North Dakota Native American Essential Understanding number one is about sacred relatives. It states, "Native people practice a deep interconnectedness with the land, the resources, the water, all living things, and all human beings. Land stewardship, respect for all two-legged, four-legged, winged, crawlers, and swimmers, and a strong belief in the sacredness of all human beings are key elements for our spirituality."
In this episode of Dakota Datebook, we'll hear from Kevin Locke, enrolled member of the Standing Rock Nation, in part three of Hinhan Kaga and the Milky Way.
Kevin Locke:
And so, they asked that name because he asked that name, because when they give that name out, then whoever gives that name in their prayer, they'll announce out to all the directions, all of creation, so that they can receive that person, that name with that name. And then throughout your life, all of creation observes you. All of creation sees you. Everything is witness to your life, you see? So then when he Hinhan Kaga asked your name, then instantly Hinhan Kaga knows who you are. And then, so that you can't stop. You can't stop because there's no stillness. Everything's in motion. So, but Hinhan Kaga has the option of standing in place, in which case you have to go on that road that trails out to nothing, right? Or Hinhan Kaga can step to the side. You can go on straight, straight on that journey through eternity, see?
But see, none of us knows our fate. None of us knows that. So that's why, and the Lakota people would have the custom. They would maybe take a lock of hair from a departed loved one and somebody would keep that, and then the family will devote maybe one, two, three, or four years to performing self-abnegating altruistic deeds in the name of that departed loved one. Because the belief is that you can... Is our ties are so close that we have the opportunity here to do these things, to help our loved one in their name continue on, see? So things like that. But I'm just, your question was about our natural environment. But you see, you can't do that in Manhattan. You see grandson? No, I guess you can't see that.
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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.