North Dakota Native American Essential Understanding number two is about learning and storytelling. It states traditional teaching and the passing on of knowledge and wisdom was done through storytelling, song, ceremony, and daily way of life, often incorporating specific gender and age specific responsibilities. These continue to be some of the best modes for learning for both native and non-native learners.
In this episode of Dakota Datebook, we'll hear from Janet Claymore-Ross, enrolled member of the Sisseton, Wahpeton, Oyate, in Part Two of “Iktomi and the Ducks.”
Janet Claymore-Ross :
And the ducks go, "Iktomi, Iktomi, let's fly away!" and he just doesn't pay any attention to the ducks. "Iktomi!" Iktomi goes, "Go away. I'm busy." He's pounding his drum and he's singing and he goes, "Iktomi." Quack, quack. "What are you doing?" Quack, quack. "I want to see." Quack, quack. "What are you doing? Let us... Tell us what you're singing." Quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack.
"All right. You are so noisy. I'll tell you. I'm practicing a song and the song that I'm singing is a sacred song, because I have to go to this village that's over there and sing these songs. So I'm practicing." "Well, we want to hear the song and we want to dance to it too." "No, you cannot hear the song and you cannot dance to it. It's a sacred song. Now I have to sing it in my mind."
So he's hitting the drum and the ducks go, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack. "Tell us the song." Quack, quack, quack. "Sing it so we can dance." Quack, quack, quack, quack, quack.
"Okay, okay, okay. But on these conditions, you have to close your eyes." "Well, why do we have to close our eyes? Quack, quack. Why?" "Well, because it's a sacred song and if you don't close your eyes, your eyes will turn red."
So Iktomi gets in the center and he starts saying his song. Ducks start going around and around with their eyes closed and they're kind of bumping into each other and Iktomi hits one, and then he hits another one, then he hits another one and he hits another one and one of the ducks falls over. "Oh, open your eyes, you fools. Iktomi is killing us!" And off they fly. But Iktomi has four nice fat ducks and those ones that flew off, that's why they have red eyes to this day, because it was a sacred song.
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If you'd like to learn more about the North Dakota Native American essential understandings, and to listen to more Indigenous elder interviews, visit teachingsofourelders.org.
