Buffalo Spirit Articles - First Issue Welcome on our journey Elder Joe Cardinal - In his own words Devalon Small Legs - cultural advisor A case made for unusual, thought-provoking art Who do you go to for advice? Oglala Sioux man writes to set the record straight Listen and you will learn Make an offering to the Elder Advice from the powwow trail Sweetgrass Making the connection The healing dance - the arena director The man in two worlds The First Horses

Phone: (780) 455-2700Fax (780) 455-7639 Email: edwind@ammsa.com Our first steps on the journey, and we welcome you along Oki! Welcome to Buffalo Spirit. The creation of Buffalo Spirit has been an interesting and fulfilling one. It's about a journey; a journey of self-discovery of one's cultural and spiritual roots. Buffalo Spirit is for those individuals who are searching for who they are and where they come from. There is a lot of confusion in Indian country when it comes to these matters. It is especially confusing for those individuals who grew up in the city and not on the reserve. I am one of those individuals. My parents wanted a better life for me and sent me to the city to live with a non-Indian family when I was 12 years old. The only time I came home was in the summer and I spent most of that time working for my father or local farmers. I was never abused and was treated well by the non-Indian families, but as a result, I lost my culture. My father was Siksika (Blackfoot) and my mother was Saulteaux. English was the only language that was spoken when I was growing up. I used to dance at powwows and was a craftsman, making Navajo jewelry and other handicrafts. I was doing cultural things, but I didn't feel it inside. Something was missing and I didn't know what it was. Mainstream religion was not the answer I was searching for. What I was searching for was Indian spirituality. I had so many questions and wasn't too sure where to go for answers. Here I was, a Blackfoot/Saulteaux, married to a Navajo, living in Cree territory. I was really confused and as I looked around, I saw many others who were also confused and were on the same journey that I was on. I asked many questions and turned to my advisors, Joe Cardinal and Devalon Small Legs. I asked them to meet with AMMSA staff and provide us with a cultural workshop.We had many questions for them and provided the questions to them the night before the workshop. We quickly discovered that the Indian way is not a question and answer session. The answers we received came in the many stories that they told. We were also told that the most important thing was to be PATIENT and accept those things we don't understand. Both advisors stated that they were not Elders and did not consider themselves worthy of the title of Elder. They were not perfect and were only human beings. However, they provided many answers that day. Another area I searched was the Internet. I looked to modern technology to see what was out there. The one thing I noticed was the descriptions of the Sundance by non-Indian observers was very different than the writings of Indian writers like Ed McGaa. Non-Indian descriptions included words like pagan rituals, heathen, savage, torture, etc. One only has to read the writings of Ed McGaa and how he describes the ceremonies to understand the Indian perspective as to what was happening. Indian people must be given the opportunity to tell their own stories. Another thing adding to the confusion is how ceremonies have changed. I heard about a ceremony that somehow has changed over the years and is now done backwards. In the past, spiritual leaders were quick to correct these mistakes and ensure the purity of the ceremonies. We have lost many of these spiritual leaders and with their passing goes that knowledge. What can be done to preserve this knowledge? I don't agree with videotaping or photographing ceremonies, but the late Joe Crowshoe, a spiritual leader from the Peigans, once allowed a pipe ceremony to be photographed because he felt that it was important that the ceremony be preserved. Is this the answer? Ed McGaa spoke of a documentary on Indigenous people of South America. These people were very isolated and did not have contact with mainstream society. Their ceremonies were pure. A television crew came out and recorded their ceremonies. When they saw these ceremonies on television, they said that it was good. The ceremonies could be seen by future generations. Buffalo Spirit was originally going to serve a geographical location and we had three different markets to choose from. As I journeyed to these different markets, it became clear that this was not the direction Buffalo Spirit was supposed to go. When in Rapid City, South Dakota, I happened to pick up Ed McGaa's (Eagle Man) book called Mother Earth Spirituality. Eagle Man's writings fascinated me and I bought all four of his books. His words seemed to answer a lot of my questions. I went to my first sweat this fall and prayed to the Creator, to the Grandmothers and to the Grandfathers for answers to the many questions I had. I spent time soul searching in the mountains around southern Alberta about whether or not it was right to publish stories on cultural and spiritual matters. The answer I received was that that was the purpose for Buffalo Spirit and the time was right. You may not agree with it, but what is important is that Buffalo Spirit allows us an avenue to discuss these matters and allows us to share with others the beauty of what being an Indian is all about. I want you the readers to participate in future editions by sending us your letters, emails and faxes concerning your questions, life experiences or your philosophies on spirituality. The more discussion we have the more we will learn by sharing.Buffalo Spirit is your publication and only you can make it fulfill its calling. This first edition will concentrate on what is happening in the Northern Plains and, in future editions, we will expand to cover the rest of Indian country. As the saying goes, "The more we are different, the more we are the same!" However, you may notice as you are reading Buffalo Spirit, that some Elders hold very different views on how ceremonies should be conducted. For example, Ed McGaaa believes men and women can sweat together. That is the Sioux way. Siksika Elder Tom Cranebear from southern Alberta says it is an "absolute no-no." That is the Blackfoot way. Both are right, according to their customs. I know that AMMSA may be accused of trying to make money on Indian spirituality, but that is not the case. AMMSA believes strongly in the purpose of Buffalo Spirit and this first issue was produced without advertising or any outside funding. If you feel that the message in Buffalo Spirit has touched you and you want to make an offering, we will pass your offerings on to the Elders and spiritual people who have contributed or will contribute in the future. One of the other things that came out of the sweats was the need to learn and speak my language. English sometimes just does not describe things the way Blackfoot does. Buffalo Spirit will be published quarterly and will be inserted in AMMSA's publications. I'm happy that AMMSA is taking a role in assisting people who are looking at beginning their journeys or who are on the journey already. Being Indian is about sharing; sharing not only to feed our physical beings but to feed our spiritual beings as well. May the Creator be a part of your life and may your journey be a good one. Continue your journey