The door of the lodge faces the east in order to capture the first rays of the rising sun. The rite of the Sun Dance lasts three days. It begins at sunset on Friday. The participants dress in clothing that expresses their humility to stand at the center of the universe. The men are bare-chested and wear skirts from their waist to their ankles.
Women wear simple dresses.
All dance barefooted. They carry and blow on a whistle made from the longest bone in an eagle's wing. The Sun Dance is a torturous experience. Three days of self-denial is carried out. Many fall prostrate and experience visions before the dance ends.