My dear spiritual brother, Sam Windy Boy, has journeyed to the Other Side Camp. He contributed to my life in many ways. This is the two of us dancing together at Discovery Park, before the Day Break Star Center was built. Along with my father, he was my fancy dance and grass dance teacher
It was my brother Sam who introduced me to the Native American Church (NAC) through NAC meetings at Discovery Park in 1975, before Washington State had a NAC Charter, and later at Rocky Boy, Montana. When a special pipe was returned on December 29, 1980, 90 years after the Wounded Knee, Brother Sam and my sister Janine Pease arrived just in time to help me revive this sacred pipe through four sweat lodges, at Sunrise, Sundown, Sunrise, and Sundown, over two days.
Brother Sam also taught me a lot about Cree teachings about the Sweat Lodge. He passed on a sweat lodge to me, known as a Cowboy Sweat at Rocky Boy. This is where you do not use a pipe. Instead, the water bucket is passed around, so at least four people are pouring. Sometimes, you could go seven rounds with seven different people pouring.
For many years before his passing, we spoke on the telephone, and I tried to reach him in the weeks before he journeyed on, but was unable to reach him. There are more stories I could tell about our journey together, but I will save them for when we meet again at the Other Side Camp.
It is very comforting to know that anyone we have loved in this brief and transitory world of time and space will not be forgotten in the infinite spiritual worlds to come!
