Getting my nipples pierced was something I'd wanted to do for a long time. OK, you've read that countless times in here. They weren't my first body piercing, either. Again, this is nothing new. So what makes my experience different? Well, to begin, I am of American Indian descent, and I have Sundanced since a teen, so I think I can bring a unique perspective here. It's interesting for me to read of others in here as they struggle with how to undergo similar experiences without offending the native cultures of North America (and elsewhere, for that matter), but that's a story for another time. In any event, for years I have pierced my chest for spiritual reasons, taking care to observe the ceremony and its traditions with proper reverence and respect for what it is. However, in recent years, there was something lacking whenever I did it. I lacked a sense of complete fulfillment. It took a secular nipple piercing to get my focus back.
At A Glance Author anonymous When Six months ago Artist Nothing Studio Piercecution Location Lubbock, TX Late last spring, I decided I was time to put up or shut up getting my nipples done. I had wanted them done for some time, and it was high time to put up or shut up about it. I had a friend pick me up to go to the piercing studio. He was going to get some tattoo work done and asked me if I would accompany him. No problem – we spent about an hour picking out his design. Meanwhile, I was reassuring myself that I really did want to go through with my own body mod. Now, undergoing the Sundance is no trivial matter, rest assured, but I was far more nervous about this piercing for reasons that escape me. I've always looked forward to giving a piece of myself in the Sundance, but this wasn't about giving. This was about taking. Sure, there was even selfishness to getting this done, as I don't go shirtless in public. After all, there is supposed to be a certain modesty among those who undergo the dance, and those of us who do dance generally frown on those dancers who go s hirtless just to show off what they've done. This particular piercing was not something I intended to share with many people, at least not by simply showing the world my nips with metal in them while lounging at the swimming pool or what have you.
I decided to go for it. After all, I was already there at the studio, and I wasn't going to let the chance go to waste. I signed the paperwork, selected my jewelry, and listened attentively to the piercer as he explained the procedure and the aftercare instructions. I removed my shirt and lay on the table – the piercer was understandably curious about my scars on my chest, and I answered his questions as honestly as I could – and awaited the autoclave to finish its work.
Sundancing is very painful – make absolutely no mistake about that – but it's a good kind of pain, and that makes it an easier to withstand (at least for me). I could tell when the piercer clamped my left nipple that this was definitely not going to be the same experience. The clamp itself was hard to bear, and the needle going through, well, I did all I could not to scream bloody murder. I guess that was the dancer in me at work – one should bear the pain of the dance with courage. The right nipple was even worse, and just to make things interesting, my left nipple started bleeding freely while the right nipple was being pierced. It continued to do so off and on throughout the day, even forcing me to change and soak my shirt at one point. Back to the moment, my first thought after getting them done was, "What the hell have I gotten myself into???" Anyways, I paid what I owed for the service, plus a nice tip. The studio was immaculately clean, the personnel friendly, and the whole experience (other than the searing pain now throbbing through my chest) had been positive, so it was well earned.
Do I regret doing it? Not a chance. Were there any comments when I Sundanced later in the summer? Well, just a "nice nipples" comment from the Intercessor with a wide grin across his face. Actually, there were several other dancers who had done what I did, all for their own reasons. As for me, I now have a new appreciation for the Sundance, and I don't take for granted what it represents or what it is. It took a secular piercing, if you'll excuse the term, to help me realize the beauty of what my Native heritage is all about, and it was positive for me in every sense of the term. Like body piercing, Sundancing is definitely not for everyone, and I encourage those of you who have a need to do it to make the effort, but do so with the proper respect and reverence. Give the decision to pledge your flesh every careful thought you can. Learn what you need to know, and do so with respect and patience. Appreciate the dance for what it is, and appreciate the moment. It t ook me stepping away from spirituality to do that, and that is a journey that, in hindsight, did me more good than I could have realized at the time.