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A World of Variety: Lakota (Siouxan)
Posted Fri, February 20, 2009 - 8:29 PM
language, nativeamerica
Extent of the Siouxan language family
Lakota is probably the most iconic Native American culture. The painted warriors on galloping horses, feathered headdresses, long braids, and itinerant tepees of TV and movies all owe their origin to the indigenous cultures of the northern Great Plains.
In presettlement times, tribes in other areas occasionally shared one or more of these characteristics, but only out of practicality, imitation, or the trends of fashion. However, in the 20th century many of these iconic trappings have been adopted by first nations all over North America, as a way of distinguishing and celebrating their cultural roots.
Although the Plains dwellers were famously nomadic, each still had a loosely defined "home range". The Lakota, who included such famous names as Sitting Bull, Black Elk and Crazy Horse, were centered in western South Dakota. The Santee Dakota ranged eastward into Minnesota (Mni-so-ta; "sky-tinted water") and, in fact, have given names to at least three states! Throughout the middle of the 19th century, Minnesota was the site of territorial and cultural clashes between the Dakota (primarily in the south and west), the Anishinaabe (primarily in the north and east), and European settlers, culminating in the shameful Dakota War of 1862. After that loss, the Dakota were forced west towards the settlement frontier, and European expansion followed apace up through the end of the 19th century.
This reminds me that I should post about my 2007 visit to the Wounded Knee memorial site. It was surprisely emotional for someone who has no direct link to the events of the time, familial or otherwise.
But on a lighter note, here's a Lakota story, an excerpt from "The Man Who Was Rescued By Eagles." I'm not sure who's voicing the story - the source page doesn't say.
Ho, héčheš waná kákhena manílkiya wáŋžu kičʼíŋ yá-hiŋ na waná tĥáĥča wanŋ ó na há kiŋ ečé yúziŋ na heháŋl wazí čhúŋšoke kiŋ mahél wákhil inážiŋ ománi-haŋ.
Yuŋkĥáŋ wanŋkál tuwá čhéya sʼeléčheča čha atúŋwaŋ-haŋ yuŋkĥáŋ maĥpíya kiŋ ektá tĥaŋíŋ šni kiŋyáŋ úŋ.
Yuŋkĥáŋ: "Lé táku huŋwó?" ečhíŋ nážiŋ-hiŋ na waná mayá waŋ táŋwaŋkatúya éna khútakiya kaóĥya háŋ čha khútkiya étuŋwaŋ nážiŋ-haŋ.
Yuŋkĥáŋ táku kiŋ hotĥúŋ-he čʼuŋ waná khútkiya okáwiŋĥya kasʼá ú.
Yuŋkĥáŋ waŋblí čha ú kéyapi.
And overhead he thought he heard someone crying, so he stood looking for it, and whatever it was circling about high in the clouds.
So he thought, "What can it be?" And now he came to a very high cliff which stood sloping slightly downward. So he stood looking down into it, and behold, that thing which had been crying out overhead was no sweeping downward, sailing with steady wings, coming down in a spiral.
And it was an eagle.
(from Bushotter's Texts)