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Traditions
-
Black
Elk
and
'The
Throwing
of
the
Ball'
 
(From:
Earth
People
Volume
1
Number
5)
For
some
people,
tradition
is
a
means
of
staying
within
their
comfort
zone
that
they
are
familiar
with
and
not
embracing
change.
For
others
it
is
a
means
of
understanding
the
Universal
Laws
that
never
change,
but
cause
all
the
changes
within
time
and
space
or
manifestation.
Traditions
are
much
like
Social
Laws
that
do
change
according
to
social
changes,
and
like
these
laws,
the
people
who
live
by
the
traditions
or
laws
must
not
just
live
according
to
the
letter
of
the
tradition
or
law,
but
by
the
Spirit,
or
the
intent
of
the
tradition
or
law.
This
means
understanding
the
message
in
your
particular
myths;
transcending
the
symbology
and
understanding
the
universal
law;
and
living
according
to
the
will
of
God.
Also
tradition
is
like
religion
(from
the
Latin
religio
meaning
to
link
back
to
the
original
and
ultimate
source),
in
that
each
person
must
have,
and
stay
glued
to
his
or
her
own
tradition
or
religion;
If
one
has
faith
in
and
understanding
of
their
tradition
or
religion,
I
guarantee
it
will
work.
This
person's
religion
will
in
some
ways
be
totally
unique
to
them
and
will
connect
them
to
their
source,
God,
but
because
of
the
archetypal
nature
of
humans,
there
will
always
be
some
aspects
of
these
traditions
or
religions
that
will
be
the
same
as
other
peoples'.
And
where
these
traditions
or
religions
intersect,
we
can
communicate
and
share
our
common
ground
and
celebrate
together
in
unity.
The
best
example
of
the
changing
evolutionary
aspect
of
traditions
and
Religions
can
be
seen
in
the
life
of
the
most
noted
traditional
Holy
Man
and
Medicine
Man,
Black
Elk,
whose
earlier
life
as
a
nomadic
plains
Medicine
Man
was
first
portrayed
to
the
wider
world
by
John
G.
Neihardt
in
'Black
Elk
Speaks'.
This
account,
according
to
Michael
F.
Steltenkamp
in
'Black
Elk
-
Holy
Man
of
the
Oglala',
romantically
portrays
Black
Elk's
nomadic
life
prior
to
living
a
"more
or
less
happy"
reservation
life,
"of
which
he
saw
50
years."
The
next
account
by
Joseph
Epes
Brown,
called
'The
Sacred
Pipe',
concentrated
on
Black
Elk's
recollection
of
the
details
of
the
seven
sacred
rites
and
ceremonies
of
the
Lakota.
The
third
account,
by
Michael
F.
Steltenkamp,
concentrated
on
Black
Elk's
reservation
life
as
recalled
by
his
friends
and
last
surviving
child,
Lucy
Looks
Twice.
This
account
emphasizes
Black
Elk's
very
active
involvement
in
establishing
Catholicism
among
his
people.
The
point
I
wish
to
make
is
that
although
he
had
a
very
strong
Shamanic
Vision
and
a
'Traditional'
understanding
of
Wakan-Tanka
and
the
sacred
rites
and
ceremonies,
Black
Elk
also
saw
the
same
Wakan-Tanka
in
the
Catholic
God.
His
real
understanding
of
God
and
the
effects
on
his
people
who
lacked
faith
and
understanding
can
be
seen
in
his
account
of
the
seventh
and
last
Lakota
rite
The
Throwing
Of
The
Ball ,
as
found
in
'The
Sacred
Pipe'.
This
game
consists
of
a
young
girl
who
throws
a
ball
to
the
four
directions
and
each
time
someone
catches
or
scrambles
to
get
the
ball
and
return
it
to
the
girl
in
the
centre.
The
mythological
reading
goes
like
this:
The
ball,
made
of
buffalo
hide
and
stuffed
with
buffalo
hair
and
was
painted
red,
to
symbolize
the
earthly
world,
and
blue
lines
around
the
quarters
or
directions,
to
symbolize
Heaven,
thus
"Heaven
and
Earth
were
united
into
one
in
this
ball",
representing
the
universe
and
Wakan-Tanka
(God).
The
buffalo
itself
represented
the
universe
by
giving
food,
clothing,
housing
etc.
Black
Elk
adds:
"First,
it
is
a
little
girl,
and
not
an
older
person,
who
stands
at
the
centre
and
throws
the
ball.
This
is
as
it
should
be,
for
just
as
Wakan-Tanka
is
eternally
youthful
and
pure,
so
is
this
little
girl
who
has
just
come
from
Wakan-Tanka,
pure
and
without
any
darkness
[Ignorance
of
His
light.
Ed.].
Just
as
the
ball
is
thrown
from
the
centre
to
the
four
quarters,
so
Wakan-Tanka
is
at
every
direction
and
is
everywhere
in
the
world;
and
as
the
ball
descends
upon
the
people,
so
does
His
power.
The
game
represents
the
course
of
a
man's
life,
which
should
be
spent
in
trying
to
get
the
ball,
for
the
ball
represents
Wakan-Tanka,
or
the
universe"
In
the
final
paragraph
of
the
book
and
of
this
rite,
Black
Elk
says:
"At
this
sad
time
today
among
our
people,
we
are
scrambling
for
the
ball,
and
some
are
not
even
trying
to
catch
it,
which
makes
me
cry
when
I
think
of
it.
But
soon
I
know
it
will
be
caught,
for
the
end
is
rapidly
approaching,
and
then
it
will
be
returned
to
the
centre,
and
our
people
will
be
with
it.
It
is
my
prayer
that
this
be
so,
and
it
is
in
order
to
aid
in
this
"Recovery
of
the
ball",
that
I
have
wished
to
make
this
book."
To
make
my
point
clearer,
regarding
the
evolution
of
tradition
and
the
universal
law
of
sacredness
that
is
present
in
any
Religion
or
tradition,
The
Sacred
Pipe
refers
to
the
two
aspects
of
Wakan-Tanka
and
the
earth
thus:
"Wakan-Tanka
as
the
Grandfather
(Tunkashila)
is
the
unlimited
source,
the
Great
Spirit
independent
of
manifestation
and
is
identical
to
the
Christian
Godhead.
Wakan-Tanka
as
the
Father
(Ate)
is
the
Great
Spirit
in
relation
to
His
manifestation
as
Creator,
Preserver
or
Destroyer
and
is
identical
to
the
Christian
God.
Maka
(the
earth)
as
the
Grandmother
(Unchi)
is
the
ground
or
substance
of
all
things,
the
potentiality.
Maka
as
the
Mother
(Ina)
is
the
producer
of
Growth
in
action."
And
in
contrast,
Frank
Fools
Crow
(Wanbli
Mato
Eagle
Bear)
also
a
Teton
Sioux
or
Oglala
Lakota
says:
"We
have
three
Chief
Gods
like
the
Christians
do.
Wakan-Tanka
is
like
the
Father.
Tunkashila
is
like
the
Son.
The
Powers
[Four
Directions]
and
Grandmother
Earth
together
are
like
the
Holy
Spirit,
and
I
call
the
five
of
them
Wakan-Tanka's
Helpers.
When
I
speak
of
all
seven
of
the
beings
together,
I
sometimes
call
them
the
'Higher
Powers'.
When
I
pray
with
my
pipe
I
point
the
stem
up
to
Wakan-Tanka,
then
just
a
little
lower
to
Tunkashila.
But
Wakan-Tanka
and
Tunkashila
think,
act
and
watch
over
us
as
one.
So
there
is
only
one
God.
Whenever
I
say,
Wakan-Tanka,
I
mean
Tunkashila
too."
So
Wakan-Tanka
is
God,
and
God
is
also
Great
Spirit,
Tirawa,
Biame,
Rainbow
Serpent,
Wanjina,
Odin,
Unumbotte,
Vishnu,
Shiva,
Tao,
Sila,
Hactcin,
Zeus,
Yehwah,
Creator,
Universal
Energy
etc.
And
as
Sri
Chinmoy,
the
meditation
master
born
in
Bengal
and
now
living
in
New
York,
says
in
his
book
'The
Wings
Of
Joy':
"We
may
also
refer
to
God
as
the
Inner
Pilot
or
the
Supreme.
But
no
matter
which
term
we
use,
we
mean
the
Highest
within
us,
that
which
is
the
ultimate
goal
of
our
spiritual
quest."
And
we
reach
this
goal
or
feed
the
Highest
within
us,
by
praying,
meditating
and
giving
sacred
and
sincere
reverence
and
respect
to
all
God's
creation
(All
Our
Relations)
including
our
own
body,
mind
and
soul.
From Black Elk Speaks...
"And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being. And I saw that the sacred hoop of my people was one of many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was holy."
His final prayer:
"Grandfather, Great Spirit, once more behold me on Earth and lean to hear my feeble voice. You lived first, and you are older than all need, older than all prayer. All things belong to you – the two-legged, the four-legged, the wings of the air, and all green things that live. You have set the powers of the four quarters of the Earth to cross each other. You have made me cross the good road and road of difficulties, and where they cross, the place is holy. Day in, day out, forevermore, you are the life of things."
"Therefore I am sending you a voice…
"You have said to me, when I was still young and could hope, that in difficulty I should send a voice four times, once for each quarter of the earth, and you would hear me.
"Today I send a voice for a people in despair.
"You have given me the sacred pipe, and through this I should make an offering. You see it now.
"From the west, you have …
"With tears running, O Great Spirit, my Grandfather, with running tears I must say now that the tree has never bloomed. A pitiful old man, you see me here, and I have fallen away and have done nothing. Here at the center of the world, where you took me when I was young and taught me; here, old I stand, and the tree is withered, Grandfather, my Grandfather!
"Again, and maybe the last time on this earth, I recall the great vision you sent me. It may be that some little root of the sacred tree still lives. Nourish it then, that it may leaf and bloom and fill with singing birds. Hear me, not for myself, but for my people; I'm old. Hear me that they may once more go back into the sacred hoop and find the good road and the shielding tree."
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