12021-03-22T00:51:39-07:00Shayana Dabneybefcc36b81b0cfe78cbed1ad6096ec72c2d1f9a6387766plain2021-05-11T15:30:12-07:00Shayana Dabneybefcc36b81b0cfe78cbed1ad6096ec72c2d1f9a6Lakota ReligionMany of the NiitsÃtapi spiritual practices were largely based around these Blackfoot medicine bundles. There were several different kinds of bundles that were prepared for various different ceremonies such as the Beaver bundle, the Medicine Pipe bundle, and the Sundance bundle. These bundles contain items that symbolize a spiritual journey; these elements were often seeds, grass, animal remains, and they would usually be in the possession of the band shaman. Medicine bundles could be personally owned or they could be the property of the entire band. The bundles themselves were hailed as precious and sacred. They were never to touch the ground and they were only opened on special occasions. The ceremonies that involve the bundles are complex and nuanced, it can be difficult for the novice observer to identify the subtleties of these rituals, such as the Beaver Bundle Ceremony. These practices were not uniformly organized, but instead amalgamations of several ceremonies.