The Inipi Story: ANA/SAMHSA Minority Fellows on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
by Bruce Kafer and Tanya Sorrell
It started out as a beautiful day in Rapid City, South Dakota, as the 2009 American Nurse Association and Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (ANA / SAMHSA) Minority Fellows headed out rather conspicuously in a large tour bus to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation for a full day that would culminate with an Inipi ceremony. Conversation and camaraderie characterized the ride out to one of the most historic reservations in the country. En route, the Black Hills, the Badlands, and the rolling Plains punctuated the spectacular reality that we were in Indian Country. These beautiful vistas gave us a feeling of being at one with the area and were a poignant backdrop to the American Indian holistic view of health regarding spirit, mind, and body.
Our tour guide was an amazing Lakota woman named Stephanie Big Crow. She shared her own experiences growing up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation informing us that she was raised within the traditional culture of her tribe. She passes lifeway practices and customs onto her children by living them and by teaching in the way of her elders. Ms. Big Crow pointed out many sites to us and also introduced us in a very personal way to the numerous health and social problems her people continue to face. The visibility of poverty amidst this beautiful land was a stark contrast and we also learned of and felt the resilience of spirit and culture among the various substance abuse and mental health professionals we met. We learned that the Lakota originated in a sacred area of the Black Hills and were known as the Buffalo people. It was shortly thereafter that some of us saw a buffalo as we proceeded toward another world.
Our first stop was at the Indian Health Service hospital located within the reservation district called Pine Ridge. This district housed the tribal government, high school, and various programs. We toured some offices of the behavioral health unit and met Dr. Darlene Wilcox who is an accomplished Oglala Lakota psychologist. She welcomed us and oriented us to some of the behavioral health services she and her staff provide. As we toured other facilities on the reservation we were impressed by the heartfelt dedication of the staff. They modeled untiring commitment to provide culturally congruent services despite limited funding and extant need. Their passion was palpable and we were welcomed with open arms. Further creating the foundation for our Inipi ceremony that night were three more stand out events. These were our visit to the Wounded Knee Massacre site of 1890, our participation at the Medicine Root Wacipi (Pow Wow), and our visit with the Anpetu Luta treatment center staff.
The Wounded Knee Massacre site was a sacred area which spoke volumes regarding the disenfranchisement of Native America during the removal and relocation era of the country. We smudged off with sage in a cleansing ceremony prior to entering the grave site and a Lakota healing song was offered for these fallen ancestors and all people, as well as all things on Mother Earth and within the universe. Indeed, the recognition that this grave site represented the end of an era for a people who had lived on this land since time immemorial was a moving and powerful experience that resonated with our beings in indescribable ways.
At the Medicine Root Pow Wow we had the opportunity to receive an honoring song and we danced in the sacred circle. There we noted various elders who greeted us as we danced and shook our hands confirming our standing as health professionals vested in eradicating health disparities. Stephanie Big Crow essentially described these actions as consistent with a traditional Lakota framework for living that is a key source of strength and stability. Indeed, it was an honor for us to introduce ourselves in that special circle and we affirmed this significance and will cherish the memory of it.
Following the Pow Wow we arrived at the Anpetu Luta (Red Day) Treatment Center. Prior to going into the building our guide and our friend, Stephanie Big Crow informed us that the Wakinyans (Thunder Beings) were coming. There approaching in the distance was an ominous looking sky traveling across the great plains with intent and power. Later, we learned that despite the great power of the Wakinyans they did not extinguish the sacred Inipi fire which was tended to by Mr. Rueben Westin (Lakota). Our bodies and our spirits as well as the land had been cleansed by the rain and we were ready for the participation in the Inipi ceremony.
Our Inipi ceremony was held at the grounds surrounding the Wakanyeja Pawicayapi (Sacred Children First) program in the Porcupine District. There we met Ms. Ramona White Plume, and Oglala Lakota woman who is the Executive Director of this important program. There we learned that the Inipi ceremony is one of the seven sacred ceremonies of the Lakota and it was honor to have this opportunity to return to the womb of Mother Earth and pray for the well being of all children and all people.
This program was a special host for us as we learned that they utilized traditional Lakota healing methods to assist children. Ms. Ramona White Plume explained to us that the Lakota sacred ceremonies provide an accessible framework that connects children in need with a stable foundation grounded in culture, traditional belief, and practice whereby they can heal and learn to grow. We also learned that the Inipi ceremony was in its essence a purification ceremony. The hot rocks brought into the lodge were our ancestors and the steam from them was the breath of these relatives. During the ceremony we would be at the center of the universe. We would be singing songs and offering prayers for the children and all things within Creation.
After we smudged off with sage we entered the lodge. During the Inipi ceremony we smoked the Canunpa (Sacred Pipe) which held red willow tobacco within. This was a sacred tobacco and the smoke carried our prayers to the Wakan Tanka (Creator or God). There were “four doors” to this lodge, meaning there were four segments, and it was led by an Oglala Lakota man named Mr. Reuben Westin. He guided our ceremony and led us in Lakota songs. It was a powerful cleansing experience for us and afterwards we ate together and learned more about sacred sites and others aspects of Lakota culture.
We left the Inipi ceremony and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation feeling cleansed and renewed in our commitments to serve. As professionals in substance abuse and mental health, and collectively as fellows who shared a powerful journey in spirit, mind, and body, we were able to further realize in an expanded light that our careers would impact populations in need, and would assist them in improving their mental health status in ways that would be consistent with their culture and respectful of their beliefs. We were enriched in deep felt ways as a result of this summer institute. We are deeply grateful to the many individuals and organizations that made this Intensive Summer Institute so worthwhile. In the words of the Lakota people, “Wopila tanka (With deep gratitude).”