The traditional sacred sun dance must be honored — and the inherent dangers that come with it respected

Sun dance ceremonies (at sites like the one shown above in a public domain image posted on wikimedia commons) aren’t meant to be He-man contests. It’s OK if someone can’t keep going, and if his family is begging you to get their loved one out, you should do that, or at least try to talk that person into stepping out if they’re so weak that they have to be dragged.

This event cost a community a good young warrior and very likely will scare away other good young warriors who might have stepped forward to pray for the people.

And now four children — who would have grown up in a traditional household with good parents — must try to survive a world made so much more uncertain and painful by the loss of their father.

You probably won’t find two people who completely agree on how this all should’ve been handled and who, if anyone, is to blame.

My sun dance leader says this: “If I die in ceremony, that’s OK. At least I died doing what I love. And what better place to start my journey than in the sun dance circle.”

But it’s also fair to say that my sun dance leader is an old man now. His children are grown and don’t depend on him as much as they once did. I understand the way he feels. When I’m an old man, I may feel the same way. But for now, I’m a father of five children who all still depend on me, not only financially but for guidance and support.

This young man’s wife and children still need him, and regardless of how we feel, we should pause and remember that.

Kevin Abourezk is the deputy managing editor of Indian Country Today and an award-winning film producer who has spent his 24-year career in journalism documenting the lives, accomplishments and tragedies of Native American people. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of South Dakota and a master’s in journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.