We started off on day 3 waking up to cool weather and breakfast prepared by the Lakota women. During the day the boys in the coming-of-age camp built a magnificent tipi in the center of the camp, while we observed and learned from the elders. We learned that the poles used to build the tipi have certain meanings. The three base poles represent the North Star, the morning star, and the evening star. At the top, the poles meet in a clockwise direction to signify the rotation of the earth. It was also amazing to see the tipi go up in just under 20 minutes, and even more incredible to know that the women used to be able to set them up in five to ten minutes.
Mid-morning, we went up to the lodge to learn about the 4 stages of life according to Lakota culture and how early childhood and inherited trauma can corrupt that process. The point of the camp is to help the children find their way through teaching the traditional Lakota values and cleansing their spirit through inipi (sweat lodge). The Lakota elders hope that these 4 stages of life will be more prominent in the future.
Throughout the rest of the day, we went to a discussion about the history and modern use of buffalo, a men’s camp talk circle, played with the children and picked sage in the rain. Through the men’s circle and playing with the children, we all started to connect with the Lakota people and developed compassion. This compassion grew stronger when the children began sharing stories about their lives.
P.s.- Here are some words we learned today.
Tatonka- my great thing; or a single male buffalo
Pte oyate- the buffalo nation