Bert Rooks is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. He was raised in the Eagle Nest District of the Pine Ridge Reservation. At an early age he was taken to live with his uncle, Charles Kills Ree, who was a Yuwipi medicine man in Manderson, South Dakota, to be trained to perform Lakota ceremony. During the time he spent living with his uncle and later after he was married and had established his own family, he assisted his Uncle Charlie in performing his ceremonies. After his uncle’s death, he was called to serve the people. His marriage to a non-Indian woman in 1989 opened the way for him to share authentic Lakota ceremony with non-Indian people of all races.
Bert and his wife began by offering the SweatLodge ceremony to women in Taos, New Mexico. Eventually, they expanded the ceremonies that they offered, to include the Vision Quest and SunDance, and were offering these ceremonies to people of all races in five different states.
During the course of time, Bert and his wife were able to teach their sons and other members of their extended family to perform the Inipi (or SweatLodge ceremony). Several of these trained people are currently maintaining lodges on their private property, so that the people in their communities can get help through this ancient Lakota ceremony. (Select Locations Map to see where these SweatLodge ceremonies are being offered.)
In 2001, all these ceremonial leaders, an enthusiastic Board of Directors, and others interested in promoting these sacred ceremonies joined together to establish the Hochoka Healing Center, Inc. Their common vision was to expand services currently being offered and to develop projects which they felt would fulfill their mission of charity and preserving the Lakota Way of Life.