describe the sun dance
REL 100 October 14, 2002 The sun dance Describe both what the Lakota do and what it means when they perform the Sun Dance. The Sun Dance or Wiwanyag wachipi was started by Plains Indians and is specific to Plains Indian culture. The Sun Dance brings all the elements of Lakota religion into one. The Dance is performed at the Tyoshpaye level. ... Although, sometimes, the Dance is done in July. ... The Dance marks the main social event of the year for the Lakota. It consists of two phases, the pre-ritual phase and the dance phase. In the pre-ritual phase, a person makes a pledge, in the winter of that year, to perform the Sun Dance. ... Next, the sun dancer and his family will give away everything they own, but customarily, they eventually receive gifts from other Lakota to supplant their own generosity. These are the prerequisites that the sun dancer does prior to the actual Sun Dance. Also, the Sun Dance chief has a part to play prior to the Dance ceremony.