The SunDance is one of the most powerful of the Lakota Sacred Rituals. Unlike the SweatLodge ceremony, which may involve up to 15 individuals, the SunDance often requires the consorted effort of as many as 100 or more people. Preparation begins weeks and even months in advance. The SunDance grounds must be cleared and the arbor built. All the SunDance dresses and skirts must be sewn. The food to feed the people must be accumulated. Finally, there are four days of preparatory SweatLodge or purification ceremonies, culminating in the ritual of “hunting and capturing” the SunDance tree, which will stand in the center of the arbor, during the dance. On the fifth day, the SunDance begins with the solemn entry of the Dancers into the sacred circle and proceeds with four days of praying and dancing in the Sun. At the end of the final day, the Dancers leave the arbor and there is a big meal to feed the people called Wopila (Thanksgiving). Throughout the entire SunDance, the Dancers and their supporters pray that the People might live in abundance and good health during the coming year.