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Statement from Charles Chipps,
Traditional Lakota Spiritual Leader
Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota
November 13, 2007
Edited by:
Stephanie M. Schwartz, Freelance Writer
Member, Native American Journalists Association
(NAJA)
In the beginning there was Wakan Tanka, the Great
Mystery/Creator, and there was Tatanka, Buffalo.
Wakan Tanka is the image of man. Tatanka is the
image of the people.
The Spirit, the great one, Tunkasila [Grandfather],
has come into these two buffalo that have been born
at the Woodland Zoo.
This is Sacred Life. A new beginning and I am very
happy about these things.
These things are real. We, as individuals, must come
to an understanding of what this means to us
personally. We must, again, begin to understand
“Mitakuye Oyasin”, [All My Relations]. We were created
as humans to serve each other by helping the Creator.
In helping the Creator, we serve the People.
The People are the Tatanka, the Buffalo. The Tatanka,
the Buffalo, are the People. [n.b.: The Lakota People
were originally known as the Tatanka Oyate, The Buffalo
People.]
These Tatanka are meant to right the wrongs of today’s
society. When the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe was
brought and the Spirit that brought that sacred prayer
Pipe left the People, she rolled four times and became
the White Buffalo. This was a new beginning for the
People.
The births of these two buffalo are a new beginning.
Every day is a new beginning, a chance to start again.
Many sacred things are happening across this country,
especially on the East Coast. Many ceremonies need to
be conducted: Ceremonies of gratitude, Wopila (thank
you) Ceremonies, and the Giveaway. As Wakan Tanka
has given us these two buffalo, we must give. These
sacrifices are good. Give for the People. Give to the
People. Tunkasila will help us in that way.
No other could have brought these two. This is
unbelievable; therefore it must be from Tunkasila. So,
it must be a miracle. These Spirits are not from this
world. They are like the Inyan Oyate, the Stone
People, and of the Spirit World. They are of the
Wakinyan Oyate, the Thunder People, who bring the
lightning, the same lightning that strikes the people
and turns them into Heyoka, Sacred Clowns. These two
are the lightning.
If you take away a man’s coffee, his caffeine, he
gets angry. If you take away his alcohol, he gets
angry. Man has learned to rely only on the things
made by man. These things were not made by the
Creator. It is time to again rely on the things given
by the Creator. The animal nations get wiser,
stronger as they grow older. Humans get weaker.
What are we doing? Or not doing?
We, the indigenous people, never had trouble with
other countries. We did not cross the ocean and
conquer other indigenous people. We did not bring a
new religion and way of life, demanding all must
follow that way. In 2007, there is much trouble.
The government seems against the People. There are
many illnesses. The food is poison, as is the air, the
water. Many are sick and dying. These two have come
for this.
The White Buffalo Calf C’anunpa was gifted by Spirit
for man to use for the People. It is now time to use
that C’anunpa. It is time to pray with the Sacred
White Buffalo Calf Pipe. It is time to unlock the
White Buffalo Calf Pipe.
The C’anunpa, the sacred prayer pipe, was gifted first
to the Lakota People. Now, everyone uses it. There
are many sacred items that were gifted to each Nation.
Now all those things are used by everyone. Now, we
must be genuine when we pray with these things. We
must be authentic.
Spirituality is a ceremony in and of itself. This is
not a religion; it is a way of life. We must be grateful
for the truth, the truth of the Creator, not man’s truth.
The sun never sleeps, as in the Sundance. So we must
dance the Sundance. Make prayer ties. Use only pure
cotton, all natural materials. Black, Red, Yellow, White.
These are the colors of man. Blue, Green, these are the
colors of Earth.
Yet all are red inside, everyone, everything. We are
all red inside. This never changes. Stay young inyour
heart. If we continue to live in this good way, this will
be our living prayer.
Tatanka is a living prayer. These two buffalo are a living
prayer. That is all I know. We must look at ourselves.
Do not be sad when someone dies. They have returned
to the Creator and this is a good thing.
We Native People are like a bundle of sticks. Together,
that bundle cannot be broken. But, if we stand alone,
one stick, we are easily broken. We must stand together,
as one: together as one Nation, one People. If we do
this, we cannot be broken.
Continue the sweat lodge. Continue the prayers. Come
early to Sundance. It is only 4 days out of 365 days.
But tomorrow is a new day. Lower the sweat lodges to
45 inches high. Make the sweat lodges wider, as much
as 12 feet across. Dig the pit deeper so you can use
more stones. Use a bigger dipper to pour more water.
Use a bigger bucket to use more water. Use only pure
red willow in the C’anunpa.
We are all human.
Hec’etu yelo, I have spoken this. Waste yelo, It is good.
Charles Chipps,
