The Sun Dance Way

The words of Sun Dance chief Thomas Yellowtail (1903 – 1993) reveal the mystical beauty of the Sun Dance, the central rite in the ancient religion of the Plains Indians that is still vibrant today. Yellowtail was one of the most honored and beloved Native spiritual leaders of the 20th century. This video contains authorized original film of the Crow Sun Dance; 145 photographs of Sun Dances from 1903 to 2004; over two dozen photographs of other sacred Plains rites; and interviews with Joe Medicine Crow, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the U.S. This documentary was an official selection for Montreal’s First Peoples Film Festival and The American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco. Several short videos closely related to this video can also be viewed in the World Wisdom playlist titled “The Sun Dance Way”: The Sweat Lodge, The Vision Quest, Prayer with the Pipe, and Yellowtail Biography.