Traditionally, the Lakota People would go out apart from their camp to some remote place to seek a vision of how to live a good life. And, today this sacred way of understanding one’s life is still available to all people in the form of the Hunblecheya (Vision Quest). The Hunblecheya (Vision Quest) ceremony includes fasting and staying awake for a specific duration of time, from one to four days. During the entire time, the participant holds the Sacred Pipe and prays to his Creator. The participant is put out from a SweatLodge ceremony and returns to pray in the SweatLodge after his or her time spent alone. During the final SweatLodge ceremony, the participant may share his or her experiences and have them interpreted.
The Hunblecheya Ceremony is performed when an individual requests the opportunity to seek a vision for his or her life or when an individual wants to offer gratitude for help that he or she has already received. Sometimes, individuals will Hunblecheya in order to prepare to dance in a SunDance. This ceremony usually occurs during the spring and summer months.