The Lakota Way

Rachel Hansen
The Lakota Way The Lakota tribe introduced many values in this book. Humility (unsiiciyapi), perseverance (wowacintanka), respect (wawoohola), honor (wayuoniban), love (cantognake), sacrifice (incicupi), truth (wowicake), compassion (waunsilapi), bravery (woohitike), fortitude (cantewasake), generosity (camteyuke), and wisdom (woksape) were among the lessons learned throughout this book in the stories told. These stories have been told by grandmothers and grandfathers to their kin, which is the case with Joseph M. Marshall III, being told these stories by his grandfather. These stories are not just advice or teach morals, they also teach people about the Lakota culture. Right now we live in a very materialist world. Everyone is about success and accomplishment, making sure we succeed in this world. We still look after our families, but we have many more wants than before. Towards the end of the book is what more impacted me by talking about the ritual of the sweat lodge. It represented the womb, which is talking about being reborn. The final words they say when they leave the sweat lodge is mitakuye oyasin which means “all my relatives.” When they leave it is the start of a new beginning for them. The reason for doing this is to feel connection with friends and relatives; they are all brought together to share and help others. There is a variety of what Marshall writes about. He writes about the happiness, sad times, losses, and struggles. For instance, “The Story of the Flute” is one of the stories I really understood. A man runs off into the woods after the loss of a woman he loved even though she chose another man to be her husband. As he was in the woods, he got very tired and fell asleep beneath a tree. When he woke up he heard a very mournful sounding voice which sounded like what his broken heart sounded like. The sound actually turned out to be coming from a hallow tree branch that had been pecked full of holes and when the wind