Isna Wica Owawaya, Loneman School, on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Photo from Facebook
Buffalo kill ceremony a first for Loneman School students
By Richie Richards
Native Sun News Staff Writer OGLALA –– “Be proud of who you are. This is our tradition!” said Charles Spotted Thunder as he spoke to the students of Isna Wica Owayawa (Loneman School) in Oglala on Monday, Apr. 20. Students and staff gathered outside of Loneman School for a ceremony for the harvesting and processing of a 3-year old buffalo from the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s Slim Butte’s pasture. Charles Spotted Thunder and Edward Starr were on hand to do the Lakota prayers and songs to honor the buffalo and lead the ceremony. A multi-generational drum group sang songs on the cloudy afternoon as sage was placed into the mouth of the deceased buffalo. This is a traditional practice of the Lakota. Principal Charlie Cuny of Loneman School invited Native Sun News down for the special event. Cuny said this type of ceremony “never happened at the school before.” As the children filtered out to the school grounds behind the gym, residents and staff were on hand to see the processing (butchering). Staff member Rudy Two Bulls began the butchering and others joined in as the need arose. According to Gilma Stands, the buffalo meat was to be portioned and packaged at the school for “each student to take home with them on Friday with their food bags.” Beginning in March on every Friday, the students of Isna Wica Owayawa take home a bag of nutritious and easy to prepare foods provided to them by Conscious Alliance. This non-profit organization, based in Boulder, Colo., teamed up with Justin’s Plum Organics, Polar Bottle, and SUJA Juice for the “Bring Nutrition Home” Backpack Program. In his second year as Loneman Principal, Cuny (Oglala Lakota) is a passionate administrator and educator who spent a large part of his career in teaching and coaching at Sherman Indian High School and Noli Indian School. When Cuny saw the need for an extra pair of hands, with no hesitation he jumped on the back of the trailer and grabbed a knife and began to help those working vigorously. Students could be seen making the common gestures of uncomfortableness from being around the open processing and butchering of an animal. “Ew!” was heard on many occasions. The intent was to teach children what their ancestors had gone through in order to survive. This was done of course with modern conveniences such as knives, axes, chains, a pickup and a trailer. But one young student could be heard saying, “Just think they used to do that with stone knives and their bare hands.” One could see the sense of wonderment and appreciation in her young Lakota eyes. On the morning of the buffalo processing and ceremony, the day began for the students in the gymnasium. Students and staff filed in for a morning prayer spoken in Lakota while several students were seated at half-court around a drum. Several students sang 3 songs, including the Lakota flag song, while others gathered around and sang along.
A traditional Lakota practice is to put sage in the mouth of a slain buffalo before proceeding to butcher the carcass. Photo by Richie Richards
These children of Oglala, South Dakota have it tougher than many kids in the United States. Poverty, addiction, unemployment, and family violence can often times dictate the future of these students. Cultural continuity is a driving force for the basic spiritual and emotional needs of these reservation-living Lakota children. So when a school is allowed to have morning prayer in their native language, followed by a cultural event such as a buffalo processing and butchering, it is through these actions which give Lakota youth their cultural identity and connect them to their ancestors. This sense of self is often times referred to as Native Pride. (Contact Richie Richards at staffwriter@nsweekly.com) Copyright permission Native Sun News
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