Lakota

Lakota Mary Campbell Nora Buss Kate Popetz


 * Lakota Cosmology:**

In the beginning, there was nothing. Then Inyan (rock, with his spirit named Wakan Tanka) decided that he wanted another presence. So he formed from his sacrificed blood Maka, Mother Earth, at the price of losing his power (Lakota). From here on was a chain creation. Maka created the Sky (Skan) which created the Sun (Anpetu Wi) (Gudsune). Inyan was the first god. Maka, Skan, and Wi were also superior gods. They created lower gods, (Walker 212) Some of these lower gods were the Moon (Hanhepi Wi) and Tate', the Wind Chief, to control the winds. All of these parts of the world were a result of Inyan's sacrifice (Gudsune). Later, Maka was very demanding and wanted earth to be green and beautiful. So vegetation, like grasses, forests, and prairies were created. Eventually, flowers, seeds, and fruits were formed. Gradually, all kinds of birds and animals were created to bring sounds to the world and eat the food that was produced by the earth. Because Skan thought that Maka had been selfish, he told her that she must care for everything that existed on the land. In the middle of all the creation, Skan created male and female people to be servants of the gods, to obey them and do their will (Walker 206-227). Many years after this, Wakan Tanka decided that he wanted to get rid of the misbehaving humans, so he sent a great flood to cover and kill them, wrapping up animals and plants in the pipe bag. The flood lasted many days, and only Kangi, the crow, survived, after flying with no rest for the entire time of the flood. Then Kangi appealed to the creating power to give him a place to rest his sore wings. So the bag was floated on the water. The Creator then took the loon and asked it to fetch mud from the bottom, which it tried, unsuccessfully. The otter and the beaver produced the same result. Finally, the turtle (a sign of long life and survival) completed the task. It was from this mud that the world was recreated, and from the different colors of mud that men and women were molded into form. He gave them the sacred pipe. He told them to live in peace and behave or he would destroy the world again (Petrik).


 * Bibliography:**

Gudzune, Jeffrey R. "Lakota Creation." __suite101.com__. N.p. 15 Jun 2008. Web. 25 Oct 2010. 

"Lakota." //The Gale Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes//. Ed. Sharon Malinowski, et al. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale Publishing, 1998. 287-296. Print.

Petrik, Paula, ed. "Lakota Creation." __Archiva__. George Mason University, 25 Aug 2009. Web. 25 Oct 2010. 

Walker, James R. __Lakota Myth__. Ed. Elaine A Jahner. Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press, 1983. Print.