Sun Dance
The most sacred ceremony of the Plains Indians — a prayer of sacrifice and renewal.
Why It Matters
The Sun Dance is a sacred ceremony practiced by numerous Plains Indian nations (Lakota, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and others). It is a communal prayer of gratitude and sacrifice, expressing the interconnectedness of all life and asking for healing and abundance for the whole community.
How It Is Observed
Strict protocol varies by nation and is largely sacred and private. Generally involves days of fasting and prayer, dancing around a sacred cottonwood tree, drumming and singing, vision quests, and offerings. The Sun Dance is not a spectator event — it is a sacred covenant.
Sacred Text
“Mitakuye Oyasin — All my relations. All things are connected. The earth, the sky, the water, the stone — we are all relatives. What we do to one, we do to all.”
— Lakota oral tradition ↗