6 TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD DAYS
BROTHERHOOD COMMUNITY
PORCUPINE, SOUTH DAKOTA

"All over the world, people are curious.
They want to learn....to see....to understand.
We are going to show them."

- Medicine Man
Norbert Running
Rosebud Reservation [1]

International Brotherhood Days was founded to establish a better understanding between the races and an exchange of cultural experiences. This years brochure reads in part, "International Brotherhood Days provides a forum though which elders and other noted authorities can pass on knowledge of Lakota (Western Sioux) traditions. We do this by inviting you, the visitor, to participate in our educational workshops and personal encounters, and to become, for a time, a member of Brotherhood Community."

To fully appreciate the scope and challenge of the intent of International Brotherhood Days one needs to be aware of the past to truly understand why such a forum is so sorely needed.

Porcupine, South Dakota is located on the Pine Ridge Reservation between two prominent buttes, Porcupine Butte to the south and Tail Butte to the north,  both buttes named after influential leaders of the early reservation days [11]. It lays about seven miles north of the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial, the site where over three hundred Lakota men, women and children were surrounded, disarmed, and murdered under a flag of truce, by Custer's old regiment, the 7th Calvary. This band of Lakota, led by chief Big Foot (or Spotted Elk), was fleeing to the protection of Chief Red Cloud, at the Pine Ridge Agency, after Sitting Bull and his fourteen year old son, Crow Foot, were murdered in a botched arrest attempt that had been ordered by the government agent, James McLaughlin. Sitting Bull had rebuked McLaughlin's order to stop his people from practicing their religious beliefs, namely the Ghost Dance. This "transgression," Sitting Bull's defense of his peoples right of religious freedom, was the rationalization that the agent exercised in issuing the arrest order [2]. Somewhere nearby, among the grassy rolling hills and pine sheltered valleys and draws the parents of Tasunke Witko, Crazy Horse, secretly buried the body of their son [3] after he had been bayoneted through the side while his arms were held behind him. [4] Stopping at the Wounded Knee Memorial, one can not be knowledgeable of what has happened here and not feel as if this is hallowed ground. As I looked over the pine darkened draws that spread out from the small hilltop upon which the gravesites lie I could only imagine the terror of what has happened across these grassy stretches and "All along the crooked gulches" as Black Elk described them. The humble markers sit in mute testimony to the past while prayer ties, wands of sage, and braids of sweetgrass wave gently in the wind, evidence that this place and what happened here has not been forgotten.

A marker denotes the final resting place of Buddy Lamont, killed by sniper fire during the "take-over" of Wounded Knee in 1973. The stone is inscribed, "Two thousand came to Wounded Knee in 1973, one stayed." The body of Buddy Lamont, a volunteer of the Vietnam war, lies here along with the bodies of his great aunt and uncle, [5] murdered in this very spot, 83 years previous in 1890. His monument and his story remain as a reminder that the struggle of his people continues to this day.

The other visitors present here on the day I stopped at this place were very quiet, silently contemplating the tragedy of this place. One visitor compared the mysterious feelings this place evoked to the feelings he felt while visiting at the battlefield at Gettysburg. Certainly two very different places, two very different scenarios, one a pitched battle the other a massacre of the unarmed and innocent, but two places where conflicting ideas, and cultures came together and the differences were settled in violence at the end of a rifle barrel and the mouth of a cannon. Two places where the voice of reason, the voice of peace, the voice of tolerance and justice were drowned out by the voices of man's baser instincts.

"First clear off the buffalo, then clear off the Indian. We must act with vindictive earnestness against the Sioux even to their total extermination, men, women and children."

-General William T. Sherman-
in a telegram to President U. S. Grant [6]

The past and all its horrors can be a stumbling block to peace in the future. We can clearly see the result of holding on to past grievances and injustices in the "ethnic cleansing" going on in Bosnia today. The human race and perhaps the earth itself sits in uneasy balance as the age old strife in the Middle East continues to fester and threatens to boil over into a war that could engulf the world. The past should not be forgotten but nor should it's horrors be used for the continuation of more human suffering.

Still, it is very hard to reconcile the stark beauty of this land with the ugly terror and treachery that has occurred here. It is perhaps also hard to understand that the people of this land, the Lakota, to whom that terror and treachery was directed, reach out to the society that attempted to eradicate their customs, their beliefs and their being. Yet in this place, named after Porcupine, [7] [11],  the grandfather of the revered holy man and leader, Frank Fools Crow there has been conducted for the last six years perhaps the most premier and unique cultural exchange of its kind in this country.

"The survival of the world depends upon our sharing what we have and working together. If we don't the whole world will die. First the planet, and next the people. The ones who complain and talk the most about giving away medicine secrets are always those who know the least."
-FRANK FOOLS CROW- [8]
Lakota Holy Man

The theme of this years Brotherhood Days was, Lakota Spirituality. There is a strong concern today throughout the Native American community about "selling" of spirituality. It is to the credit of the International Brotherhood Committee and perhaps more so to the leadership of Severt Young Bear Sr., president of Brotherhood Days, that such delicate topics have not been avoided. One of the guest lecturers, Dr. Ronnie Theisz of The Black Hills State University noted, "Brotherhood Days has been from the start, not just a Pow Wow. It has tried to deal with the sensitive areas. Severt Young Bear has tried to educate people to help stop the abuse of ceremony."

On Friday, July 16th, Severt noted that there was some controversy about this years theme. Mr. Young Bear remarked, "I invited three people who are attempting to declare war on pipes, sundances and ceremony. I invited them so they could see what we do here. They did not come. Some in local community saw theme of Spirituality and said, 'You are selling Lakota Spirituality.'

You see there is no organized church here. So I say, 'I forgive you for not understanding.' If we go back to traditional way of life we will not see twenty-eight sundances, we will not see fifteen hundred dollars for ceremony for non-Indian. The door is always open here, I am proud of that. I learned this from my parents and grandparents. Understanding must start in our local community."

For fifteen dollars, a person can become registered for the eight day period that entails International Brotherhood Days. I was accompanied by my eleven year old son, for us the total fee was twenty dollars. Registration garners each person a button to identify yourself as a member of Brotherhood Days. This button entitles a person to camping for the eight day period, to access to all the lectures and workshops, to a meal each day, use of the cleanest porta-potties I have ever seen, admission to the four day period of Pow Wows, access to craft demonstrations and mountain man skill demonstrations as axe and knife throwing, and black-powder rifle marksmanship, admission to a rodeo and most important a chance to meet people from all over the country and indeed all over the world. Decent, earnest and honorable people with a common interest and respect and yearning for knowledge of the Lakota way of life. The fifteen dollar fee can in no way even begin to cover the cost of the meals let alone the other costs involved. Spirituality is not being sold here, it is being shared through education, as it was intended to be, as it should be.

The format of the eight day period is informal. Things do not always progress as scheduled. Calvin Jumping Bull, the eyapaha or announcer, explained that here at Pine Ridge Reservation everything operates on "Indian Time" which is about one hour behind white man time, and at Brotherhood Days things operate on Porcupine Time which means any old time. To the unaccustomed this may at first seem unorganized but in fact represents a more natural manner of living. Schedules are meant to structure events for peoples enjoyment. When a schedule becomes more important than the people it was meant to serve then perhaps we should re-examine our priorities. Brotherhood Days recognize this. People soon became more aware of each other and quickly learned to depend on one-another for information on events. Gradually the gathering began to respond to the natural flow and ebb of a community, a community where each was dependant on one another. I feel this is as much by design as it may be to the natural tendency of people to pull together under new and unfamiliar circumstances. Calvin kept the people informed and entertained. Incidently,  just listening to the humorous banter of Mr. Jumping Bull is well worth the fifteen dollar fee.

There are no "reservations" to be made. Open events often can result in a lack of control of a large public gathering such as this, however this was not the case at this event. The event is open to the public, it is not open to alcohol, drugs, or rude behavior. Because of this policy, a pleasant atmosphere was the result. One of the most impressive things of the week long event is how respectful everyone was of each other. Today one can not go many places in society without being subjected to harsh words and vulgar talk. All four of the races of man were represented here, the Black race, the Red race, the Yellow race and the White race. The sacred colors of the four directions were represented here in the participants of Brotherhood Days. It was good to see people of different races, of different cultural backgrounds here together.

"We send our little Indian boys and girls to school and when they come back talking English, they come back swearing. There is no swear word in the Indian languages,
and I have not learned to swear."

-Gertrude S. Bonnin-
(Zitkala-Sa)
Yankton Nakota [9]

I never heard harsh words exchanged at Brotherhood Days. It was the seventh day before I heard a curse word, that from a young man from West Virginia that was having trouble adjusting his dance outfit. As he cut loose with a string of vulgarities that would make a sailor blush he looked about at the pained expression on the faces of a number of local elderly ladies standing nearby. Embarrassed, he quickly calmed down. This incident stands in contrast to the rest of the week and the rest of the week stands in contrast to what one experiences in many public gatherings today.

Each day began with the Water of Life Ceremony. It was somewhat fitting that the great flood of 1993 was in full swing during Brotherhood Days. Each day Severt Young Bear would ask that we remember those who were suffering from the effects of the flood waters. By this flood, we were reminded of the duality of all things. Without water, life can not flourish, but water can take life as well as give life. Mr. Young Bear reminded us that people must learn to again respect the water, respect the earth. If we choose to drain the wetlands, chanalize the streams, levee the rivers, and cut the timber from the flood-plains to build our cities and croplands we should not be surprised when nature does follow the plan we laid out for her. Man can not impose his will upon the forces of the Earth without consequence. Man must learn to walk in balance with nature, for if we do not learn this than we have learned nothing upon this world.

The days were filled with workshops and featured noted speakers as Cedric Young Bear, Jake Little Thunder, Frank Andrews, Guy White Thunder, Dr. David Nelson Ph.D. of the University of South Dakota, Nellie Two Bulls, Gracie Meeks-Her Many Horses, Egan Artichoker, Jasper Spotted Elk, Dr. Ronnie Theisz of The Black Hills State University, Rene Mills, Oliver Red Cloud, and of course Calvin Jumping Bull and Severt Young Bear Sr..

People came to this place from all over the world as they have come for the last six years. Some came to experience first hand the beauty of the land and of the dignity and grace of these people, the Lakota. Some came for the interest in Native Dance and the Pow Wow. Some like, my son came, because they were of Native American descent and came here to gather in a sense of identity they could not fathom or come to understand back in their homes. But mostly people came because of a deep respect for the culture and spirituality of these people. As in the movie "Thunderheart" when Graham Greene's character, Crow Horse, relates that the holy man in the movie, Grandpa Reaches, has said that one must see with "cante ista" or the eye of ones heart so people come here following something that speaks to them from within.

Dr. David Nelson said, "People come to this remote spot because they sense that something special is happening here. They may not be aware of exactly what it is but they come non-the-less." Dr. Nelson stated that he had never met an atheist Native American although he allowed that perhaps somewhere there is someone that has become so cynical as to allow that to happen. Dr. Nelson told of his early experiences at Pine Ridge and how he learned far more than he taught. He said, "I came away with a great awe and respect and a desire to save what I saw here in Pine Ridge. It is so possible to forget the spiritual in white society."

Dr. Nelson spoke of the importance of the circle in Lakota tradition and how it contrasts with white society's desire to compartmentalize and isolate everything. He said, "At the University of South Dakota," where he worked, "everything is a rectangle. We have rectangular walls, forming our rectangular building, neatly bisected by rectangular hallways decorated with rectangular tiles. We are maniacally at peace with the rectangle." The Lakota realize that the circle is the symbol and the cradle of life. He quoted a Lakota that stated that the tipi is round like that of the bird because we have the same religion as that of the bird. There is power in a circle to create life and to nurture it, the rectangle exists to hold things in or keep things out.

The European immigrants to this continent regarded the land as an obstacle to be overcome, to be conquered to be subdued. To the European immigrant this land was a harsh, cruel place. A place were life was a struggle. The ways of nature were foreign to these immigrants. It was inconceivable to them to regard the world around them as a place of holiness. The animals of the wilderness were not regarded as neighbors in this world but as a resource to be exploited or exterminated as they saw fit. This view of the land and its creatures was and continues to be in direct conflict with the world view of the traditional Lakota. The Lakota believe that all things are created by and of the Great Mystery and thus all things are inherently sacred, all things are inherently connected and related. The European view places man at the center of all things of this world. In the European view man is to exercise his dominion over the "beasts" of the earth and the earth itself. Dr. Nelson wondered if white society could ever "Humble themselves before God when we refuse to humble ourselves before anything else."

"The Lakota could despise no creature, for all were of one blood, made by the same hand, and filled with the essence of the Great Mystery. In spirit, the Lakota were humble and meek. 'Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth'--- this was true for the Lakota, and from the Earth they inherited secrets long since forgotten. Their religion was sane, natural, and human. ---Chief Luther Standing Bear---
Lakota [10]

Egan Artichoker, a 6th year speaker, spoke on Lakota Spirituality, Past and Present. He told of a story of a meeting he once had with a Hopi Holy Person. This person told him that he was not against white people learning of the Indian ways but he found that most white people do not want to spend the time it takes to successfully learn these ways. This was a message repeated many times throughout the week. Mr. Artichoker explained that traditionally the Lakota have been open to outsiders and reminded us that this was not always the custom in many other tribal nations. We were reminded that International Brotherhood Days is unique and should be respected and treasured for this aspect.

Mr. Artichoker touched on what is perhaps the most significant difference between white and Native American culture. The Lakota word "Lakowecoka" is as close to the English word religion as exists in Lakota, and it translates as, Lakota way of life. The separation of church and state is foreign to the Lakota way of being. Spirituality was steeped in every aspect of the traditional Lakota life.

Wednesday, July 14th, was in honor of women and the special place women hold in the culture and spirituality of the Lakota nation. Gracie Meeks-Her Many Horses, a champion dancer, spoke of the history of women's dance, her career and her childhood. She related that her father once said, " Prejudice is a state of mind, someone else's mind not my mind." Perhaps a day will come when every father in this world will say such things to their children and thus help build respect for others that Mrs. Her Many Horses so typifies.

Also on Wednesday, we were honored with the presence and wisdom of Mrs. Nellie Two Bulls. Her husband of 51 years, Matthew, was hospitalized the previous day yet she still spoke and related some of the most beautiful stories of the week. Mrs. Two Bulls said to the gathering, "I am glad that some of our white friends want to lead the Lakota Life. That is good and I am glad of it. Some of our own people want to lead the white life. They do not want to speak Lakota or listen to the elders. I tell them this is your identity. But if you want to be white you must work to meet [many qualifications] and if you meet these qualifications you can identify yourself as white, but if you do wish to be white you must also learn respect. So you should listen to what I have to say. If you teach a child when young it is like planting a flower in the heart. That flower blooms in later years and what you plant there never leaves that child's heart." As with all the speakers Mrs. Two Bulls displayed a wonderful sense of humor and unpretentious outlook on life. Mrs. Two Bulls related for example that the Lakota were the original inventors of Samsonite luggage. Today that original Lakota luggage is called "parafleche."

Mrs. Two Bulls related her young days when she first met her husband, Matthew. She told of how she was an orphan girl and lived so poorly in a little log cabin, and how she remembers to this day the first time she saw her husband. He was a small handsome man in a Stetson hat, but she was so young and embarrassed she knew not what to say to him. "I was such a poor girl," she said, "I thought why would he want to look at me." But she arranged for her friend Nellie White Horse to set up a meeting with him. Mrs. Two Bulls remembers her future husband taking his hat off and bowing, saying how he was pleased to meet her. We talked, but he lived so far away I was afraid I would not see him again, but one night he came the 50 miles on horseback to visit with her. My mother was so strict she remembers that she only allowed Matthew 10 minutes to visit with her, so he came all this way for nothing. The next time he arrived Mrs. Two Bulls remembers telling her mother, "Mom he is a really nice guy please don't chase him away." So this time Nellie's mom let the couple visit with each other on the porch but again after 10 minutes she stuck her head out the window and said its time to go. Matthew had to ride the 4 to 5 hour trip back to Red Shirt Table and Nellie was afraid she would not see him again. But he did return and wrote a song for her, and within a year asked for her hand in marriage. It is a marriage that has lasted for over 51 years. One that has not been diminished by the passing of years. Mrs. Two Bulls still delights in relating the story of their younger days together, one can hear joy in her voice and see happiness upon her face as she tells the tale. In this age of quick marriages and even quicker divorces it is good to witness the commitment, respect, and love Mrs. Two Bulls has for her husband, Matthew, after 51 years of marriage.

She sang the song her husband Matthew wrote for her:
"You are far away and broken hearted......" Hers is a beautiful, strong, high voice with a full range and when she sang one could imagine her as a young woman, waiting for her beau to arrive again. She sang a soldiers song for us and tears came to her eyes as they did as she finished her husbands song. She explained that she always remembers someone she lost when she sings this song and it always brings tears to her eyes to think of these loved ones. She finished with a grandmother song:
"I care not for material things only that my grandmother may live........" I have heard it said that a nation is not broken until the hearts of its women lay upon the ground. It is good to see the great heart of women as Mrs. Two Bulls for in this we can be assured that the ways of the Lakota will continue to grow and will not die.

There was more information given than one could absorb in eight days. It was no surprise to learn that many of the people at this, the sixth International Brotherhood Days, had been here in years past and no surprise to hear them talk hopefully of being able to return again. The depth of respect for what is happening here and the hope that what has been started here will not end seems to be a universal feeling of the people I talked with. Among the visitors to Brotherhood Days that have been here in years past there was also the common acknowledgement that this year was not only the largest but also the most receptive the local residents have been to the visitors. They spoke hopefully of this observation and had to feel as if they helped play some small role in the healing process. This steady process is an acknowledgement of the wisdom and strength of Mr. Young Bear's work to promote understanding through this forum.

The highlight of the week was to take place on Sunday, July 18th. It was on this day that Severt Young Bear Sr. was made a Leader of the People, a "chief." Twice before in his life Mr. Young Bear had been asked and twice before he did not feel he was ready for this honor. Oliver Red Cloud conducted the ceremony and at the end, the people were asked to give their approval and blessing to this man, and it was given with a nod and exclamation of approval. With humility and respect Severt (Hehaka Luzuhan or Swift Elk) addressed the gathering of the local community. He expressed his gratitude and thanks and promised to do his best for the people. I have no reason to believe that this will not be the case.

Throughout the week there were many examples which bore testimony to this good work of Severt Young Bear Sr.. One instance stands out in my mind of proof of this. On Sunday, a young white boy, stepped back under the arbor after enthusiastically participating in a social dance. His outfit was not much more than some face paint and a few ribbons tied to his shirt. He stood in the shade of the arbor, wide eyed and excited, to be part of the dance. Two elderly Lakota ladies, noticing him and obviously taken by his exuberance, asked him if he was enjoying himself. After rapidly explaining how happy he was one of the ladies asked where he was from. He replied, "I'm from California." "Where in California do you live," asked the lady? "In that green house," was his earnest reply. The laughter of everyone within earshot of this exchange is one of many memorable incidents I brought back home with me. It was good to witness this young child of one culture and these two elderly ladies of another culture delighting in each others company. Such things do not happen enough, for if they did perhaps the walls that separate us could be taken down. One can not extend a hand in friendship through a wall. Sometimes it takes the young and the old to show us the way to push down these barriers, for the young have not yet learned to hate and the old have learned tolerance and wisdom. Perhaps wisdom and tolerance are but the recapture of that which we let escape of our childhood, tempered by the sometimes harsh realities of life.

On our long trip back home we drove through the Badlands, looking for a place to spend the night. In one tiny village we stopped at a small motel. Noticing the no vacancy sign on the desk I instead began to look at some items for sale in the office of the motel. The owner looked at me and questioned where I was traveling from. I gestured to our pickup truck, with the rack of tipi poles attached to the top of it, a weeks worth of gear piled in the bed, and a thousand miles of dust and dirt on its body, and told him we were returning from Pine Ridge. He quickly and harshly glanced back at me and I instantly became aware of a sudden change in the manner in which he regarded me. Because of my features, my dark skin, and hair I have been mistaken for a person of Mexican or Indian descent in the past. I can not guess what was going through this man's mind, but it was apparent that I was not as welcome I had been just a few moments before. He could not have known that I have no Indian Blood in my veins. I wonder if that knowledge would have changed the sudden shift in his attitude toward me, and it saddens me to think that it probably would have. When I think of this incident I am reminded of just how important the work of International Brotherhood Days is and how much further we as a country have to go.

--Mike Kohr--

             FAQs                                                                  

[1] Solaris Lakota Video tape, "Live and Remember (Wokiksuye)"
[2] "The Lance and the Shield" by Robert M. Utley pages 299-304
[3] "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse" by Peter Matthiessen pages 425-426
[4] "The Killing of Chief Crazy Horse" edited by Carroll Friswold pg. 94
[5] "Lakota Woman" by Mary Crow Dog with Richard Erdoes pg. 143
[6] "Wiping the Tears of Seven Generations" video produced by KIFARU Productions
[7] "Fools Crow" by Thomas E. Mails pg. 35
[8] "Wisdom and Power, Frank Fools Crow" by Thomas E. Mails pg. 18
[9] "Native American Wisdom" edited by Kent Nerburn, PH.D. and Louise Mengelkoch, M.A. pg. 21
[10] "Native American Wisdom" pg. 44
[11]  interview with Eli and Carolyn Tail of rural Porcupine SD.