Heyoka, a scared Clown part of of Dakota Tribes traditions, is considered an eccentric shaman like figure that would act backwards in the tribe’s society. While most members must abide to strict rules, Heyoka were granted freedom to express themselves however they want whether a subject was considered taboo or not. They were allowed to eat dog food, put their hands in pots, talk during funerals.
Unlike most societies, a backwards character like the Heyoka was accepted and praised in the tribe community mainly because of the belief that they were chosen by the Thunderbird in their dreams. Like lightning, their personalities were like a flash of brilliance. There was acceptance of the strange and the weird and my friend saw the story of the Heyoka as a way to cope.
Thomas H. Lewis made a scholarly article about the performance of a Heyoka ceremony. The purpose of a Heyuka ceremony is to pray for health of the tribe and against dry weather, starvation of animals. The performer is the person chosen is the one who has a dream along with eight other performers that assist the one who will become the Heyoka. They bathe in sweat the day before, dress in different styles of clothes, weat masks. The audience are other members of the tribe and even outsiders like Mr. Lewis who went there to observe them. The texture is the smell of sweat, masks clothes, four different flags that represent the four winds and the people’s health, weather, animals’ health, medicine.
To my friend and I, the Heyoka was a symbol that it is ok to be different in society. While our own society has been nasty towards people who are different and backwards, Native American culture has shown that everybody has a special place in society and that being different is not considered an illness but a blessing.
