ha-ho

CEREMONIAL SUNDANCE, SWEAT LODGE, AND TRADITIONAL HEALING CEREMONIALS PROTECTION MEETING. MAY 10TH, 11TH, 2003. BEARBUTTE, SOUTH DAKOTA. CEREMONIAL HOME OF THE CHEYENNE.

Bernard Red Cherries JR, Northern Cheyenne Sundance/Arrow Priest and Elk Society Headsman humbly calls the following: TO THE ARAPAHOE NATION, LAKOTA/DAKOTA/NAKOTA NATION AND OTHER INTERESTED SUNDANCE NATIONS AND SUNDANCE LEADERS.

The following meeting is being called and hosted by the Cheyenne Nation. The Cheyenne Dogsoldiers and Lakota warriors will provide security, ATTN: Chester Whiteman. Bearbutte lodge will provide lodging. This is the fourth of four scheduled meetings agreed to at the meeting of the 20th of October 2002, at the Cheyenne Nation gathering on the Rosebud. At that time copies of the proposed Cheyenne declaration to request accountability from the United States Government in regards to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act was discussed and handed out to those Sundance leaders who were present. It was suggested that the issue of protecting our ceremonial ways of life was a delicate matter that would effect many people, it was then decided that a total of four sacred gatherings would be held to give our people enough time to understand the Cheyenne declaration. The time has now come relatives to support or oppose this declaration. We have held meetings in Montana on the Northern Cheyenne reservation on October 20th 2002, and on the Arapaho reservation in Wyoming on November 3rd, 2002. And on the Cheyenne River reservation on March 8th and 9th 2003. At all these meetings it was unanimously concurred that we must take measures to protect what we have left. These sacred ways were left for us by "our" Grandfathers, and regardless of how we view the situation of exploitation and abuse these sacred ceremonial ways are being drastically changed and misinterpreted by whites.

Today all over America, on the Internet, in new-age magazines, herb shops, drum stores and in the cities away from the Reservations our sacred ceremonial ways are being adopted by white people who have no regard to the impacts they are having on our children, present and future generations. We are now moving to protect what we hold "Sacred" and "Holy" that which our Grandparents blood was shed for at the Washita, 1868, sandcreek, 1864, Little Bighorn 1876 and Wounded knee 1890. These sacred ways were passed on to us in a sacred manner, upon completion of our participation in our "Nations" ceremonies in which sacred protocol was followed and respected, and our "sacred language" being the key to our connection to the Earth and these sacred ceremonial ways.

Today white people have all of a sudden somehow have come to own these ways, assuming leadership and interpretive roles which are sacred to us, and should be left to us, some making a "good" living financially, this is not the ways of our "forefathers" we have been warned and told in our prophecies yet some of our own today question our efforts, challenging our motives, some even gossiping and lying about the Sundance leaders who are participating in this effort, hoping for a continued cycle of hatred and ugliness. Yet we must stand as one as our forefathers did on June 25th, 1876. Protecting what is our lifeline, for our future generations.

We must not worry about the economical or financial blows our stance will surely invite, but rather where our hearts are, for our children and grandchildren. Many have asked, "Why involve the Government?" they have no place in our ceremonies, if they are allowed in we will have "problems". Well it was our respected Ceremonial leaders and medicinemen who were influential in the creation of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, even expressing prayers of thanks on the Sacred Mountain Bearbutte, thanking the creator and spirits for having blessed the Indian people with protection for our sacred ceremonial ways of life and worship in its inception into our system of laws. So how can we change what our elders have already allowed? We can only do the best that we can to protect for our "future generations" our sacred ceremonies.

Many have expressed "outrage" at the decision of Chief Arvol Lookinghorse, of the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota Nation to keep whites from the alters of his Nations ceremonies, much talk has ensued the meeting he hosted at Eaglebutte, adding to his statement their own thoughts, thus creating "chaos" yet I add that it is his respected place as keeper of his peoples "Sacred white buffalo calf pipe" of which the Lakota Sundance is derived from, that some white people are abusing and are the very reason we are making this stand, to them we owe a thanks for bringing us to our feet. Some of our own people are advocating for and attempting to protect the participation of whites in our sacred circles, under the guise of the four colors created by the creator signifying unity? Yet a Lakota man summed it all up at the Eaglebutte meeting reminding all present that we had the four colors which were already sacred to us even before the Whiteman, blackman, and yellowman came in contact with us as "Indian People".

We must not confuse and conflict contemporary views and issues in our effort to preserve and protect our sacred ceremonial ways of life for our future generations. At issue is the leadership and interpretive roles that should be left for our "own" people. Yet today we confront many a white person claiming to be "medicinemen or woman" or "Chiefs", in the State of Washington we have a whiteman running lawompi ceremony, and in the State of California we have a fellow recruiting for Dogsoldiers on the inter-net, these people when confronted become angry and defensive. Many of these people have at one time or another befriended or met traditional leaders, medicinemen and medicinewoman, then when out of their company or contact change their actual relationship with these people to suit their "motives", weather for monetary purposes or to gain "a following".

It is now that the Cheyenne Nation leads an effort to protect our sacred ceremonial ways from abuse and exploitation. We ask that the white brothers and sisters allow us this time alone to restore balance and harmony to our sacred ways of life and worship. And to those Sundance leaders and traditionals who disagree with this effort we ask that you not attend this gathering, we need this time to pray and move forward in this effort.

This meeting will be run in a traditional Cheyenne manner, we have respected your Nations protocols and procedures and humbly request that you respect our traditional Cheyenne protocols and procedures, woman will be respected but not allowed in the meeting, these ways were passed down by our forefathers and does not mean we disrespect woman in any way and should not be taken as such. Woman are the strength of our Nations and to them we give our prayers and respects and ask they do the same. We humbly ask that those who disagree not disrupt or ridicule this gathering, but make time for your own meetings and gather your support and we will respect the outcome which we leave in the hands of the "Great Spirit". Ha-ho

Schedule: 5-10-03 Sunrise sweat ceremony on Southside at campgrounds, breakfast to follow. Meeting will be held at Bearbutte lodge in a Lodge (tee-pee) starting at 1pm till end. Supper will be served at Bearbutte lodge after.
5-11-03 Sunrise sweat ceremony on Southside at campgrounds, breakfast to follow. Meeting will be held at Bearbutte lodge in a Lodge (tee-pee) gathering to start at 9:30am 'til finish, meal will follow.