He was double-wrapped in a blanket, bound with ropes, and lay face down on the altar in the middle of the floor when the lights went out. He was all alone.
He was summoned to find a cure for a very sick elder, and the community had come together in support late in the night. My friends and I were at Six Nations rez and had come to offer our prayers. Friends and relatives came from all over, bringing food to share with all who were there. Children remained quiet as young and old prepared for the hour or so ahead of them.
My energy was elevated and my mind was fully present as it recorded every single detail. I felt honored to be able to offer my prayers to Creator for the purpose of this sacred ceremony. We were probably close to fifty spread out across the room forming a large human circle of intent. Cross-legged on the floor, we all sat waiting for the ceremony to begin. Even though the fragrance of sage and tobacco wafted through the air, there was no movement; the windows and doors were closed and locked. There was even dark paper taped over all of the windows to keep any trace of light out.
Once everyone was settled, silence crept in. The lights went off pitching us all into complete darkness. The beater struck the drum and the prayer songs began.
The floor shook violently and the wind blew across my face as I saw the first outline of a procession emerge from the past. An eagle bone whistle rattled my ears as flashes of light accompanied echoes and strange-sounding booms. Vague silhouettes of many male spirits filed into the room, and one after another they danced in. I could hear the rustling of feathers mixed with ancient whispered words. I could feel the floor shaking as dozens of moccasined feet moved past me after entering our world from another dimension. They were the stone men of the Yuwipi.
They were there for a purpose, and through the Yuwipi man, they brought healing from Creator to doctor the sick. The drum beat on, songs were sung, the wind kept blowing, and the floor kept shaking from the spirits coming in. For a moment I was in shock because I had never seen that many spirits come into a ceremony at one time; but there they were. I could not deny what I was seeing, nor was I hallucinating. I had been blessed with a very special vision that was coming through from some other time.
I couldn’t tell what was happening near the altar because it was so dark and the silhouettes of the spirits had morphed into bright flashes of light that zipped all over the room creating energy bursts similar to sparks. I was no longer shocked, just awed by what I was seeing. It was incredible, and I felt grateful that my own spirit was in tune enough to be able to see and comprehend what I was witnessing.
Then as quickly as they came, or so it seemed, the stone men filed out the exact same way they came in, leaving with a thunderous boom. The drumming ceased, the songs stopped, the wind disappeared, and the floor became still. We all sat in silence until the lights snapped on.
When my eyes adjusted and I looked around, there in the center of the circle, in front of the altar, the Yuwipi man sat, eyes shining with a slight smile on his face. The blankets and rope that had bound him so tightly in the darkness were folded neatly by his side. The stone men had freed him in the darkness.
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