Mary Crow Dog Essay

Mary Crow Dog is a woman of the Brule Tribe from the Sioux nation. The Brule Tribe is from the Western Sioux, which is known as Lakota (5). Mary Crow Dog spent her time growing up at a Catholic missionary school called St. Francis Boarding School (4). Her transition from growing up in a Catholic school to embracing her Lakota culture and religion during times of Native American oppression by the U.S. government can be best explained using Bruce Lincoln’s definition of a religion from Holy Terrors. Lincoln’s definition of religion is applicable to both polytheistic and monotheistic religions, because the definition focuses on explaining four principles that are imperative for any religion. Lincoln believes that in order for a religion to be

classified a religion it must include a transcendent discourse, a set of practices, a community, and an institution that regulates the practices, discourse and community (5-7). Mary Crow Dog’s religion and life experiences will be explained by using Lincoln’s definition of religion.
Throughout Mary Crow Dog’s life, not including her Catholic teachings, she is exposed to transcendent discourse from the Lakota. Lincoln defines a transcendent discourse as “a discourse whose concerns transcend the human, temporal, and contingent, and that claims for itself a similarly transcendent status” (5). Furthermore, he writes “Scripture, revelation, or immutable ancestral traditions, in that moment their discourse becomes religious because of its claim to transcendent authority” (5-6). Sioux oral tradition, such as the creation story of the first Crow Dog, and the ritual songs for the Ghost Dance and Sun Dance are ancestral traditions that transcend time. The creation story of the first Crow Dog is a well-known story to the Lakota that depicts how the Crow Dog name originated. Mary Crow Dog recalls that Crow Dog was wounded and lying in the snow when a coyote shared its body heat to keep him alive, and a crow guided him home (10). Without the creation story, Mary’s last name loses its significance and meaning. To preserve the creation story of the Crow Dog is to preserve the identity of the Crow Dogs and their role in the Sioux. This discourse is religious, because of its claim to be a creation story, which is similar to Lincoln’s “claim to transcendent authority”.
In addition to oral traditions, other transcendent discourse includes the sacred songs necessary for the Sun Dance and Ghost Dance to survive time. The medicine man stores these songs in his mind, and helps pass them down from generation to generation. “For half a century a handful of medicine men and elders kept the dance alive, passing on the songs that go with it and the knowledge of how to perform this ceremony, down to the smallest detail. Nothing was lost” (253). The Sun Dance and Ghost Dance are key rituals for the Sioux, thus the discourse that goes with them is important to remember and pass down. There would be no Sun Dance and Ghost Dance if the discourse was forgotten.
As for written discourse, Mary Crow Dog states that “the Sioux used to keep winter counts, picture writings on buffalo skin, which told our people’s story from year to year” (11). Not only do the Sioux have oral traditions, but the written text of people’s stories create a historical text that can instruct future generations how to live and where sacred places are located. These written accounts can be translated into practices that are performed by the Sioux. The picture writing counts are probably less significant when compared to the oral discourse of sacred ritual songs and origin stories, but they could still be considered a part of their transcendent discourse.
The Sioux perform a set of practices that promote their connection to themselves, the community, and nature.

Lincoln defines a set of practices as “practices whose goal is to produce a proper world and/or proper human subjects, as defined by a religious discourse to which these practices are connected” (6). The Sun Dance ritual is performed annually during the summer, and it is a way for the Lakota people to help the people they love. “A similar religious concept lies behind the Sun Dance, where the participants pierce their flesh with skewers to help someone dear to them” (253). Furthermore, “Indians give of their own flesh, year after year to help others” (253). The Sun Dance provides an outlet for the Lakota to sacrifice and feel the suffering of those around them. It makes them a better person, because they are thinking of others rather than themselves.

Although there was an absence of the Ghost Dance ritual prior to Mary Crow Dog’s life, Leonard Crow Dog performed it again at Wounded Knee and brought it back to life (145). The Ghost Dance occurs throughout Mary’s life after her time at Wounded Knee, thus she is exposed to the practice. Similar to the Sun Dance, the Ghost Dance ritual bring the community together, shares aspects of self-sacrifice, and develops a connection between the dancers, religion, and natural world. By participating in these rituals, a person can become a better person and more connected to their religion and

community.
Peyote meetings are another practice that the Sioux partake in. From what Mary Crow Dog speaks about them, it seems that the meetings involve consuming peyote to have visions or clarity of the future, singing Native American Church songs, and reciting prayers. Mary Crow Dog says, “Peyote will give you a voice, a song of understanding, a prayer for good health or for your people’s survival” (101). By holding peyote meetings and consuming peyote for ritual acts, the Sioux people are able to practice their religion and express their religious discourse.
In Lakota Woman the practice of growing out hair appears to be religious. Mary Crow Dog finds a Catholic mission school poster in her grandfather’s belongings that reads, “Come out of your blanket, cut your hair, and dress like a white man” (31). Cutting a Native American’s hair seems to be a way to remove a part of their identity, which could help with the transformation that the Catholic schools desired as an end result. This is similar to how Lincoln describes the practice of growing out hair. On page 6 Lincoln says, “No practices are inherently religious, and any may acquire a religious character when connected to a religious discourse that constitutes them as such.” Lincoln is suggesting that the practice of growing out hair is most likely for aesthetic purposes, however if it is due to religious discourse, then it becomes a religious practice.
During Leonard Crow Dog’s time in prison, Mary Crow Dog writes that the prison wardens always threatened to cut his braids (229). “Our lawyers had a running battle with various wardens proving that cutting his hair would be illegal” (229). Throughout Leonard Crow Dog’s time in prison, Mary Crow Dog must fight this battle of religious freedom and prison politics. For both Mary’s circumstance with mission school and Leonard’s circumstance with prison, cutting their hair would be a way to take their religious practice away from them. It could possibly even break their spirit, which would take a part of their identity away.
Mary Crow Dog’s community was the Lakota, and the American Indian Movement (AIM).

Lincoln defines a community as “whose members construct their identity with reference to a religious discourse and its attendant practices” (6). The Lakota shared religious discourse and practices. The Sun Dance, Ghost Dance, and use of peyote allow the Lakota to foster a community and communal rituals. The discourse and practices construct their identity as Native Americans, specifically Lakota people. Mary Crow Dog finds her identity through participating in the Sun Dance and attending peyote meetings. She creates a woman she is proud of by embracing the Lakota religion and becoming a member of the

community.
Another community Mary Crow Dog is a part of that furthers her Lakota religion is the American Indian Movement. By joining AIM, Mary Crow Dog feels more connected to her religion and identity, which furthers the aspect of community in her life. “I could feel this new thing, almost hear it, smell it, touch it. Meeting up with AIM for the first time loosened a sort of earthquake inside me” (74). She feels like a member of the Sioux community as a whole by being a part of this larger movement. She is able to connect more to her own Lakota religion by fighting for Native American rights’ alongside many other Native Americans, such as her husband, Leonard Crow Dog.
The main institution that is in Mary Crow Dog’s life, aside from St. Francis Boarding School, is the Native American Church. Lincoln’s definition of an institution is one “that regulates religious discourse, practices, and community, reproducing them over time and modifying them as necessary, while asserting their eternal validity and transcendent value” (7). The Native American Church was created in the 1870s by Kiowas and Comanches (99). The Native American Church regulates discourse through holding peyote meetings and singing ritual songs. Mary Crow Dog writes that “Leonard lets little children come into these meetings, lets them sit in his lap and listen to the songs. At the age of four little Pedro could already sing many Native American Church songs” (252). The oral discourse can be learned through attendance to church meetings, such as these children learning the songs.
Although the Sun Dance and Ghost Dance are deemed Native American Church rituals, they may not necessarily take place in a church building. However, the Native American Church still regulates these rituals through the purchasing of the peyote. “As peyote is being fenced in… all along the Texas border dealers are selling it at exorbitant prices to the Native American Church people” (100). The Native American Church regulates the use of peyote, which can only be used during rituals. Additionally, the Native American Church unifies the community and uplifts those who are struggling in life by promoting the occurrence of rituals and peyote meetings. “The Native American Church became the religion of the poorest of the poor, the conquered, the despoiled” (99).
Lincoln’s definition of religion from Holy Terrors best explains Mary Crow Dog’s life and experiences. The Lakota religion incorporates a transcendent discourse, practices, community, and institution that regulates discourse, practice and community. Mary Crow Dog was involved with learning and singing the transcendent discourse through the ritual practices of the Sun Dance and Ghost Dance, and peyote meetings. Through these practices, Mary Crow Dog is involved in the Lakota community and AIM, which furthers her identity and belonging to the Native American community. Overall, the Native American Church helps to regulate the songs, rituals, and community. Mary Crow Dog’s experiences with growing up as Sioux, being the wife of Leonard Crow Dog, giving birth at Wounded Knee, and all of her interactions with the U.S. Government are the sum of her devotion and practice of the Lakota religion.