Ceremonies of the Plains

Importance and History

Jun 2, 2008 Jeffrey R Gudzune

Public events that celebrate important religious and social occasions are primary facets of tribal life for communities of the Plains region of the United States

Ceremony is important to indigenous society. Public events that celebrate important religious and social occasions are primary facets of tribal life for communities of the Plains region of the United States. While different in size and scope, ceremonies among Plains nations are often initiated and lead by an important member of the tribe, but also rely heavily on the collective energy of the entire community. The principal theme throughout these ceremonies is the invocation of the spirit world. Only through public exhibition and exaltation of the tribe’s life energy can convocation with the spirit world be reached. This often requires a concerted effort by the village as a whole. Who leads and who participates in these ceremonies is often determined by the need of the community.

First Hand Observations

While George Catlin was among the Mandan tribe he was afforded the opportunity to observe a variety of public ceremonies. His western ideology was challenged by what he saw, but his journals gave the first glimpse at an often misunderstood and under appreciated world. The individual responsible for leading a ceremony among the Mandan is referred to as the O-kee-pah Ka-se-kah (Keeper of the Ceremonies). Catlin observed that when an important guest visited a Mandan village, the tribal chief would don a headdress made of feathers and horns to greet the new arrival. The entire community participated in the ceremony, but this special right was reserved for one of the principal leaders of the tribe—in this capacity the tribal leader was acting as O-kee-pah Ka-se-kah. Symbols of authority such as the feather horns are often a part of such ceremonies. Some ceremonies, such as those practiced by the Lakota and Fox tribes, do not require special garments but involve ceremonial pipes. Furthermore, there are no gender restrictions on the leadership roles in these ceremonies.

Men and Women in Leadership Roles

Medicine men and women lead their communities in an effort to heal the sick, or to ask the spirit world to assist the tribe in times of great need. Highly venerated for their ability to communicate with the tribe’s guiding spirits, these practitioners command the attention of all members of their respective communities. Catlin observed that to the outsider, these ceremonies could seem highly uncivilized. In his journals, Catlin admits his western upbringing had skewed his initial understanding of Mandan customs. However, throughout his narrative Catlin’s perspectives shift and his journals evolve from social commentary to a positive discourse on the virtues of indigenous cultural practices.

Reservation Era

Unfortunately, not everyone entertained the same view of indigenous cultural practices as Catlin and his scant few contemporaries in study of Indian life. During the period of Christian missionary activity, relatively constant throughout the 1800s, many curious social practices were challenged. The period of migration and relocation to reservation lands also effectively destroyed a great deal of traditional practices. At a period of time when tribal histories and traditional practices were passed down orally, the effect of relocation and the diseases, wars, and subsequent assimilation into reservation society that accompanied relocation, negated much through attrition. Modern day tribal historians are working closely with indigenous anthropologists and social scientists in order to revive much of what had been lost. Among the Lakota, the first hand accounts of many elders have greatly assisted these efforts and many long forgotten or abandoned traditions are enjoying resurgence.

Sources:

David M Jones and Brian L Molyneaux, Mythology of the American Nations. (London: Hermes House, 2006).

Gilbert Legay, Atlas of Indians. (Hauppage: Barron’s Educational Services, Inc., 1995)

Peter Matthiessen, ed., George Catlin: North American Indians. (New York: Penguin Group, 1989).

Mark St. Pierre and Tilda Long Soldier, Walking in the Sacred Manner: Healers, Dreamers, and Pipe Carriers—Medicine Women of the Plains. (New York: Simon and Schuster,1995).

Carl Waldman, Atlas of the North American Indian. (New York: Checkmark Books, 2000).

Carl Waldman, Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes. (New York: Checkmark Books, 2006).

The copyright of the article Ceremonies of the Plains in Native American/First Nations History is owned by Jeffrey R Gudzune. Permission to republish Ceremonies of the Plains in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.