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Eagle's Role In The Sun Dance

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Eagle's Role In The Sun Dance
This article is an examination of the roles Eagle and Buffalo play in the Sun Dance. Renewal is the most significant purpose of the Sun Dance, it renews the participants and their ancestors spiritually, as well as nature and the earth. The eagle, having a major role in Sun Dance, is believed to be a messenger between man and spirit. Therefore, in the Sun Dance, the eagle uses his power to facilitate the communication between people and the supernatural (pg. 20). Its feathers are equally important and are used for supernatural performances, for example they are used as an aid when healing a sick person. On the other hand, the buffalo has a more physical role. For the plains Indians it is the source of life. In the Sun Dance, buffalo is a representation

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