WE ARE ALL RELATED
Mitakuye Oyasin
By Silent Voices
Native American Connections Newsletter Lincoln High School, 2900 S Cliff Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD 57105 (605) 367-7990 • Newsletter link: https://issuu.com/naclhs
February 2020
Volume 4, Issue 2
Traditional Food has Traumatic Beginning
Tate’s Wife Banished from Family
History of Fry Bread is Not One of Happiness
He Cares for Five Sons Alone
By Janet Kolb Adviser I’ve been baking since I was eight-years old. I still remember the first thing I made on my own−honey cookies because I mixed up the leavening agents of baking soda and baking powder in the recipe. These didn’t turn out bad, it’s just that these were supposed be a crisp cookie (like a ginger snap) but ended up being a soft cookie. Baking for me is a time to bond with my sons and create memories. I have spent countless hours with my sons in the kitchen making food and creating memories. We have some great memories because of this, but not all foods invoke good remembrances. Our class (Visual Communications) has wanted to explore and make foods from the Native American culture for some time, because who doesn’t like to cook and eat. When I took on the adventure of teaching 20-plus students how to make fry bread (as it was the most requested food by the class) I decided that I needed to learn about the food, because I wanted my information and recipe to be accurate. Fry bread, according to the Smithsonian Magazine, has a painful history. It doesn’t represent joyous occasions of families gathered together in the kitchen sharing stories and making bread, like I have done with my sons, but one of a very painful Photo by Janet Kolb journey for the Navajo Indians. Students had the opportunity to get The tumultuous story that is dough on their hands by making fry bread. They fry bread as a lesson on embedded in this delightfully fluffy, exploring the food in their culture. golden brown bread that is often served as a component in an Indian taco finds its origins 156 years ago in 1864, when the Navajo Indians were pushed from their ancestral homelands to a reservation in present day New Mexico. According to the website crowcanyon.org, as many as 8,500 Navajo men, women and children made a 300-mile walk in the heart of winter from Arizona to the Bosque Redondo Reservation in New Mexico. For some Navajos the journey became 400 plus miles, because it depended upon their location when they surrendered to the U.S. Army. During this journey it is estimated that more than 200 Navajos died due to starvation and the harsh weather conditions along the way. The Navajos were provided rations of canned goods, white flour, (continued on Page 3, Reservation)
By Naven Foote Staff Writer (Editor’s Note: This is the continuing story of the Oceti Sakowin origin story.)
Tate (tah - teh) Skan’s (shkawn) companion, messenger, and spirit of the wind lived with his five sons upon the world. His wife, Anog Ite (ah - nog ee teh) was banished from their family, so Tate did all of the work around the house, taking care of his sons alone. Four of his sons grew older and became stronger, but his youngest, Yumnimni (yoom - nee meh - nee) or Yum (yoom), stayed like a child and never grew older. His first-born son, Yata (yah - tah), was sullen and ill-tempered. Eya (ay - yah), his second-born, was kind, friendly, and careless. His third-born, named Yanpa (yawn - pah), was lazy and self-centered. His second youngest son, Okaga (oh kah - gah), was caring and thoughtful. As Spirits, the four oldest sons are also known collectively as Tatuyetopa (tah - too - yeh - doe - pah), the Four Directions. Tate’s sons, other than Okaga and Yum, often went from the lodge to explore the world and returned in the evenings to eat and sleep. Okaga helped his father with collecting wood and water and preparing meals, often playing with Yum in his spare time. One day, when all of Tate’s sons were away, a star fell outside of the lodge. He stepped outside to see what it was, and a beautiful woman wearing a white dress was standing there. In her hands was a bundle with many colors and strange patterns. She said that she came from the sky, where the stars lived. Tate asked her where she was going, and she replied that her father had sent her to deliver a token to his companion. Tate knew then that the woman was Woope (wooh - oh - peh), Skan’s daughter. Tate invited her to live with him until she finds someone else, and he will be like a father to her. Woope accepted and they sat together in the lodge. Because Tate was naked, he took a skin to create clothing for himself, but Woope insisted that she do the woman’s work. She took the skin from him (continued on Page 6, Tate)
Mitakuye Oyasin
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Senior Profile: Shyann Little Star Zephier
Tribal Councils Create Laws
By Elizabeth Marks Staff Writer Q: What is something you admire about your parents/siblings? A: I admire how beautiful and strong my Mom is when things get tough, and my siblings’ selflessness to help the family out when in need. Q: When you were young, what did you imagine yourself becoming when you got older? A: I thought I would be a veterinarian.
Photo courtesy of Shyann Little Star Zephier
Shyann Little Star Zephier, senior at Lincoln High will miss walking the halls of Lincoln. “I will miss my friends in school and how we would mess around and talk. I will miss the familiarity of being part of a close-knit community,” Zephier said.
Tribes Have Own Government
Q: What is an accomplishment that makes you proud? A: I am proud of not giving up when I was down and for believing in myself.
Q: What are your plans after high school? A: I plan on going to W.I.T. or Mitchell Tech to study culinary arts. Q: What is your favorite high school memory? A: Going to the Indian Education Summit with Luisa, Delilah and Mrs. Martin to present on the newsletter. Q: Who will you miss most after you graduate? A: I will miss my friends and teachers the most. It’s cliché, but they are the ones who made my experience good. Q: Which class did you enjoy the most? A: My culinary arts class. Q: Which teacher do you admire and why? A: I admire Mrs. Martin and Mrs. Kolb the most. These teachers are always there to help and better the students. They are there for me when I want help or just to talk. Q: What was your favorite part about Lincoln? A: The diversity and how open the teachers are with students.
By Jahnessah Rondell Staff Writer Few people understand the government-togovernment relationship that Federally Recognized Tribes have with the United States government. According to Bureau of Indian Affairs website, currently there are 573 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes. The nine tribes in South Dakota are part of the 573 federally recognized tribes. So, what is the Federal Trust responsibility for American Indians and Alaska Natives? By its own legal actions in a case between the Seminole Nation versus the United States, 1942, the United States “has charged itself with moral obligations of the highest responsibility and trust” toward Indian tribes. Treaty obligations are considered “the supreme law of the land,” so it was through the treaty making process where Native nations agreed to cede millions of acres of land that a unique set of rights and conditions have developed between the United States Government and Federally Recognized Tribes. Therefore, those 573 recognized tribes are sovereign nations. Tribal sovereignty was part of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, in which the United States gave indigenous tribes the right to govern themselves. Alaska was overlooked at the time, but that error was corrected in 1936 giving Alaskan tribes the same rights under the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act. This means the Federally Recognized Tribes have their own governments. The tribes have developed their own constitutions similar to the United States Constitution. However, each tribe’s constitution is unique to its own needs to govern their tribe. Therefore, tribes do form their own governments, they make laws, have the power to enforce those laws, they determine and describe in their constitutions tribal membership (citizens of the tribe), they license and control activities that is under their jurisdiction, and can exclude people from their tribal lands as we recently have seen with the Oglala Sioux Tribe. However, some powers of selfgovernment were surrendered by the treaty agreements created with the United States. Tribal government is somewhat similar to the United States government. The executive branch of the tribes’ government has a president or a chairman, chairwoman or chairperson. The elected person presides over the legislative and executive branch. These individuals are elected, and most tribal reservation has established voting districts. Often times you will hear (continued on Page 3, Congress)
Mitakuye Oyasin
Page 3
Reservation Becomes an Internment Camp
Oceti Sakowin Camp Circles
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Seven Camp Circles Evolve
sugar and lard by the government to make this trek, hence the ingredients to make fry bread. According to the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, what was meant to be a reservation became an internment camp for the Navajos, as soldiers were posted outside of the area to prevent the Navajos from leaving the reservation area. The land was not fit for raising sheep or farming which plunged the Navajos into a meager existence. During the four years that they were confined to Bosque Redondo, 2,000 Navajos died due to disease and starvation and were buried in unmarked graves. Fry bread has been adopted by most indigenous tribes and has become embedded into their way of life, ever since the people moved onto the reservation lands. According to the nativepartnership.org website, the commodities (flour, sugar, lard) were not a typical part of the Navajo’s diet. Their traditional diet was rich in fresh vegetables, fruits and lean meats, and so brought on other consequences for the people, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. A brief survey of the class showed me that some of the students had not actually had the opportunity to make fry bread, but had seen their grandmothers, mothers or fathers make it. All of the students had made and eaten Indian Tacos with fry bread, but not everyone had the chance to pull up their sleeves and put their hands in the dough. So, in partnership with the foods Photo by Janet Kolb teacher Mrs. Michelle Powell The stretching of the dough shapes it to make a we were able to borrow the piece of fry bread. Freshman Lancelot Wells got his first experience with all the steps of making kitchen for two class periods fry bread in class. to make fry bread. If you search online there are literally hundreds of variations of fry bread recipes using anything from baking powder, yeast, evaporated milk and flour to make the dough. “I had seen my mom make fry bread, but this is the first time that I got to make it on my own. I felt like I could do anything. It was really satisfying to pull it apart and shape a piece to be fried,” said freshman Lancelot Wells. Growing up on the farm, my mom made eight loaves of bread every Saturday morning. I helped often, and at times I took on the job on my own, so with that knowledge, along with reading recipes online and limited time in mind, I decided to devise this recipe: 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons baking powder and a 1 cup whole milk. I put the dry ingredients in a zip lock bag, so that it could easily be poured into a bowl for (continued on Page 6, Hands-on)
By Lancelot Wells Editor The Oyates (a nation, tribe, or distinct group) are a direct tie to the origin story as the people came out of Wind Cave in the Paha Sapa “Black Hills” and moved to the Northeast. The Oceti Sakowin campfires evolved in the regions of the pines at the headwaters of the Mississippi River where the people could fish and harvest wild rice. The campfires were set up in a circle and arranged by tiospayes (tee ohsh pie yays), which means extended families. The original campfire was the Mdewakantonwan. Although no one knows for sure, it is believed that over time as the camp circle grew in numbers of people, that people would leave and develop a new campfire, and so on until ultimately seven campfires developed within the camp circle. According to the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, another version of the campfires is that the people were influenced by French fur traders that built their post at the mouth of the Blue River. It is believed that the Mdewakantonwans wanted to be closer to the trading posts, so a split occurred within the original camp circle. The sacredness of the number seven is achieved through the four directions (North, South, East, West), established by the four (up above), (continued on Page 5, Camp)
Congress has Plenary Power Over Tribes (continued from Page 2)
the legislative body called a tribal council. Individuals who can be elected is set out in the tribe’s constitution. These elected officials create laws, appropriate funds, authorizes expenditures, and are recognized by the Secretary of the Interior of the United States government. They have the authority to speak and act on behalf of the tribe to negotiate with federal, state and local governments. Another component of tribal sovereignty is that Congress has “plenary power” over Federally Recognized Tribes, therefore, Congress can ultimately pass legislation governing Native Americans even if it conflicts with established treaties. Tribes are considered “domestic dependent nations,” Congress has the authority to limit tribal sovereignty, and the judicial power is limited. Federal Indian policy will continue to evolve as it has over the last 240 plus years. Tribes are continually working towards more tribal sovereignty and will continue to work towards that goal.
Mitakuye Oyasin
Winter Counts Provide Historical Record Tribes Create Glyphs to Represent the Past By Carlus Marks Jr. Staff Writer Waniyetu Wowapi (Wan knee yay to Whoa wah pea) or winter count is a form of historical records for the Native people. Winter counts served as mnemonic devices to help them remember events that happened from the first snowfall of one year to the first snowfall of the next year. Winter counts are still recorded by tribes today. Winter counts were recorded on hide, cloth, or paper. It was made of pictographs. The pictograph is a drawing that symbolized what was considered the most important event that occurred during the winter count year. A pictograph on a winter count can be anything, such as, battles, the birth of a child, or a new leader being chosen. The image could be anything that was important to the tiospaye; (tee ohsh pie yay) “or extended family.” Winter counts would be kept by a keeper. The keeper is the individual Image from the Plains Indian Museum, Buffalo Bill Center of the West that creates This winter count glyph, which is drawn and painted on muslin, is the glyphs on display at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in the Plains for the Indian Culture Museum in Cody, WY. It was created by Lone Dog, winter count Sioux, for the years of 1800-1871. and draws it on the chosen media. When a keeper is unable to continue his duties, he would pass the tradition to his son. He had the job of ensuring that the fading winter counts were either recolored or when the cloth was torn, they created a new copy. The keeper would recount the events of each of the glyphs and orally tell the story for each one to the tiospaye. The most important job of the tiospaye is to remember the events. It is done with seriousness and treated with respect. A winter count could tell an individual what happened when they were alive and tell what happened with their ancestors. At the end of each year the elders would meet to discuss and remember the events that happened for the year and chose one particular event to serve as a historical reminder. The year would then be named after the chosen event. After the most important event is chosen, the keeper would draw the glyph for that year. Keepers were also the storytellers; they would teach about the past events on the winter count. Nowadays, old winter counts are used to study the culture of the Native people and their history. The winter counts were a very important tradition for the Native people. The Winter Count was told orally by the keeper so all the people of the tiospaye would know who (continued on Page 8, Glyphs)
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Iroquois Impacted U.S. Constitution The Great Peace Maker Created Democracy By Janet Fleming-Martin Adviser In October of 1988, the United States Congress recognized and acknowledged that the Iroquois Confederacy of Nations contributed to the development of the United States Constitution. This recognition was part of the action of congress to reaffirm the government-to-government relationships between American Indian tribes and the United States. Through information provided by the Oneida website, there are seven concurrent resolutions. Simply stated these resolutions detailed that the United States acknowledged the historical debt owed to the Iroquois Confederacy for their 1) democratic principles of government, 2) reaffirmed and recognized the government-to-government relationship with Tribes, 3) specifically acknowledged was the United States’ obligation to Tribes for preservation, protection and enhance, including governmental responsibility for the social and economic well-being of tribal cultural, and 4) Congress acknowledged the need to exercise the utmost good faith in upholding its Treaties with tribes. In 1142, the oldest living democracy on earth was created by the Great Peacemaker of the Iroquois Confederacy. The founders of the 13 colonies adopted many of the democratic principles that were established by the Iroquois Confederacy. The Iroquois Confederacy (Six Nations) call themselves the Haudenosaunee, (hoo-dee-nohSHAW-nee). When the Europeans came to meet the Haudenosaunee there were over 5,000 people living in this sophisticated society. Originally, the Iroquois/Haudenosaunee consisted of five nations, Mohawk/Kanienkehaka, Onondaga/Cayuga, Oneida, Seneca, and the Tuscarora nation migrated into Iroquois country in 1722. Once these nations came together there were constant conflicts. These wars weakened all five of the societies. Together the Great Peacemaker and Hiawatha, chief of the Onondaga tribe discussed how to bring peace between the five nations. Then, they both traveled to all the five nations to discuss their ideas for peace. Hiawatha presented the Great Law of Peace to the five nations and the nations decided to be united into a “League of Nations,” the Iroquois Confederacy. From that union the Iroquois Confederacy Constitution evolved. Each of the five nations maintained their own leadership, but agreed that common causes to all five nations would be decided by the (continued on Page 5, Canassatego)
Mitakuye Oyasin
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Camp Circle Order and Place of Honor Changes
Canassatego Encourages Colonies to Unite
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quadruplet brothers according to the origin narrative of the people, as well as the combination of Wakan Tanka (wah kon tawn ka) “the great incomprehensible” Maka (mah kuh) “mother earth” (down below), and the center, “the spiritual self” combines to create the sacred number seven. According to historical information gained from the Oceti Sakowin Origins and Development Handbook, there are seven original Oyates. Looking at the image of the current camp circle, you will see there is an oinapa (oh e naw paw) “entrance.” Movement from southeast to northeast are the Ihanktonwan (Ee-HAWNK-tone-wahn) “Camps at End” is located to the northeast, Sisitonwan (See-SEE-tone-wahn) “Fish Village” is located to the north, Mdewakantonwan (Muh-daywah-KAHN-tone-wahn) “Spirit Lake Village” is located to the northwest, Titonwan (TEE-tone-wahn) “Prairie Village” is located to the west in the place of honor, Wahpekute (Wah-PAY-cooh-tay) “Leaf Shooter” is located to the southwest, Wahpetonwan (WahPAY-tone-wahn) “Leaf Village'' is located to the south, Ihanktonwanna (Ee-HAWNK-tone-wahn-naw) “Little Camps at End” is located to the southeast. Order from oldest to youngest is the Mdewakantonwan, Wahpekute, Wahpetonwan, and Sisitonwan (Dakota), Ihanktonwan and Ihanktonwanna (Nakota), and Titonwan (Lakota). The Oyates still exist today and the Oceti Sakowin (in the past referred to as Sioux a derogatory name) people often refer to themselves by the name of their Oyate. Many Dakota people reside in the east side of South Dakota, Nakota people are located mostly in central South Dakota, yet on the east side of the Graphic by Janet Kolb Mni Sosa (mini so sa) “Missouri River,” and the Lakota people located west of the Mni Sosa in western South Dakota. Probably due to the abundance of food (the buffalo), the Lakotas increased by many numbers, therefore, they created under the Titonwan Oyate, seven separate Oyates.
Grand Council of Chiefs. The concept decided on peace and consensus of the five nations versus contention and fighting. In 1744, Onondaga leader Canassatego gave a speech to the 13 colonies to unite as the Iroquois had done. Benjamin Franklin printed Canassatego’s speech. Through these contacts, the U.S. developed the United States Constitution. From the Iroquois Confederacy and the Great Law of Peace, the following Articles of the United States Constitution when written, incorporated very similar verbiage as the Great Law of Peace. Article I, Section 6, Clause 2, Article II, Section 4, Article I, Article I, Section 8, Clause 11, and the balance of power of the United States Constitution can be compared by looking at the information found in an article by South Dakota Public Broadcasting, “How the Iroquois Great Law of Peace Shaped U.S. Democracy.”
Trivia Question In what year and which state did Congress pass a bill creating the only “institution for insane Indians” in the United States? (Answer available in next issue)
Historical Calendar of Events Compiled by Kaden Taylor
February February 2, 1887: Law is passed that prohibits the use of Indian languages in schools. February 2, 1945: The Shoshone and Arapaho tribes of the Wind River Reservation ceded a large part of their reservation to the United States. February 10, 1890: The South Dakota “land grab” takes place. Parts of the Great Sioux Reservation is opened to settlers. February 16, 1863: Congress by Act of February 16, 1863, repealed all treaties between the Sisseton and Wahpeton Bands of the Sioux Indians. This Act forfeited their lands and rights of occupancy within the state of Minnesota.
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Mitakuye Oyasin Hands-on Activity Gives Cultural Experience
Tate Finds Companionship with Woope
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mixing and have the milk added during class. It was important to be efficient. The batch would make eight pieces of fry bread. I created six bags of the dry ingredients, which gave the class 48 pieces of fry bread. This gave a quick, no-rise bread that would puff up when dropped into the hot oil, mimicking a raised dough. Once in the kitchen, students gathered their mix and a bowl and went to work making the bread. It was fun to watch them as they mixed the flour with the milk and divided out the dough to their group members to shape into a piece of fry bread. We set up two frying stations, in which several Photo by Delilah Rouse of the students fried the Freshman Kaden Taylor oversees the frying of the bread, who had made it fry bread. “I grew up with my mom and grandma previously with their making fry bread almost daily. It was fun to make it families. with the group, because I felt like I achieved “It was fun to make fry something,” said freshman Kaden Taylor. bread in class. I used to make it with my grandmother when I was younger, but I don’t get to see her anymore. This brought back some memories of making fry bread with her,” said freshman Noah Whiteshirt. We made 48 perfect pieces of fry bread. While the shapes may not have been perfect, the bread was perfect because the students got to make it, and we did it as a class together. They got the chance to learn about a cuisine that is present in their lives, and while there are many different recipes, it makes a connection to a much larger plight for the Native population. The students enjoyed eating the bread with Wojapi (woah – zjah pee), which is warm cooked berries. We took the time to enjoy the fruits of our labor and socialize, a large component of the Native American culture. Photo by Delilah Rouse “It was fun to make fry bread. I Cooking fry bread takes a keen eye to make sure that it doesn't get to brown. “I’ve made never actually got to make and manipulate it with my family. I fry bread with my family, but this was fun to do with my classmates,” said freshman have only watched it being Jahnessah Rondell. made by family members. So, to actually get to make it was fun,” said freshman Elizabeth Marks.
and from the bundle took a sharp stone to cut the skin into strange shapes. She then took a pointed awl and thread of sinew and sewed the pieces together, creating a robe. Wearing the robe, Tate was comfortable and no longer embarrassed. When evening came, Tate’s three sons returned to the lodge. When they opened the door flap and saw a strange woman sitting with their father, the three oldest sat outside of the lodge and looked at the ground. When Okaga returned, he asked why they were sitting outside, and they said that their father had been bewitched. Yum went inside and saw that the woman was friendly, so he snuggled up to her and was content. Okaga entered the lodge and saw that his father was happy, so he sat and watched Woope, but she did not look at him. The other brothers stayed outside. When the brothers complained of no food, Woope told Tate that she shall do the woman’s work, and fire and hot stones suddenly appeared in the fireplace. In her cooking bag was water, and when she placed the hot stones Image drawn by Naven Foote into the cooking bag, she announced that the Woope used her bundle to make a meal for Tate and his food was ready. Tate sons. The bundle contained called to his sons to different kinds of items. come and eat, but Yata and Eya refused. Yanpa, however, was hungry and wanted to eat. He went inside the lodge and sat at his place. Again, Tate called for his sons, but Yata still refused. Eya changed his mind and thought the woman might be friendly, so he went inside and sat at his place. Tate asked Yata to join them, and he did so reluctantly. He saw that his brothers were alright and looked at Woope. She smiled at him and he sat next to his father, refusing to take his eyes off of her as he did not trust her. Woope asked Tate what he would like to eat, and he asked for soup and liver. She took a bowl and platter from her bundle and poured soup into the bowl from her cooking bag and placed liver on the platter. She asked Yata the same, and he wanted soup, meat, both fat and lean, (continued on Page 7, Okaga)
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Mitakuye Oyasin
Page 7
Men’s Traditional Dance is Popular
Okaga is Haunted by Woope’s Beauty
Dance Honors Warrior or Hunter
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By Halo St. Pierre Staff Writer (Editor’s Note: This is the third story in a series on Native American dance.)
The Men’s Traditional Dance was symbolic of warriors who had returned from hunting or a battle. The warriors used the dance to tell their stories of the hunt or battle to their Oyates. This is a popular dance at powwows. According to the stjo.org website this dance was reserved for an elder who had won the right to carry eagle feathers. Over time the men’s traditional dance has evolved to include dancers of all ages. The steps in the traditional dance are a combination of steps used in other native dances. According to the website nativepridearts.org, the traditional dance combines the steps from the crow hop and sneak up dances. Throughout the dance a dancer will crouch down close to the ground and stand up to the beat of the drum. The dance replicates the movements of the hunter as he fights the enemy or hunts for game. The pieces of the regalia can include a bustle, a roach, armbands, a fan or a staff and sometimes bells on the National Museum of the American Indian Photo ankles of the dancers. The The regalia for the traditional men’s dance elders usually carry a staff. can vary based on the dancer. The dance The bustle is made up of represents the connection between nature and the dancer. feathers that are attached together and worn on the lower back of the dancer at the waistline. The bustle is symbolic of the relationships between the dancer, the Great Spirit and nature. According to traditionanativehealing.com the bustle is made of eagle feathers. The eagle is sacred in Native culture as it is believed that it has a connection to the Creator. As the eagle soars it delivers the prayers to the Creator. The roach, which is the headdress, can be made from porcupine, moose, horse or white-tailed deer hair. According to stjo.org website, some of the headdresses are handed down through the generations and may be over 100 years old.
Learn Lakota Lakota English Waŋhíŋkpe (wahn - heenk - peh) Arrow Itázipa (ee - tah - zee - pah) Bow Uŋžíŋžiŋtka (oong - zjeeng - zjeeng – teh - kah) Wild Rose SkúyA (sku - yah) Sweet Akétopa (ah – keh – doe – pah) Fourteen Compiled by Rawhide Hulit
as well as wild rice. From her bundle she produced a bowl and a platter, and from her cooking bag provided the requested food. She did this for each of the other brothers except for Okaga and Yum. For Okaga she took a small bowl from her bundle and put a little food in it, telling Yum to give it to Okaga. The sons remarked that the food Okaga was given smelled exceptionally delicious, but Okaga stayed quiet and looked at the small bowl of food. As his brothers ate heartily of their food, and Yum and Woope shared small snacks, he tasted his food and found that it tasted good. He ate much of it, but the amount of food in his bowl never depleted. He ate until he was full, but there was the same amount of food in the bowl as when he first started. All of the sons, except for Okaga, wished and begged her to stay with them and be their sister. Tate was pleased to hear this and told the four oldest brothers to go from the lodge and sleep someplace else, as it is improper to sleep in the same place as their sister. When the brothers exited the lodge, they saw a second lodge nearby already containing four beds and robes for the brothers. Because Yata was first-born, he chose where to sleep first, and chose his place at the place of honor. The others chose their places beside him, but Okaga did not enter the lodge. Instead, he sat by the water and played pleasing music with his flute. Woope was sitting with Yum in the other lodge and listened to the music from Okaga. Yum asked her why she listens, and Woope said she was listening to the music of her beloved. Yum told her that he loved her very much, and Woope said she loved him like a brother, and that Okaga will teach him the music of love. Yum shall be the spirit of love, even though he will always be childish. As Okaga sat alone by the water, he gazed at Hanwi (hawn – wee), the moon, and cried to her, telling her that he believed Woope was the most beautiful being. He felt miserable and went to the lodge and slept inside by the door. In the morning, Okaga saw that his father already had food and water in the lodge, so he did not know what to do. When all of the sons were in the lodge, Woope served them food as she had done before, and the brothers, except for Okaga, wished for her to stay with them forever. When Okaga did not say anything, his brothers looked at him expectantly, but he went away to be alone. When Yum followed him and asked why he did not speak to Woope, (continued on Page 8, Woope)
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Mitakuye Oyasin
Editor’s Corner No More Excuses for the 7th Generation Drugs and Alcohol have No Place in the Future By Everett Shangreaux Staff Writer The usage rate of alcohol is unusually high in South Dakota. According to the South Dakota Substance Abuse Epidemiological Profile Spring 2012 statistics show that Native Americans are much higher in all the indicators studied. Indicators mentioned in the study are (all death statistics): illicit drug use, cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and emphysema, homicide, chronic liver disease, lung cancer, and suicide. The average age for Native youths to start drinking is 11 and for whites it is 12 according to this study in South Dakota. What are the reasons for these high rates of alcohol and drug use? In the Journal of Human Rights, the study, The Destruction of Identity: Cultural Genocide and Indigenous People, it discusses that the “destruction of indigenous culture may result in emotional and psychological injury that is transmitted intergenerationally, resulting in unresolved grief, depression, low self-esteem, and anger. The resulting emotional injury in turn Image drawn by Everett Shangreaux leads to self-destructive behaviors Everett connects the Medicine Wheel that include drug and alcohol colors to his love of basketball. He uses this as a guide to live his life. abuse.” In my opinion, Natives use intergenerational trauma as an excuse to abuse drugs and alcohol. So, I ask my generation, ‘Why would you want to use drugs and alcohol to help alleviate the pain of the past?’ Learning our history should be a steppingstone to building a better community within our families, we should not allow the past to dictate our future. We should not use drugs and alcohol to blot out the past. We should instead face it, come to terms with it, and find a way to build a future from it. We need to follow a path of strong and healthy ways to live our lives according to the social customs, spiritual beliefs and ways of life that are healthy. We were a strong society that was there for each other and everyone had a tiospaye to support all of the people and the children. We need to build this back. This is a crucial time for the seventh generation to revitalize their cultural beliefs and customs. We need no more excuses; we need to be leaders and change the destructive habits that have been developed over the last 150 years. I do not support using excuses, I believe in living a good life, getting an education and working hard to turn this around. I could be one of those people that uses excuses, but I choose not to allow myself to become a statistic. I’m going to graduate and I’m going to make a difference in this beautiful place, called Maka, that we live.
Bread is a Symbol of Native Survival (continued from Page 6)
So, while fry bread may provide taste bud sensations when served with taco fixings, coated with cinnamon and sugar, or dipped in honey or fruit, the story behind fry bread gives a different outlook on the food. It is symbolic of the strength and endurance that the Navajo people had during a time of great tribulation. It is no surprise that fry bread is often served at Native American gatherings, because in many ways it represents the survival of the Native population.
Woope Promises Happiness to Yum (continued from page 7)
Okaga responded harshly and told him to leave him alone. Yum cried and went to Woope and told her what Okaga had done. Woope told him not to worry and that Okaga was not angry at him. She told Yum that she will comfort him, and they will be happy together.
Glyphs Show History to Future Generations (continued from Page 4)
they were, where they came from, and their history. Historically the “keepers” of the winter counts were male. Today, females will keep winter counts, usually as journals. These serve as a memory of the past of our people. It provides a way to look back on how our ways changed through the generations. The people came up with this idea so future generations could learn from the past. As long as this tradition is kept alive by the tiospaye, it will preserve the Native history for future generations to learn about events from the past. Mitakuye Oyasin Editors: Kaden Taylor and Lancelot Wells Writers: Halo St. Pierre, Everett Shangreaux, Carlus Marks Jr., Rawhide Hulit, Naven Foote, Elizabeth Marks, Jahnessah Rondell Nameplate Designer: Rawhide Hulit Advisers: Janet Fleming-Martin and Janet Kolb Principal: Dr. Laura Raeder Mitakuye Oyasin is a monthly newsletter which covers topics taught in the Native American Connections class. Students use the newsletter as an extension of the class content, in which they research the branches of the class curriculum. Students research, write, and edit stories to create a better understanding of their culture. The newsletter is produced in the partner class Visual Communications.