Chapter 14 ~ Sacred Wisdom of the Ancient Grandmothers ~Time Travel~
Validated by outside observers was the shaking tent rite of the Kainai Blackfeet
Chapter Fourteen
Sacred Wisdom of the Ancient Grandmothers
Time Travel
For some time now quite a few physicists are examining the knowledge
of the Ancients. Were the dreams Caucasians had of time machines,
space travel, and overcoming the fear of death all a part of the practices
of the Shamen Aboriginals of Canada? Have scientists made the answers
so elusive that the simplicity of the truth is overlooked? The Blackfeet of
ancient times, and some of today, had a time machine. Think about that.
The Shaking Tent, Aiyakokiyiu, played a great role in the Blackfeet
invocation ceremonies, this rite was a spiritual melding of physicality
and entities in other realms, other dimensions, those of higher frequencies
or vibrations.
The shaman transcended the boundaries of real time and used specific
procedures to summon entities whose assistance guided him through
the space/time continuum, breaking the barriers. Fur traders and early
visitors to the Blackfeet had no reference point from which to evaluate
such inter-dimensional occurrences. But in 1931, a priest by the name of
Father John M. Cooper recognized the ceremony as similar to the New
World mantic complex. It took a sage of greater knowledge of the spiritual
mysteries to appreciate the rite.
In the late 1800's a Hudson's Bay Company surveyor, Peter Fidler,
observed first hand this Blackfeet clairvoyance event. In his description
he noted that he observed the clairvoyant, or medicine person, laid on
his back in the tent with his legs, toes, arms and fingers all tied securely
with sinew. He was wrapped in and sewn securely into a buffalo robe,
(leaving only his head exposed), which was wound and the compartment
partitioned off from the rest of the tipi, obscured from view by a skin
curtain. The center fire was squelched and the lodge became totally
darkened. A struggle was heard and then the medium began speaking to
a disincarnate entity. In a more understandable voice, he noted that the
entity had come to disengage him from his bonds and tell him of future
events for his people. He sang and shook his rattle for some time and
then called for the fire to be ignited for illumination and he exited the
compartment freed of his earlier encumberments.
The clairvoyant was given his medicine pipe and he smoked and rested
then made an offering of blessed tobacco to the spirits. He then told the
group of the information given to him by the visiting entities. He said
that the individual who was ill that was of concern to the clan would
recover shortly, and a courier from the neighboring Snake Indians would
soon arrive with a pipe of peace. He added that the hunting party would
return the next day with an abundance of buffalo meat for the people.
Fidler noted that the feats accomplished were extraordinary exhibiting
wonderful powers and the events did indeed occur as predicted.
Another observer of the shaking tent phenomenon was Sir Cecil Denny,
a Northwest Mounted Police veteran. In 1879 he visited an encampment
on the Deer River in Alberta. He was invited into the lodge of the. medicine
man one evening and found him smoking a long medicine pipe
in the head of the tipi. The medicine man did not acknowledge the
presence of his guest and Denny sat quietly and observed. Shortly he
heard the sound of a bell ringing above their heads, yet saw nothing
there.
Within a few moments the tipi began to rock and lift slightly off
the ground. He noted that it would be impossible for the lodge to be
lifted by men on the outside for it was constructed securely, strong
enough that a harsh wind could not move it. It had numerous large,
secure poles and was weighted down with immense buffalo hides. The
tipi was lifting over a foot off the ground before his eyes. The rocking
motion ceased after awhile and Denny went outside to see if it were
feasible for men to have accomplished it, he determined that could not
have been the case. He reentered the lodge and seated himself and the
lodge began rocking even more vigorously, lifting several feet off the
ground so that he could clearly see the outside. Thoroughly mystified,
Denny excused himself and left rapidly. This apparently was not the
actual clairvoyant rite, but a demonstration of powerful forces created
for the Caucasian observer.
Denny was an observer at another demonstration of Blackfeet power
which he termed "magical." A bound warrior was tossed into a small tipi
which had numerous small sharp pointed stakes driven into the ground
all around. The warrior shortly emerged totally unharmed and free of his
bonds. He remarked that he was vigilant in his observation and could see
no evidence of trickery in the feat.
The general practices of the Shaking Tent rite that were common to all
those observed were as follows;
1. Specific purpose identified and questions submitted.
2. Tent or booth constructed.
3. Disincarnate entity consulted.
4. Medium bound and wrapped, then concealed.
5. Tipi or booth vibrates.
6. Medium freed of bonds.
7. Conversation between medium and entity unintelligible.
8. Entity departs.
9. Medium imparts specific requested information obtained.
10. Tobacco offerings made.
11. Rite is characterized by sobriety.
12. Healings often occur.
13. Medium may be of either gender.
Father John Cooper noted that he observed two types of spiritual manifestations
in the Shaking Tent Rite. One concerned a solitary disincarnate entity, often a
personal tutor of the medicine person. Another was the summoning of numerous
animal spirits with one beingthe main intermediary. But the Blackfeet practice
ultimately concentrated on divination of a single disincarnate entity. The arrival of
the entity was noted by an auditory signal. The sounds of an approaching horse,
galloping towards the lodge was observed but most conventionally a sound device,
such as a whistle or rattle, was placed in the lodge for the entity to verify their
presence.
Various witnesses to the Shaking Tent Rite generally agree that they had
observed that the medium communicated with the entity in a humming
manner, either thick and muffled, or highly nasal, occasionally a high
falsetto resonance, and even in a whistling manner. Tobacco offerings
were universal and the smoking of the pipe was offered to the entity and
to the participant and observers later. Some observed the pipe's bowl
glow when it was offered to the entity, although no one appeared to be
holding it. Individual personal sacred or power songs were sung by the
medicine person before the ritual to reach a particular state of mind. The
entity was generally given a food offering for their assistance and a
grand feast was enjoyed by all attendees after the rite.
The Blackfeet showed a dichotomy of feelings towards disembodied
entities. Often they feared those who had passed over to the Big Sand
Hills, avoiding burial sites and burying the dead quickly. On the other
hand the medicine people used specific disembodied entities as teachers
and helpers in ceremonies such as described in the Shaking Tent Rite.
The medicine bundles contained artifacts from nature and animal spirits
that were highly revered and called upon in ceremony to instruct and
enlighten. Yet the members of the highest sacred society, the Horn
Society, were banned from attending wakes or funerals of even their
closest kin.
It is believed that the Shaking Tent Rite originated in the Northern Plains
of the Confederated Blackfeet and their neighboring tribes and expanded
outwards towards the western grasslands of other Indian Nations.
Adaptations by various tribes were introduced to accommodate varying
beliefs and practices. For example, the Blackfeet and neighboring Atsina
became close friends and allies and the Atsina demonstrated a ceremony
closely resembling the original the Blackfeet practiced.
In more recent times, the Blackfeet participated in a Shaking Tent Rite
where a close friend performed the ritual as the medium. The warrior
was Cree and the ceremony was identical to the one described by Peter
Fidler in the late 1800's when he interacted with Kainai ancestors on the
Alberta plains.
All was silent inside the tent for about twenty minutes, and then a lone rattle
was heard, clearly being shaken by the medicine person who had freed his hands.
In another fifteen minutes the entire tent began to vibrate rapidly. The clairvoyant
began to speak a spiritual language unknown to the observer, intermittently with
singing and always with the constant shaking of the rattle.
The exterior of the tent was adorned with hundreds of dried calf hoof rattles which
created a stronger vibration as the tent accelerated in its vibratory frequency. In
another ten minutes the medicine man announced that a disincarnate entity from
the outer realms had joined him and would respond to questions. The predominant
question was as to the whereabouts of some young warriors who had disappeared.
They had gone on a diplomatic mission to make peace with the Snake Indians and
not returned weeks later.
It was discerned that they would arrive in two days and the delay
was due to the fact that they were on foot and had sore and aching feet
and legs from the extensive journey. After the information was obtained,
the clairvoyant emerged from the tent free of his bonds and a great feast
ensued in celebration of the good news. Two days later the young men
returned safely with legs and feet swelled with walking. They reported
that the Snake Indians had been hospitable and sent messages of peace
with their neighboring tribes.
