William Under Baggage renown Lakota leader teacher sundancer speaker
Sorry for the audio and video it is a 3D camera. My name is William Under Baggage. Literally, translation means carrying the burden. He is at Leonard Crow Dog's sundance and he talks about the Sundance, prayer, his life, beliefs, diabetes, food, tabacco, healthier life, respect, white buffalo calf woman, god, spirit world, spirit language, thoughts, Leonard Peltier, Rosebud, Lakota, Pine Ridge, Oglala, races,
I have an organization called Indigenous Nations Network. We use this network to advise, inform and educate. First each other - the native peoples of this land. Secondly, to educate the larger population - the Americans - beyond that, the world. So I'm sitting here today, talking about a few issues - but first I want to touch base on what heyoka means. In Lakota, Heyoka is a contrary. In society, certain things that are done require an alternative way of thinking and doing things. Some people call it a clown. It, he, she uses humor and addresses issues when things are very serious. Such as in ceremonies when serious things are happening. The heyoka is very active in the ceremonies. Very visible in our society. The heyoka address things that are very pertinent to society; sometimes not in the way that people think about. So we would like to acknowledge that the heyoka is a very powerful entity within our society. The heyoka is a very necessary part of our society because it brings issues in a different manor, rather than going through the traditional "Eyapaha" (the traditional announcers of the community). The heyoka brings up issues that make you look at yourself, the contrary of yourself and the contrary of what the world is doing, and what the world and society has done. So, the heyoka in itself is very necessary and we believe that through using this magazine, in the sense that we have a friend that is willing to use a voice, as the heyoka, the contrary way of addressing things, but also as a way to address issues. Heyoka magazine interview:
http://heyokamagazine.com/HEYOKA.4.EN...