Lakota Wakinyan and Heyoka Traditions

Some folks have recently contacted me in PMs and have aked questions relating to this topic. Sometimes, not saying anything at all about a subject can be worse than providing a little bit of quality information in a respectful manner. Therefore, I offer the following information, for those who sincerely want to know, but have found little quality information. It is my hope and prayer that those on this board will understand and respect what I am about to share concerning the ways I was taught, and keep it sacred.

The Thunder Beings, or Wakinyan Oyate, defies any logical description. In most cases they have been described to me as beings without form, with a body which billows and changes form like clouds. They have claws, but no feet; beaks, but no head; wings, but no shoulders; and a voice like thunder, but no throat.

The Wakinyan also live in an anti-clockwise dimension and cannot be understood by ordinary people because they speak backwards. It is said, that this is why Heyoka speak and act in an anti-natural manner, as they become relatives of the Wakinyan.

In the Lakota tradition, one of the main purposes of the Wakinyan is to purify the world from all filthy things. They sweep it with wind, wash it with water, or burn it with lightning. They cause all that grows from the ground to flourish and grow leaves, flowers and fruits, and give nourishment to all things that breath. They enjoy the smell of cedar, and it is said that cedar trees are never struck by lightning. They control water in all it's forms, which is why cedar is put on the first 7 rocks brought into a Lakota sweatlodge, in part to thank the Wakinyan for giving their blessing to the water that will be used.

My understanding, based on the ways I have been taught, is that a few people are chosen to receive dreams or "working relationships" with the Wakinyan who are offering to help them in some way. However, only a small percentage of these few are called to serve as Heyoka in the Lakota way of being. When they are, they must go through special ceremonies to share their dreams/visions with other recognized Heyoka, to receive special instructions, and to make a vow or committment to serve the people that will affect the rest of their lives. Until this is done, they are a not considered recognized Heyoka in the community.

A recognized Heyoka becomes a servant of the people. His life is no longer his. He makes this committment, which is expressed to the community, by participating in a "Kettle Dance" ceremony.

The recognized Heyoka, (the implied meaning is "fool"), act sometimes in an anti-natural way, which makes them seem foolish. They do things to draw criticism, scorn, or ridicule to themselves, but have the spiritual strength to endure these things, and purge themselves of the negative energy. The community wil often focus these negative energies on the Heyoka, rather than on each other. In this way, the Heyoka helps prevent the destruction of the harmony and balance in a community when negative energies are focused on each other.

The Heyoka also helps to create laughter, by being foolish, especially during intensely serious, or stressful, or anxious moments during a ceremony, a council meeting, or something like that. The Heyoka instictively knows when it is time to say or do something funny to relieve the tension and cause people to relax a little. He may fart on purpose in a sweatlodge; or crack a joke during a ceremony by saying something like, "I hope this doesn't take too long, I forgot to go pee"; or he may stand up during a council meeting that is getting heated and change the subject saying, "You guys got any good recipes for commodity cheese...I got a bunch I want to use up before it goes bad". You get the idea.

Heyoka are also considered Pejuta Wicasa or "medicine men" or healers, as some of them are given instructions on how to heal people.

In the buffalo days, Heyoka were sought after before a buffalo hunt or a war raid to communicate with their "friends" the Wakinyan in order to insure the desired weather would take place. Sometimes this would be a request for clear weather; sometimes this would be for rain to cover tracks after stealing horses, for example.

Because they sometimes acted in an anti-natural way, Heyoka would also be very fearless warriors on the battlefield, often taking great risks, which may be considered another version of "foolish." However, it was known by many, that Heyoka had the spiritual power of the Wakinyan, which helped them overcome their enemies.

Heyoka did not seem to care about social taboos or boundaries, but paradoxically, and simultaneously, help to define the Lakota guidelines for moral and ethical behavior, and the way a community looks at balance and imbalance. The Heyoka are usually the ones who could ask why of dangerous subjects, and could question people in positions of authority or leadership. They "asked" sometimes indirectly by their satire, or by fooling around. They would ask the difficult questions, and say things others would like to say, but were too afraid to speak.

By understanding the Heyoka's role in the community, Lakota folks have been able to think about things not usually thought about, or cause them to look at things in a different way. It is said that a Heyoka "restores" the community in a similar way that rains will restore the land.

I hope this helps a little bit in your understanding.