Editing Vision quest (section)

{{Short description|Rite of passage in some Native American cultures}}
{{other uses|Vision Quest (disambiguation)}}

A '''vision quest''' is a [[rite of passage]] in some [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] [[Classification of indigenous peoples of the Americas|cultures]]. Individual Indigenous cultures have their own names for their rites of passage. "Vision quest" is an English-language [[umbrella term]], and may not always be accurate or used by the cultures in question. 
 
Among Native American cultures who have this type of rite, it usually consists of a series of [[Ceremony|ceremonies]] led by [[North American Indigenous elder|elders]] and supported by the young person’s community.<ref name=yellow>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/yellowwolfhisown002070mbp |title=Yellow Wolf: His Own Story |last=McWhorter|first=Lucullus Virgil |year=1940|publisher=Caxton Printers, Ltd |location=Caldwell, ID|pages=[https://archive.org/details/yellowwolfhisown002070mbp/page/n333 295]–300}}</ref> The process includes a complete [[fasting|fast]] for four days and nights, alone at a [[Sacred space|sacred site]] in nature which is chosen by elders for this purpose.<ref name=yellow/> Some communities have used the same sites for many generations. During this time, the young person prays and cries out to the spirits that they may have [[Vision (spirituality)|a vision]], one that will help them find their [[purpose in life]], their [[Social role|role in a community]], and how they may best serve the People.<ref name=yellow/> Dreams or visions may involve [[Religious symbol|natural symbolism]] – such as animals or forces of nature – that require [[Dream interpretation|interpretation]] by elders.<ref name=yellow/> After their passage into adulthood, and guided by this experience, the young person may then become an apprentice or student of an adult who has mastered this role.<ref name=yellow/>
 
When talking to [[Yellow Wolf (Nez Perce)|Yellow Wolf]], [[Lucullus Virgil McWhorter]] came to believe that the person fasts, and stays awake and concentrates on their quest until their mind becomes "comatose."<ref name=yellow/> It was then that their [[Weyekin]] ([[Nez Perce people|Nez Perce]] word) revealed itself.<ref name=yellow/>