Yuwipi Meetings

[James Standingdeer]

Healing ceremonies conducted by medicine man are common to all Plains tribes. Among the Lakota they are called Yuwipi, to bind up. The Yuwipi man prays through the spirits acquired in the Vision Quest. In the full Yuwipi meeting the Yuwipi man, with his hands tied behind his back, is tied inside a blanket and laid on the floor amid a congregation around 25 men, women, and children.Lights are extinguished and one hears the Yuwipi man praying in a muffled voice in total darkness. His power is validated by the belief that the spirits untie him. Toward the end of the meaning he has been freed and he prays in a clear voice. Practice of Yuwipi greatly increased during the reservation period among the Lakota since it gave a sense of power to the powerless.The practice of Yuwipi evokes genuine religious symbols that give valuable insights into the nature of religious power, even though there are still unanswered questions on the presence and activities of the spirits.