Across The Fence: Hinhan Kaga Paha

This past week my wife, Deb, and I attended a sacred Lakota ceremony for the freeing of the spirit and wiping of the tears. Lakota holy man Basil Brave Heart gathered us together on a high point of rocks overlooking a lush, green valley on the southern fringes of the Black Hills. Under the grey skies of an impending spring rain Basil sent the spirit of our close friend, David, on a journey where, in death, he would join the spirits of his ancestors.

In his left hand, Basil held the sacred staff of truth and in his right the wing of an eagle. David's wife, Elaine, held the ashes of his human fo...