Sacrifice was, and still is, a very important aspect in many cultures. This was also true for the Dakota Indian tribe. Each year, the Dakota Indians would host The Sun Dance. It was a four daylong sacrifice of the mind, body, and spirit. Its purpose was to hold the community, bring healing, and keep the community alive. During the four-day span in the 100-degree heat, more than 200 dancers took part. At the beginning of The Sun Dance, each dancer received two cuts on their chest by being pierced with wooden pegs. Some dancers were also pierced in the back and forearm. After that, each dancer was connected to a cotton wood tree by a long rope. Within the four days, the dancers’ wanted to have the pegs tear out of their skin before they gave up. If the pegs were too deep for the rope to pull out, they were hanged by their skin until they came out. Many dancers passed out and had visions because they had to suffer with out food and water until the end of the ceremony. Although The Sun Dance was a brutal and gruesome sacrifice, the Dakota believed that it was a sign of respect towards the gods.
By Shannon Kennedy
