A story of conservation

This is episode was a really fun one for me because I got to learn about the people that occupied the land I live on. I’ve lived in the midwest all of my life and felt like I didn’t know very much about the native peoples of the area.

I learned a heck of a lot about the Lakota Sioux and the area in general. There was good things that I learned and , of course, bad. I was glad to learn about so many interesting customs of the Lakota. Their culture was rich and warm. They had such a beautiful way of life.

What got to me the most though, the lack of written language and how well they lived. Sure, they probably had the same issues with hardship, diseases, and war as any other culture. But, it was the way they seemed to live, despite all of that. They just seemed so tight knit.

If you think about it, the written word can sort of keep us apart. If I write down a story, you can just pick up that writing and read it yourself, you can pass it around and others can read it. You might give me feedback or you might not. But storytelling in the Lakota world?! You were engaged in it. They would be teaching eachother and speaking to eachother all day. I believe this constant learning and explaining to children without any written work would garner respect from these children. The adults have the knowledge and listening is the only way to get it. Thats a powerful force in a small community.

The way the Lakota people lived could teach us all a lot about ways we can live our lives better. Personally, I’m learning I need to put much more value on the individual conversations I have. They’re far more valuable than any book.