How a Heyokah Knows

So now we know that a Heyokah is a two-spirited being that works to keep the world in balance.  But how does a Heyokah know that he or she is a Heyokah?  How do parents know if their child is a Heyokah?  These are the questions that we asked and answered in today's rehearsal.  Bill read us this account of Lakota Sioux Heyokah testing:

a child who is believed to be Two Spirit is placed inside a brush enclosure, with a man's bow and arrow and a woman's woven basket.  The parents then set the enclosure on fire, and whichever object the child chooses to bring with him or her as they escape the flames is indicative of their spiritual path.  If a boy comes out with a basket or a girl comes out with a bow, then he or she is Two Spirit and possibly a Heyokah.

This story seemed so absurd to us as a cast, and to me it seemed almost like the Salem Witch Trials; "Think she's a witch?  Throw her into the river.  If she floats, she's a witch and must be killed.  If she drowns, she's not a witch, and she died in vain."  However, regardless of how absurd we perceived it to be, we realized that it is an important part of understanding the Heyokah, so we worked in two groups to portray the Two Spirit Testing event.

Birgitta, Hannah, and Stephen told the tale as a fable with very specific and very fluid movements.  I loved their honesty and straightforwardness.  Kaleena, James, Hossein and I gave the story a more modern twist and turned it into a game show: the Bow and the Basket.  Originally, we kept the premise basically the same; a child had to go into a hut that was subsequently set on fire, choose either a female or a male item, and then emerge to grateful parents.  

After our group presentations we had a discussion about the feasibility of each piece as part of the final show.  Many of us were concerned about the inclusion of both pieces because we thought that the show might become repetitive.  However, Bill and Jim raised an interesting point: each piece could show the idea of the Two Spirit in two different time periods.  In the Lakota Sioux world, a Two Spirit being was well respected, and parents of a Two Spirit being were proud.  In the 21st century, however, we are not so sure that parents would be excited to learn that their boy chose the "basket" or that their girl chose the "bow."  We all agreed that it might be interesting to take another look at the Two Spirit Test stories and adapt them to complement each other.  So we will do that in our spare time.  Hah.

We are starting to feel the pressure...