To the Native Americans, one of the most important parts of their lives was the rituals they performed. Each tribe's set of rituals was different, especially the Dakota Indian's. A couple of their main rituals they perform are the Vision Quests and the Ghost Keeping Ceremony. Going on a Vision Quest happens to Dakota girls who are coming of age. When the girl is ready, she receives a sign. Then she either has a choice to go out into the woods or stay at home. If she chooses to go out, the girl would stay out in the woods for days and accept the dreams she was given. This ritual decides whether a girl is a medicine woman or a dreamer. There is a similar ceremony for men but they cannot decline their sign. The Ghost Keeping Ceremony is one of the seven sacred rites given to the Dakota by White Buffalo Calf Woman. This ceremony purifies the soul and makes sure that it reaches the Great Father when it is ritually released. It also reminds the living of death when performed. The ritual involves having a ghost bundle which contains a lock of the dead's hair with sweet grass to consecrate it. The bundle is kept in the lodge of the family for a period of time called the grieving period. The lost soul is then ritually mourned by friends and family one last time before its release. As soon as the bundle is taken out of the lodge, the soul is released. These rituals have kept the spirit of the Dakota alive. They will always be a reminder to us of how the rituals used to be and how amazing each one can be.
By Kata Rolf
