Question 1

What is the Sun Dance?

Accepted Answer

The Sun Dance is a ceremony observed by the Native Americans of modern-day Canada and the United States to awaken the earth, give thanks, offer up prayers, and sacrifice for the greater good. It was, and is, among the most important rituals of the Plains Indians.

Question 2

What was the focus of the Sun Dance?

Accepted Answer

The focus of the Sun Dance was on celebrating the gifts of the Great Spirit, awakening the earth after winter, giving thanks for the gifts one had received, asking for visions that would benefit the whole community, and participating in the continuance and renewal of the created world.

Question 3

Why was self-torture involved with the Sun Dance?

Accepted Answer

Some participants chose to engage in self-torture during the Sun Dance as a path toward shedding ignorance and being granted a vision by the spirits that would benefit the entire community. Self-torture was a form of self-sacrifice for the greater good.

Question 4

Why and when was the Sun Dance outlawed? Is it still illegal?

Accepted Answer

The governments of the United States and Canada outlawed the Sun Dance in the 188's. The laws were repealed in the 1950s. Today, the Sun Dance is legally celebrated by Native Americans in Canada and the United States annually.

Sun Dance

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