Introduction

Contents

Author’s Notes and Acknowledgments . . . ix

Introduction . . . 1

Chapter I: The Funeral . . . 5 Chapter II: The Early Years . . . 9 Chapter III: Heritage . . . 19 Chapter IV: Marriage and Family Life . . . 39 Chapter V: Alaska . . . 45 Chapter VI: Tribal Colleges . . . 59 Chapter VII: Freelance Years . . . 73 Chapter VIII: Reservation Life . . . 89 Chapter IX: Her Family . . . 95 Chapter X: Friends and Neighbors . . . 105 Chapter XI: Th ˇawáčhiŋ Wašté Wíŋ: Compassionate Woman . . . 111

Chapter XII: Mobridge Tribune . . . 117 Chapter XIII: Bolivia and Peru . . . 133 Chapter XIV: Patricia and the Bahá’í Faith . . . 145

Chapter XV: Her Passing . . . 159

Chapter XVI: Distinctions . . . 167 Chapter XVII: Tributes and Remembrances . . . 175 Epilogue . . . 195 Glossary of Lakota Words . . . 203 Brief Guide to Pronunciation . . . 207 Notes . . . 219 Bibliography . . . 222 Index . . . 223

Introduction

A blistering sun hung in the sky over the Standing Rock Reservation and shadows of clouds drifted over the prairie. Yellow butter·ies ·uttered in the grass, meadowlarks in the sky. Pat, who we called Unchi (Uŋčí, meaning grandmother), pointed to a distant butte where medicine men would take young men for days of fasting and praying to receive a vision from the Creator. The air was light and clear over the long green hills, over the Grand River, where Sitting Bull and the Hunkpapa once camped; clear all the way out to Bear Butte, a favored place of Crazy Horse.

“As generations come and go, some change is natural,” said Unchi. “Evolution is a part of life. But we must resist the sudden intrusive changes that are imposed upon us. As indigenous people, we have to articulate what we mean by change, de³ne what we perceive as essential to our way of life. We can’t blindly accept what others call progress. Our people were warriors. And we must be warriors again. We must ³ght these changes forced on our way of life.”

Unchi grew quiet. A meadowlark hopped toward us and a hawk swooped by in a long graceful arc, alighted for a moment on a rock, and then lifted lightly into the air, gliding away over the rim of a hill. “You know, we’re not just ³ghting for the Lakota,” said Unchi, turning toward me. “We have to ³ght for everyone now, and for all creatures.”

Pat Locke was as warm and loving as anyone I’ve ever known. She was also a ³erce, unyielding warrior, descended from a long line of men and women who gave their lives for their people. The great

Introduction

chiefs and visionaries of the past were not just legends to her, but a real presence in her life, and from them she drew courage and vision.

Near the end of his life, with many battles behind him and the burden of dark times upon his people, Sitting Bull said, “Let’s get our minds together and do something good for the children.” As if this great spirit was at her side or working through her, this became the heart of Unchi’s lifework. This impulse to help young people sprang naturally from her great love for her own children and grandchildren; and it ·owed out like ripples on a pond to reach young people she would never meet. In this biography, you’ll see how she became the moving force for founding community colleges that give young Native Americans the skills and con³dence they need to make their way in this rapidly changing world.

Di¹cult times have a way of producing great leaders, and Unchi battled on many di¹cult and challenging fronts. In addition to founding colleges for Native Americans, she fought for religious freedom and the sacred sites of Native Americans. She became a leader of the Bahá’í Faith. She fought for tribal land rights and for a healthy environment for every person and every creature. Close to home, she worked tirelessly to foster respect between Indians and non-Indians. At international forums, she spoke out for Indigenous rights and for the rights of women.

There were many facets to Unchi’s life—some public, others very private. Some who knew her well may read this book and say “Yes, but she was more than this.” And they are right for her spirit was too vast, too sweet and ³erce and timeless to be con³ned in passages and pages of a book. Yet, John Kolstoe’s carefully researched and crafted biography gives us a much-needed introduction to this remarkable woman.

Over the course of her life, Unchi received many honors, including the prestigious McArthur Fellowship and being cited as the most e²ective Native American leader of the twentieth century. Yet, to the end she remained grounded in who she was as a Lakota woman. She loved nothing more than to be with her family. I remember a summer evening when she and her extended family walked down to