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 One of her story of Iktomi and the Ducks.
Janet Claymore-Ross:
Iktomi lived in a village, and he was not very nice. You know Iktomi. He's lazy, expects everybody to serve him. So he was sitting in the village one day and he was saying, "Can I have some of your food?" And the person said, "You know, Iktomi, it's impolite for us to say no. But you have not helped us. You go out and you bring some food back, and I will fix it for you." "I'm not going to do that."
So off he goes, and he found another village. Well, that village soon came to realize that Iktomi, again, was lazy. So he thought, "Well, I'm just going to go and go to another village, so I'll do that." So he gets up, and he starts walking and walking and walking. "I'm so tired. Those lazy people in that village didn't even give me anything to eat so that I could go on this trip. How lazy they are. It's a good thing I brought my drum. I can entertain myself."
And so he's going up a hill and he's singing a song. As he looks down the hill, there's this beautiful pond, and on the pond there's lots of ducks. "Oh. Oh, good. I can eat. I can eat. I'm going to run down there right now — No, you know what? Maybe there's a better way to get those ducks." So he gets up again and he starts running. Then he stops and goes, "Oh, I know what that way is." So he start, he goes down the hill and he's singing a song. And the ducks go, "Iktomi. Iktomi. Let's fly away."
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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.