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The cottonwood tree is a tree that is special and sacred to the Lakota.
They call trees the “standing nation”. The
 cottonwood tree seems to be part
of the earth and the sky. When the wind blows, cottonwood leaves rustle in
a way that sounds beautiful. Black Elk used the cottonwood tree many times,
when talking about his people.
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"I saw that the sacred circle of
my people was one of many
circles, that all together made one circle….and in the center
grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of
one mother and father. I saw that it was holy.
“It is a very tall tree with rustling leaves, and the animals and
people mingled like relatives. It was filled with singing birds.
I heard the wind blowing gently through the tree and singing
there. The Sacred Pipe came on eagle wings from the east
and stopped beneath the tree, spreading Peace around it.” |
The cottonwood is used in the Sundance and is placed in the center of
the dancing circle. It stands there as center of the people, and, while
hanging from it, the Sun Dancers pray for all the people, as they suffer and
plead with God, the Great Spirit, to send down his blessings on everyone.
Lame Deer says, “If you look at its leaves, you will see they are shaped
like a heart.” |
