Symbolism of the Sun Dance Lodge
"Indians do not need a church to capture the presence of God, because He is all around us in Nature. We carry out all of our sacred ceremonies in Nature, without the aid of any permanent building. When the Dance is over, we leave the lodge standing, and over the years it naturally returns to the earth. In the same way everything returns to the earth in its own time."
- Thomas Yellowtail, Crow Sun Dance Chief and Medicine Man |