Indian children in South Dakota. Photo from Lakota People's Law Project
What matters most in Lakota life
You won’t find Keystone XL or Redskins on this list
By James Giago Davies About time I compiled a personal list of things that matter, and of course, most of the things that do matter will be Lakota related. I’ll present it in reverse order. This is not a list ascending from what matters most to what matters least; everything on this list matters a great deal, or it would be on my list of things that don’t matter, which I won’t bother sharing, given it runs from here to the dark side of the moon. 8. Kindness. I figured out a long time ago I am an alpha male, and sometimes I can’t even stand myself when that aspect of my nature takes over. What I never want to do is mistake kindness and tolerance as a weakness to be exploited in others. That’s how it is on the rez, and we all know this—too many Lakota children are raised to find pleasure in the domination and injury they can inflict on vulnerable people. 7. Nutrition. When I was a teenager I took a handoff in a Sioux Park pickup football game, and collapsed without a person touching me. The Soo San was right across the street, so I went to the emergency room and found I was severely anemic. I couldn’t even make a clenched fist; took me months to get right. It has since occurred to me—how many Lakota kids struggle with school, struggle to concentrate and compete in athletics, because they just don’t eat right? I’ll bet it numbers in the thousands. You don’t eat right, you don’t grow right, and you die young. That makes nutrition pretty important. 6. Education. I have myopic vision, near sightedness, pretty severe. Most people have another kind of myopia, they can’t see beyond their immediate self interest and they don’t read or investigate with intent to expand their understanding and knowledge, but to reaffirm what they already believe to be true. Although our institutionalized education is largely manipulated and distorted by entrenched Wasicu power, you still have the power to see the world beyond the tip of your nose—reality does not come order made, you must adapt to it, not adapt it to you. 5. Violence. Incest, rape, beat downs, bullying; it’s all violence and it is what happens when people trapped in a reality they did not make and cannot prosper in, turn on each other. That’s how it is on the Rez and in North Rapid—the most likely person to hurt or kill you is another Indian. 4. Poverty. I don’t have near enough fingers and toes to count the number of times I went hungry as a kid. My mom did her best with what she had, but when I finally got out on my own, cashed my first paycheck, I bought two large pizzas and a cherry pie and ate them all in one sitting. My own kids leave food on their plates all the time, but no lecture from me can make them understand—until you don’t have enough food to eat, you can’t possibly know how it feels. 3. Child Welfare. As a tribe, the Lakota do an atrocious job of looking out for their children. If parents just took responsibility for looking out for their kids—only that—the result would astonish. Every aspect of Lakota life would improve dramatically. If we all looked out for each other, Wasicu racism would lose its teeth. There is nothing we couldn’t accomplish together. Nothing matters more than family, and the large extended family common among Indians, if honored and respected, is their greatest power. 2. Alcoholism. If you can’t stop drinking you are going to destroy everything that matters in your life and hurt the loved ones you should be protecting, so congratulations on that. 1. Humor. Doesn’t seem like it should be number one, but the spirit of everything Lakota survives in their humor. Tim Giago is a very serious man, yet he pointed out to me recently I have a great sense of humor, but I am too serious about life. He’s dead right. Lecturing people sternly can only accomplish so much. So I got it out of my system with this column, and I’m going to cut loose with humor in my next, just offering a heads up so you know I’m serious. (James Giago Davies can be reached at skindiesel@msn.com) Copyright permission Native Sun News
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