Lakota (Sioux) Indians and Creation

1543 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: effects of religion on culture

The Lakota Indians, are sometimes known as the Sioux, but they call themselves the Lakota, which is translated as ‘friend’ or ‘ally’ in their native tongue. Their description of themselves make sense when looking at their seven virtues that they live by, “These are Wóčhekiye (Prayer), Wóohola (Respect), Wówauŋšila (Compassion), Wówičakȟe (Honesty), Wówačhaŋtognaka (Generosity), Wówaȟwala (Humility) and Wóksape (Wisdom) (“Lakota Today”). A culture’s idea of the most importance qualities a good person should have gives a good idea of what kind of people they are. The Lakota’s virtues all revolve around a general concept of respect for everything, compassion, humility, and honesty. These things can either refer to their fellow man, or everything else in existence. This notion of universal respect comes from their creation story and how the Creator, is in everything. Jace DeCory says, “If you don’t have that philosophical base… the Lakota base of how we look at the world, then there’s a little bit missing from you as a person (DeCory). The importance of religious identity for the Lakota people is told explicitly here. The creation story and emergence tale later described, are what the Lakota people’s entire religion is based on. All religions begin with how the world came into being, and therefore the story of creation is the birth of their faith. Their story of emergence gives them their identity, it tells where they as a people came from, and how they are to survive and behave. The Lakota Creation story tells the origin of the world, the living creatures that inhabit it, and the Buffalo people. The story begins with Inyan, the creator, a being so powerful that nothing else could exist but him. Then Inyan separated a part of its... ... middle of paper ... ...ality. Youtube, 2011. Web. 8 Apr 2014. . Miho, Aida, dir. Oglala Lakota Women and Buffalo. Perf. Charlotte Black Elk, Monica Terkildsen, Doris Respects Nothing, Katela Herakasapa, and Dir. . Youtube, 2013. Film. 8 Apr 2014. . Halsey, Nick, dir. Lakota Wisdom Keepers. 2008. Web. 8 Apr 2014. . Hollow Horn Bear, Duane, perf. Duane Hollow Horn Bear - Essential Understanding Bald Eagle, David, perf. David Bald Eagle - Essential Understanding Neihardt, John G. Black Elk Speaks. New York City: Washignton Square Press, Print. "Lakota Today." Red Cloud Indian School. Red Cloud Indian School. Web. 9 Apr 2014. . DeCory, Jace , perf. Jace DeCory pt 1 Language and Identity - Essential Understanding

Show More
Related

  • The Sioux Indians And The Sioux Tribe Of Native Americans

    952 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Sioux Indians are a tribe of Native Americans that have endured persecution, segregation, and isolation. Though they suffered greatly, they stuck together and fought for their beliefs and religion. They are a diverse people ranging from warriors to holy men to farmers. The Sioux were a culturally rich and kindhearted people who were not afraid to stand up for what they believed in.

    Read More

  • Black Elk Speaks

    1275 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sioux as told through John G. Neihardt, an Indian boy then a warrior, and Holy Man

    Read More

  • Similarities Between African And Native American Culture

    686 Words  | 2 Pages

    Native American culture, according to William Youngs, A Question for Harmony, the Native American origins beginnings started with endless space. Tawa, the Sun Spirit, impregnated Mother Earth, creating the First World. The First World was inhabited by insect-like creatures. These creatures continuously argued to understand the meaning of life. These creatures then fell victim to the sorcerer's, upsetting Tawa so Tawa created ‘Spider Grandmother’. Spider Grandmother led the insect-like creatures to the Second World. The insects grew hair and fur on their bodies and took places as dogs, wolves, or bears.

    Read More

  • Life in the Ottawa Tribe

    1218 Words  | 3 Pages

    This paper addresses the results of interviews, observations, and research of life in the Ottawa tribe, how they see themselves and others in society and in the tribe. I mainly focused on The Little River Band of Ottawa Indian tribe. I researched their languages, pecking order, and interviewed to discover the rituals, and traditions that they believe in. In this essay I revealed how they see themselves in society. How they see other people, how they see each other, what their values were, what a typical day was etc. I initially suspected that I would have got different responses from these questions but in reality the results in the questions were almost completely the same. I studied this topic because mostly all the people that are close to me are associated in the Ottawa tribe. I additionally love the Native American culture, I feel it is beautiful and has a free concept.

    Read More

  • Reciprocity among Cherokees and Apaches

    1586 Words  | 4 Pages

    Far from the Apache, on the opposite side of the continent, the Cherokee nation was a southeastern tribe that, at their peak, spanned mu...

    Read More

  • Sacrifice In The Lakota Way

    862 Words  | 2 Pages

    The three parts of Joseph Marshall’s The Lakota Way that are the most important are love, sacrifice, and bravery. All three are a part of an average person’s life and are virtues people admire, worldwide. Love, the most important of the virtues, is an emotion, that is shown in unique ways; it is shared between parent and child, between spouses, and between friends. Sacrifice is an action word, that comes from within yourself, just like love, people sacrifice in unique ways. The final important virtue is bravery; bravery is a big step, it shows how much courage one has, how much strength they can put into something horrifying, hard, or somber. These are values that are a part of Lakota culture, and they are respected and practiced everyday.

    Read More

  • The Sioux Creation Story Summary

    413 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Sioux Creation Story is an native american tale about how the world was created. It is based upon the idea that the humanity needed to be destroyed and recreated because of the not so good actions they were committing. The story focuses on particular traditions in the native american culture.

    Read More

  • Iroquois Creation Myths

    613 Words  | 2 Pages

    The pagan creation myth of the Iroquois “The World on the Turtle’s Back” similitude to the Christian beliefs of Earth’s creation in the book of Genesis. “In the beginning there was no world, no land, no creatures of the kind that are around us, and there were no men.” This phrase indicates that Iroquois also believed that at the beginning of Earth’s formation there was nothing. These beliefs are very similar to the accounts in the Bible. “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth.” “Now the Earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (Genesis 1:1-2) In the first paragraph the Iroquois show that they believe in gods who live in the sky. Just like Christians believe in the almighty God creator of Earth. Humans, Christian or pagan have always sought to believe in a higher power that is in charge of life and shaping Earthly creatures of the natural world (existence).

    Read More

  • Cherokee Medicine: The Medicine Wheel

    1094 Words  | 3 Pages

    2. Garrett J. Meditations with the Cherokee: Prayers, Songs and Stories of Healing and Harmony. Rochester, VT. Bear and Company; 2001.

    Read More

  • Iroquois Creation Story And Red Jacket: The Iroquois Creation Story

    743 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Iroquois creation story showcases their conviction on how the world started. Ironically, the Natives were oblivious to other creation stories, particularly the Genesis Christian creation story that appears to be absurdly similar to the Iroquois one. In addition, both stories shared an idea of a round figure that created the earth. The Genesis states “Then God commanded, “Let there be a dome to divide the water and to keep it in two separate places”—and it was done.” (Genesis 1:6-7) Whereas the Iroquois describes “After a time the turtle increased to a great Island and the infants were grown up—” (22) The Norton Anthology of American Literature enunciates that the Native Americans were people of the spoken word rather than the written one which is how their religion was propagated generation to generation. One can read, “There is, however, no actual transcription and translation of an Iroquois cosmogonic myth by a Native person until that of David Cusick—” (20) Seeing as the Natives stuck to an oral tradition, their manner of speaking was parallel to their way of believing. Due to their re can be exhibited in Red Jacket’s speech as a personification of their traditions, he remarked, “our seats were once large, and yours were very small; you have now become a great people, and we have scarcely a place left to spread our blankets; you have got our country, but are not satisfied; you want to force your religion upon us.” (230) the quote ideally represents the Natives’ graciousness and tolerance of

    Read More

  • Lakota Indians

    1587 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout North American expansion the Lakota people have suffered some of the worst and straight forward persecutions against Native American Indians, and live in some of the poorest if not the poorest conditions in the United States. This is sad for a people who use to be one of the strongest nations in the Central Plains, feared by white men and other Indian nations alike for their ferocity and warrior abilities in the heat of battle. The Lakota arrived at positions of dominance because of their success in controlling live¬stock, land, trading rights, and people. Wars for conquest were motivated principally by these practical considerations, not driven by aggressive instincts. Their success in this respect rested on significant socioeconomic transformations in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Lakota adapted their traditional way of life to an equestrian buffalo-hunting economy which followed the herds around the plains and expanded their territory. Because of this the Lakota experi¬enced political and social decentralization during their movement onto the prairies in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Some political consolida¬tion occurred during the nineteenth century, but only after they had achieved dominance in the northern central plains.

    Read More

  • Black Elk and the History of the Lakota Native American

    680 Words  | 2 Pages

    "History of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation." Oglala Lakota Nation. Oglala Lakota Nation, 2012. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.

    Read More

  • Kinaalda: A Girl's Puberty Ceremony

    2047 Words  | 5 Pages

    Wheelwright, M. (1942). Navajo Creation Myth. Navajo Religion Series, Vol. 1. Santa Fe: Museum of Navajo Ceremonial Art.

    Read More

  • Children In Native American Childhood

    556 Words  | 2 Pages

    Within the Native American community, the people view children as a blessing. Children hold a special position in the family and within the tribe. Specifically, the Lakota tribe emphasizes that children are spirits who come to the family and if the family does not treat them as scared, they will be lost (Herzberg, 2013). Many other tribes hold the same value on children. The Pueblos believe that a child has a right to grow up and belong to a world of meaning. Within the tribe, the ...

    Read More

  • A Interview Paper On Religious Beliefs

    1348 Words  | 3 Pages

    I felt it was a good idea to ask my next question when I did because of the interest I got in Native Americans in a previous question. “Do you know anything about the religious beliefs of Native Americans?” For this question, I felt everyone had the same general idea about Native American beliefs. Many of them believed the Native Americans worshiped nature and had a deep respect for it. Lynne had said “I know they believed things had a spirit, everything is alive and that everything worships God. What I loved about them when I was younger was that if for example, if they were to hunt and kill something they would thank it for feeding them.” Very similarly Frank said, “They would thank nature, like if they had to kill an animal for food they would thank it for its services.” Marie had said “I think they believe in the sun and the seasons, I

    Read More

More about Lakota (Sioux) Indians and Creation

Open Document