"For us Indians there is just the pipe, the earth we sit on and the open sky. The spirit is everywhere. ...
That smoke from the peace pipe, it goes straight up to the spirit world. But this is a two-way thing. Power flows down to us through that smoke, through the pipe stem. You feel that power as you hold your pipe; it moves from the pipe right into your body. ...
That pipe is not just a thing; it is alive."(1)
Sunny is 61 years old, his indian name is Mah Pito (Blue Cloud). For more than 40 years, Sunny has been a traditional pipemaker of the Oglala. He told us a lot about the spiritualist meaning of the pipe. He convinced us by visiting his studio that he is using the red pipestone (Catlinit) to carve the pipeheads and take wood from the ash to make pipestocks like his forefathers have done. He presented his collection proudly to us. His favorite object was a pipehead in form of a horsehead.
For the first time we could enjoy the special hospitality of the Natives. It was only natural that we were served with delicious native stew and a pot of hot coffee.
This pipe was made in memory of the big chief "Crazy Horse".
