Barbara WilkesButch’s having introduced her as the “leader” of the women’s Sun-
dance was somewhat misleading, her role was simply to “look af-
ter” the women. The leader was her elder brother, Maurice Crow
Spreading Wings. I explained how I had been invited to dance several
times but had always refused (though I did not give a reason). I said
I missed my friends and the weekly sweat-lodge ceremonies. Carolla
indicated she had a sweat lodge in the backyard, which had “come
to her” through an elder brother who had passed a few years earlier.
She generally held a sweat each Saturday afternoon. In addition, Ca-
rolla explained she was holding the first Sundance fast of the year the
following weekend. She added further details about the event, by way
of invitation in the “Blood Way,” stating when it would begin, what
the women needed to bring: their sleeping bags, a dress for the lodge,
something in which to sleep, their pipes, and some sage and tobacco.
I explained, somewhat disappointed, that I was not a pipe carrier. Ca-
rolla assured me it was unnecessary to hold a pipe to participate in
a fast. In fact, the only way to earn such a pipe was to make and ful-
fill a Sundance commitment, which many of the women had done, or
would do, following the fast.
As I left Carolla’s home that evening, I contemplated the possibility
of attending a fast and reflected on the “coincidence” that it would be
held on Easter weekend. My thoughts returned to the events on the
lake in the summer of 1995. Perhaps Carolla, Maurice, and the Sun-
dance were part of the “purpose” Gloria had foretold? I mused at the
statistical probability of Carolla’s being the first person I met socially
among the more than 9 , 200 members of the community. Adopting
a purely pragmatic and somewhat expedient attitude, I reasoned it
might not be such a bad idea to spend the Easter weekend at a fast.
Accordingly, I arrived the following week early in the evening, unan-
nounced, at Carolla’s home.
Carolla had been expecting me to “turn up” and had prepared a
place for me. As we worked together fixing the food for the feast before
the midnight commencement of the fast, I began to doubt. What had
I committed myself to? I knew I would comport myself well enough
in a sweat lodge but had grave reservations about the prospect of a
full fast without food or water for four days. It was not until much