As a part of this project, I made a ceremonial Bear Drum and was engaged with every aspect of the process, from the hunt to the hide work, so as to ensure the animal was honoured accordingly each step of the way
As a part of this project I participated in a Hanblecheya Ceremony (Vision Quest) under the care of Knowledge Holder SherryLynne Jondreau. Hanblecheya is a Lakota ceremony where a person spends four days fasting without food and water while sitting alone in the wilderness in a designated circle of prayer ties
During the process of completing this Degree, I experienced significant traumatic events at Standing Rock. As such, I found that engaging with many of the projects, created throughout this project, has helped me tremendously on my own healing journey
For the past several years, I have grown sacred Tobacco (Nicotiana rustica). This is the Tobacco I presented to all Knowledge Holders to consider participating and contributing to this project. Tobacco plays an important role in this research in that anytime an Elder is asked a question of significance, they should first be offered Tobacco for that exchange of knowledge. Also Tobacco is offered during the act of hunting or harvesting as a means to express gratitude and to give something back to the land for the gifts it has provided
