Wambli Ho, Voice of the Eagles
Wambli Ho News Special Report:
Statement by David Swallow, Jr., Wowitan Yuha Mani
Teton Lakota Spiritual Leader, Sundance Chief of the Medicine Wheel Sundance, and a Headman of the Lakota Nation Band of Wana Way Gu (Broken Bow)
Re: Current Internet Petition, "C'anunpa Protection Petition"
To read, click here. Re: Current 1851C Proposal to the U.S. Congress, "The Pipestone Protection Bill"
Dictated: August 22, 2004
Transcribed by Stephanie M. Schwartz, Editor
Wambli Ho News
Wambli Ho, Voice of the Eagles
www.wambliho.com
This is about the 1851C article that they issued about the C'anunpa stone. There's a big difference between a pipe and a C'anunpa. So I'm just wondering if they're talking about the C'anunpa or if there's another pipe they're talking about.
But in the late 1800's, the Lakota Way of worshipping the Creator was outlawed, you know, by the United States Congress, the President, Senate, the whole Cabinet outlawed this Lakota Way of Worshipping. So it went underground. But they still prayed in hiding, in secret places, and they do that, see, back in those days. And if somebody got caught, they were sentenced for praying in the Lakota Ways. And I'm pretty sure this happened to other tribes, too, but I'm talking about the Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota, you know, like that.
So, in 1978 they passed the Indian Religion Act. Ok, but it's an Act and it's still limited how we should pray, this is still limited. So, you know, when they said Congress is going to make a decision again, again they are trying to push, these people are trying to push Congress to make a decision for who can carry the C'anunpa. See, and if that falls into the Congress hands, there we are, we lose our rights to practice. I mean this includes Lakota, not only non-Lakotas, but this includes Lakotas too.
And when a decision was going to be made like this, it should have been made from mediators from the Lakotas, and Nakotas, and Dakotas. They should have come together to make a decision like this. Not only 3, 4, 5 persons cannot make a decision like this, they cannot. So this petition that's been going around, and it's been circulating in a lot of European countries, all over it went, but they don't know nothing about our Ways and our Way of Life.
Yes, I agree that this C'anunpa stone shouldn't be sold, I agree on that. And I agree that the C'anunpa stone should not be used to make jewelry out of it to sell, I agree on that. And yes, I agree that the C'anunpa shouldn't be used in a wrongful way. I agree.
But one thing I don't agree with is that Congress make a decision for me or anybody else to run this C'anunpa here. See, Congress don't have no idea what this C'anunpa is about, Senators don't have no idea what this C'anunpa is about. They don't know.
This C'anunpa is for healing. body, mind, and spirit. It's a spiritual thing, this C'anunpa. And it already comes with laws to the individual person that accepts to carry the C'anunpa for the People. And if that individual person doesn't do right, then the C'anunpa will take care of itself. So they run into bad luck, see.
I'm going to have a meeting in Porcupine with as many spiritual leaders in the near future as we can to talk about this. And these people that made this, they should come. Way out there where people cannot go and most of the people don't know where it is and it's too far away, they have a meeting and make a decision. Why can't they bring this issue to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation? Because Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is the last stronghold of the Traditional Rights, they should have brought this here. So that petition they are circulating on this C'anunpa, to me, it's illegal, in the Lakota eyes.
In 1985, under the Sacred Tree of Life, at the Altar and in front of the C'anunpa, Mr. Leonard Crow Dog, Chief Leonard Crow Dog, made me one of the Headman of the Lakota Nation. And when he made me a Headman, one of the Headman of the Lakota Nation, that gives me the authority and the power to look into these things like this.
I'm not depending on no government to change our Ways. I'm trying to think for the People and the future generations, today.
There is a Way that our ancestors left, and we must, I must, and we all have to respect this. That's one of the virtues of the Lakotas, especially if you walk in the sacred manner with a C'anunpa, if you're a Sundancer, you should see these things. You know, maybe these people should need to go up on the hill 4 days, 3 nights and receive their answers from the Four Directions of this Universe. You cannot bring this into the political office. You know, that Congress' home, we call it the White House, it is the White House, and they have no idea what this C'anunpa is.
So this is what I said. We should be careful how, and they should be careful how, they make these decisions. They don't speak for me because I have never been to these meetings and they kind of have like a secret meeting after without the rest of the spiritual leaders. If some decisions have got to be made like this, it's got to be more than ¾ of adult male or the spiritual leaders (medicine men, the holy men). Now today, even women carry C'anunpa and they carry it from their hearts too. And many non-Lakotas carry C'anunpa because they find peace and spiritual and healing in this C'anunpa. And they abide by the C'anunpa laws, these people.
So, again, we're going to have a meeting in Porcupine, South Dakota in this near future about these decisions. And I wish to invite all those that read this and all those that are interested in it. We'll probably have a three or four day meeting, we're planning on this. And all the Spiritual Leaders, Sundancers, C'anunpa Carriers will be invited to this meeting, of these discussions, like this.
Yelo, Mitakuye Oyasin.
David Swallow, Jr., Wowitan Yuha Mani
Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota
Editor's Note: Notice for this meeting will be posted on the Wambli Ho News website: www.wambliho.com
