Stephanie Boersma

INED 211
Culture of the Oceti Sakowin

The culture of the Oceti Sakowin emodies a variety of aspects including the creation story,
kinship, rituals such as the buffalo chase, the family tree and education, and social customs. The
Ceation Story of the Lakota is a unique piece of their culture because it tells the tale of how
everything came to be. It all began with Inyan. Lonely in the darkness, he created the earth,
Maka, and as a result lost all of his powers. Skan was then created, who was responsible for
creating many of the beings because Inyan was now powerless. Maka whined often, and many of
the following creations were a result of her neediness. For instance, Maka was naked so rivers
were created, Maka was cold so the sun was created, Maka felt boring so Skan turned her blue
and green, and Maka was hot so Hanpeti was created. Next, the moon was created as a
companion for the sun, Wi, and wind was created as a companion for Skan. As messenger, the
wind needed to be able to see through the night, so Skan created the stars. Then, the first feast
occurred because Ksa allowed everyone to see and hear pleasureable things, thus allowing them
to smell and taste. The camp circle and humans were then created, with the intention that humans
would do all of the work for Ksa. This creation story is an importance piece of their culture
because it is the story of how the Oceti Sakowin people and all of their surroundings came to be.

The Oceti Sakowin culture emphasizes the importance of kin relationships, also known as
kinship. Kinship is the way in which the Oceti Sakowin people relate and interact with one
another. The communities formed by the Oceti Sakowin are close-knit and the most important
aspect of culture for the Dakota people. Kinship is the driving force of everyday life and to be
considered truly Dakota, one must be generous and a good relative to all. This could be through
the giving of gifts such as clothing, food, tools, or other useful items. Kinship relations come
with obligations that each must practice. For instance, children are obligated to respect their
elders by doing things such as looking down and listening while their elder speaks to them. With
kinship, you are never without relatives or support.
Another piece of the Oceti Sakowin culture was the buffalo. The buffalo was the single
most important animal in the Oceti Sakowin, and was a necessity for sustaining their lifestyle.
The Dakota people used all parts of the buffalo, for instance the horns were used to make
utensils, the hair to make ropes, the hide to make clothing and tipis. The buffalo hunt was a
dangerous event that involved much traveling and preparation. First, an old Shaman would seek
a vision which would determine if they should pursue or abandon the hunt. The council of the
camp would then meet to discuss when to begin, which route to take, and what territory to
pursue. The Marshals took charge of the camp, and would rub paint on their face so they could
be easily identified. There was a large amount of preparation that went into the hunt, including
procedures such as rubbing a buffalo hide on the horse so the horse could get used to the scent.
During the hunt, each individual would ride their horse as fat as possible, attempting to hit the
buffalo behind the shoulder. Additionally, the Shaman would leave one buffalo corpse in the field
as an offering to Wakan. When stopping to make camp, they would set up camp in an open area
with water. The aftermath of the hunt included a sacrifice time in which they would thank the
buffalo.

The family tree of the Oceti Sakowin is unqiue to their culture. A child did not have just
one mom and dad, as often seen in white culture. When a Dakota child calls a woman mother,
he could be referring to his biological mother, his mother or fathers sister, or even potentially a
family friend who was considered kin. The same goes for a child and his or her father. This
unique family tree however, presented some problems in education. Teachers or other staff
members may not understand the kinship and family tree of the Oceti Sakowin, and thus
wouldnt understand a childs struggle of identifying only one person as his or her mom or dad.
Dakota education, however, is not necessarily a child sitting in a desk at school and learning
from a teacher. Dakota education has two parts. The first is more informal, and can be identified
as the practice of relations and ones role within the kinship circle. The formal education includes
the teachings, ceremonies, and legends. The manual education we are used to was the least
important piece of education for the Dakota people.

Social customs such as courtship are another aspect of Oceti Sakowin culture. The
process of courtship begins with the man informing the woman that he likes her, and then asking
the womans guardian for approval. The man then puts on his best robe and paints his face while
the woman remains inside the tipi. He walks back and forth in front of the tipi as athe woman
watches. He then attempts to grab her, and she struggles to get away. Next, the man wraps the
robe around both of them, again asking for her guardians approval. They finally enter the tipi,
and if the woman smiles, it means she likes him, but if she turns, it means she does not like him.
If she does agree to court, she brings the man water for the first meeting. During the second
meeting, there is a feast and the woman tells the man she wants to be his wife. She then makes
him some moccasins, and if he immediately puts them on, the two are married. The men have a
feast while determining how much the woman is worth, which is usually around six buffalo
skins. They immediately make their own tipi so they can have a place for their children. This
social custom is unique to the Oceti Sakowin culture.

The culture of Dakota life can be greater understood through readings such as the novel
Waterlily, which follows a girl through her life as a Dakota. This book allows tremendous insight
into the culture of the Dakota people, including kinship, social customs, gender roles, and
religious ceremonies. At the beginning of the novel, Waterlilys mother and grandmother survive
their kin and must relocate to a new camp circle. They are taken in by a new camp circle, who
they live with for a few years. This acceptance of two random strangers is an example of kinship.
Kinship is not only applicable to your blood relatives, but also to those you are not even related
to. After an ugly marriage, Blue Bird and Waterlily come back to their own camp circle, where
Blue Bird meets her second husband Rainbow. During Blue Birds second pregnancy, the culture
of the Oceti Sakowin really shines through. Blue Birds family attempts to help her as much as
possible, but Blue Bird only accepts their help to a certain extent. While her family is more than
willing to attend to any of her needs, Blue Bird establishes a balance between receiving help
from her kin and being an independent woman. Throughout the novel, Waterlily is taught the
kinship rules by her elders, specifically her grandmother Gloku. She learns the proper behavior
and how to honor and respect her elders. Further on in the novel, Waterlily proves her loyalty to
her grandmother by doing a tremendous act. In order to obtain two horses for her grandmothers
ghost keeping ceremony, Waterlily is willing to marry a stranger. This marriage turned out to be
an unhappy one, but Waterlily remained loyal and respectful to her husband and in-laws. One of
the final events of the novel includes many in the camp circle contract small pox, but continue to
care for one another despite the risk of obtaining the sickness themselves. The novel provides an
effective overview and insight into the Oceti Sakowin culture by providing examples of kinship,
gender roles, customs and ceremonies, and religion.
 The life of Dakota people has since changed dramatically since the time in which
Waterlily occurred. According to the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, the Lakota were guaranteed a
chunk of land which included parts of South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming,
Nebraska, and Montana. The treaty asserted no one would be able to hunt, mine, or do anything
on that land for the rest of eternity. However, the government illegally took the land and it was
never returned to the Lakota. Currently, the United States views the Oceti Sakowin as a political
entity. It is evident that the old Lakota culture is struggles to sustain its people, especially as time
goes on. Today, the Lakota are among the poorest people in America. On the reservations, many
of the men are without work and most families live in poverty. Many also turn to drinking or
drugs, and lack a proper diet. They live in small houses packed with people, some without power
or safe water. In addition, the high school dropout rates and suicide rates are both high.
 Works Cited
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Deloria, Ella Cara, and Agnes Picotte. Waterlily. Lincoln: U of Nebraska, 2009. Print.
Deloria, Ella Cara., and Vine Deloria. Speaking of Indians. Lincoln: U of Nebraska, 1998. Print.
Dooling, D.M. "The Sons of the Wind: Sacred Stories of the Lakota." Norman: U of Oklahoma,
2000. Print. Page 3-20.
Simmons, Angela. "The Sioux Today." N.p., 14 July 2014. Web. 04 Mar. 2017.
Walker, James R., and Raymond J. DeMallie. Lakota Society. Lincoln, NE: U of Nebraska in
Cooperation with the Colorado Historical Society, 1982. Print.
Walker, James R. "Lakota Society - University of Nebraska Press." Nebraska Press. N.p., n.d.
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