Pahuk and the Sacred Sites
Pahuk (hill island) is a sacred bluff on the south side of the Platte River near Cedar Bluffs, Nebraska. It is the foremost of the five nahurac lodges, where the animal spirit messengers of Tirawa gather. According to Pawnee legend, a young man once visited Pahuk seeking a vision. After four days of fasting, the animals spoke to him, teaching him the rituals of the Hako ceremony. The site is considered a place of great spiritual power where the boundary between the physical and spirit worlds is thin. The Pawnee made pilgrimages to Pahuk to offer prayers, seek healing, and receive guidance from