visiting my friend, willie black cat, pine ridge reservation, south dakota

saturday, september 26, 2009

driving south to the reservation was long and the scenery was not too inspiring.  willie had said to stop at the mart in batesland, and ask for directions to his house, they know him there.  the sign entering batesland said pop. 88.  i guess they know him. :o)  the guy in the market said “oh! willie – the mayor of batesland!” and gave us directions.

willie met us with smiles and hugs.  asked where we were headed next, and i’d said the badlands tomorrow, on our way north and west.  he said “i can take you there”.  he’d invited us to sweat with him that evening, and it was already after noon.  i said i think it’s like a couple of hours there, and a couple back.  he said “no problem, i can take you there” he called a friend and asked him to come over and get the fire ready later for the sweat and said again that he could take us to the badlands. 

willie lives in a tribal house, paid for by the tribe, and his car doesnt run well at all, just enough to get to the mart to check mail once in a while.  his refrigerator doesnt work, he has little to no groceries in the house, he gets by on next to little, and doesnt get a chance to get out much.  so we were happy that he could take us to the badlands :o).

View Full Album

on the way there, he  showed us the red cloud indian school.  he loves showing folks around the reservation. he explained that there is a lot of alcoholism and drug use there, and lots of gangs, but they mostly come out at night, and not by where he lives because he lives in “the country” and his two neighbors are cops.  he said we would be safe there.  we were, and we were comfortable.    he pointed out how white sage grows wild there, and it’s free!  so we stopped and he showed us how to pick it. 

View Full Album

 

we also went to wounded knee, where hundreds of native americans were slaughtered as they were being taken to the reservation back in the late 1800’s.  it is a very sad, lonely, but sacred place.  we gave offerings of tobacco and said prayers.  it is disrespectful to take pictures at the grave site, but okay to take one or two from a distance.

View Full Album

these signs describe what happened there, if you can read through the graffiti:

on the way back to his house, we stopped at the grocery and got some food, and made it back in time to get ready for the sweat.  julia was beat from the heat, so she went to bed early (willie invited us to stay in his guest room) so willie, three of his friends, and myself sat  around as the fire got ready and watched the sun set.  willie asked me, “how many rocks you want?” i said that this would only be my second sweat, and the last one i did was with him at standing bear sundance, and it was HOT with 28  stones.  28 stones would be good.  okay, 28 stones, he said.  when all was said and done…42 STONES!!! holy lava rocks, it was hot hot hot, but oh so good.  we 5 sweated and prayed, and sang, and willie drummed for 4 rounds, then sat outside in the cold evening, watching the stars, and smoked his peace pipe.  willie said on some nights you can see the northern lights from his back yard.  i’d like to see that someday, yep.

 

View Full Album

we all went inside and ate some food, then went to bed, exhausted and feeling oh so good.  the next morning (sunday), we re-packed the car, and said our goodbyes.  willie gave me a braid of sweetgrass and julia a stone carved into a turtle, we smoked a pipe and he said prayers for us for a safe journey.  i do love willie so.  he is so gracious and generous of himself. and FUNNY!!!  i hope to go back and visit him again.

View Full Album