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Spirit of the season
By MICHELE MILLER PORT RICHEY -- Douglas Raging Buffalo, a member of the Lakota Tribe of South Dakota, keeps plenty busy during November lecturing and performing ceremonies for schools and civic organizations throughout the Tampa Bay area. "They always pull the Indians out of the closet for Thanksgiving," he said with a chuckle. Still, it's not a problem for Raging Buffalo -- not if it means enlightening the masses. "There's so much misinformation out there. I'm trying to break down stereotypes. Everyone thinks Indians should look one way," he said. Raging Buffalo and his colleague Anthony Featherdancer, a Cherokee who is studying the Lakota ways, recently put on a presentation at Bishop Larkin Catholic School. Of course, they fielded their share of questions about the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving. "My people never saw the Pilgrims," Raging Buffalo, 39, told the students. But they also told student about the ways and traditions of the Lakota tribe in old and new times, about their belief in "The Creator -- The Great Spirit," and the reasons behind many of their ceremonial rituals. In the old days, the Lakotas would carry a shield into war, said Raging Buffalo. "Nowadays you carry shields to honor the memory of our ancestors," he said. "You carry shields because your shield will protect you from bad and evil." And why do they grow their hair long? "Because it makes us look cool when we're riding horses," he said with a laugh. "No, because our hair is part of our spirit, part of our soul." Raging Bull, who is a ceremonial drum singer, explained the meaning of the music. "The drum is the heartbeat of our people," he said. "Without the drum we could not dance." Featherdancer, 41, who frequently dances at powwows, showed off his feather regalia before performing for the youngsters who seemed very impressed. "I thought it was great. It was cool and everything," said fourth-grader Logan Sowder, who after the presentation was examining the osprey claws on Raging Bull's ceremonial staff. "I like how they made the drumbeats and learning about the shields," said classmate Kyle Scorcia, taking a whiff of the sage used at many Lakota ceremonies. "Hey, this smells like mint," he announced as his classmates lined up to tour the tepee.
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From today's Pasco Times |
