Honour

In the old days there used to be a Lakota warrior association, the Ogle Luta Wicape, the Red Shirt Warriors. Only men of the greatest honour were allowed to join this association. Once every four years two potential new members were invited to join. Before the men were allowed into the association, they had to undergo a test. At the top of a well known mountain a belt had been tied to a stone. The men were required to climb to the top of the mountain and bring back the belt within four days, all without food, drink or tools. When a man returned exhausted, thirsty and hungry, he was taken to the tipi of the warriors and made to hold the belt above his head and let it roll out. If the belt hit the ground he was accepted into the association, if not he was sent away. For you see, halfway up the mountain, at a place where the climbers always rested, a different belt had been attached to a stone. Yet, this belt was shorter than the belt on the mountain top. So, should a man choose the easy way out, he would be revealed when the belt failed to touch the ground. The task did not merely test the physical prowess of a man, but also his sense of honour.