HIGH STAR SUN EAGLE INTERNATIONAL SUN DANCE FOR PEACE
JUNE 3rd - 10th 2007
RED ROCK, ARIZONA
DINE NATION

1) All sun dancers are required to present their pipes to the sun dance leader and designated leaders requesting to dance. At this time, state your reasons, vows, and pledge to pierce or not. You will not be turned away unless you are an evil person or you have health or mitigating reasons as to why you cannot dance. If you are a Heyoka, you come as a dancer, not as a Heyoka.

2) All sun dancers must do at least one purification lodge daily starting on the first day of purification.

3) All sun dancers must state the number of days they are dancing. If dancing all four days, for the High Star Sun Eagle Dance, one is expected to start with the opening dance on Thursday morning. For three days, one must start with the opening entry on Friday. For two days, one must start with entry on Saturday morning. For one day, start with the entry on Sunday, but finish the dance with all of the other dancers.

4) Anyone going into Inipi (sweat lodge) is expected to wear proper clothing in the lodge. Men must wear shorts or cutoffs. Women must wear dresses or skirts at least to calf and modest tops. Towels are suggested. This also applies to anyone entering the dance circle in support of a dancer who is piercing. Anyone doing so is expected to enter the inipi and cleanse before entering the circle.

6) All dancers are expected to provide their own helpers and support systems during the dance. For dancers, no water is to be touched from entry of the tree into the dance circle until the dance is ended. You can as a dancer drink Gatorade, powerade, etc., and eat after each day’s dance, but are not allowed water or bathing with water until the whole dance is completed.

7) Sun dancers are expected to pierce just once a year. Women sun dancers who want to pierce need to talk to the leader about method of piercing. Men sun dancers should have eagle bone whistle, rope and skewers(pegs)if piercing, and feathers for sage crown. All sun dancers should provide their own Chanupa, tobacco, prayer ties and flags.

8) Sun dancers should be appropriately dressed during the dance. This will be discussed during the purification day meetings which will be held at 1:00 PM daily.

9) The issue of men and women on their periods being allowed to dance or not will be openly discussed. Howard doesn’t have an issue with this but will support the decision of the camp and he will support whatever decision is arrived at. His decision however will be final as to whatever is enforced.

10) The main form of piercing allowed will be rope to the tree. If there is a request for skulls or horses, it will be considered as long as the tools (horse or skulls) needed for the piercing are provided by the dancer making the request. Those doing skulls will be pierced in the dance circle but turned to the wilds outside one attached to skulls. Dancer cannot reenter the dance until the body with torn flesh has been separated from the skulls.

11) This is strictly a sun dance. Those wanting to do Peyote ceremonies can ask Ervin for site locations if agreed to. Those wanting to do any other type of ceremonies, please ask for permission. While we truly respect other traditions and ways of belief, we are bound to honoring our own for this dance. Please know that we are gathering around our core beliefs about peace and that is what we will encourage and enforce.

12) Any other issues or information that need to be shared will be done so at the meetings of each purification day. This dance will belong to anyone who joins Howard and the vision for peace that all of you carry.