With brother Chris Miller. Brother Chris was the former US Secretary of Defense before the current Secretary. I knew he was participating in the Sacred Run and all the related ceremonies but we had not met and I did not know what he looked like.
Toward the end of the Staking Ceremony, Sister Mona carried the Sacred Pipe to each of the new Stake Holders of the Four Worlds Spiritual Warriors Unity Society for a prayer and blessing. I followed with a sister carrying water and a water blessing from the White Swan.
When I got to brother Chris, and there is a reason I call him brother, I was not looking at his face, I was focusing the water from the Swan Fan on each person's heart. When I saw his heart I saw he had been shot with " bullets in the front and knives in the back," the most hurtful, those knives stuck in his back by ones he considered his brothers. And I could see that this was not done only to him, but to his family, as well.
This was no great spiritual act, I could see and feel it because it has happened to me more than once. I would only replace the swords with arrows.
Through this spiritual connection and understanding Chris and so many others, are spiritual brothers and sisters. For our Dakota people, we have our blood relatives and our Hunka relatives, our spiritual relatives. Those who we choose as relatives because of our spiritual relationship.
Many times, because we choose them, our Hunka relatives are spiritually closer and more supportive than our blood relatives. It was blood relatives who held Crazy Horse's arms, while a soldier stuck a bayonet in his back.
In fact, every Indigenous leader who has arisen and called for a unified fight has been killed and assassinated through the assistance of "close relatives and friends."
We are changing this narrative! "It is a good day to live!"
