Lakota Emergence Story

Summary

Sheena Bear Eagle, a member of the Lakota tribe, shares the significance of Wind Cave in their creation story. The cave represents the emergence of the Lakota people from the underground to the surface of the earth. The story involves two spirits, Iktomi and Aggie Tey, who trick the people into leaving the spirit world for the earth's surface. They find themselves unprepared for the harsh realities of life above, including winter. The Creator punishes the disobedient by turning them into the first bison herd, while the rest of the people eventually emerge under the guidance of Takaje and are instructed to follow the bison to sustain their lives.

Takeaways

• 🌏 Sheena Bear Eagle is a member of the Lakota tribe, and she shares the significance of Wind Cave in their culture.
• 🗣️ The Lakota tribe's history and culture are passed down through oral tradition, with stories being told from generation to generation.
• 📚 The story of emergence from Wind Cave is a central part of the Lakota creation story, highlighting the tribe's origin.
• 👵 The story was passed to Sheena by Ramona Thunder Hawk, a tribal historian and elder, who emphasized the importance of continuing these traditions.
• 🔮 The cave is considered a passageway to the spirit world, where the Lakota people were living before emerging onto the earth.
• 🐺 The trickster spirit Iktomi and the double-faced woman A'taNGke (Aggie tey) play crucial roles in the story, with Iktomi tricking the people into coming to the earth.
• 👥 The people were led to the earth by a wolf, who showed them the goods from the spirit world, enticing them to follow.
• 🌳 The first people to emerge saw a beautiful earth with a blue sky and green grass, which they found enchanting.
• ❄️ The people struggled with the harsh winter, as they were not prepared for the earth's seasons and suffered from the cold and hunger.
• 😈 A'taNGke revealed her true, horrible face, causing the people to flee in terror, and they were trapped on the earth's surface.
• 🦬 As punishment for disobeying the Creator, the people who followed the wolf were transformed into the first bison herd.
• 🙏 The Creator eventually led the remaining people out of the cave, and they followed the bison hoof print, which symbolizes their sustenance and way of life.
• 🔄 The hole to the spirit world was shrunk to remind the people of their origin and to prevent them from returning to the spirit world.

Q & A

Who is Sheena Bear Eagle?

Sheena Bear Eagle is a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe.

What is the significance of Wind Cave in the Lakota culture?

Wind Cave is significant in the Lakota culture as it is the site of their emergence story, which is part of their larger creation story.

How are culture and history passed on in Lakota culture?

In Lakota culture, culture and history are passed on through an oral tradition of storytelling from generation to generation.

What is the importance of the larger idea in Lakota stories?

In Lakota culture, the larger idea or message of the story is more important than the smaller details.

Who told the Wind Cave story to Sheena Bear Eagle?

The Wind Cave story was passed on to Sheena Bear Eagle by a woman named Ramez Death, who was the tribal historian and an elder in the tribe.

What does 'emergence' mean in an anthropological sense?

In an anthropological sense, 'emergence' refers to a belief that a people lived underground and then emerged onto the surface of the earth.

What is unique about the Wind Cave story in comparison to other emergence stories?

In the Wind Cave story, the cave is a passageway to a portal to the spirit world, where the people were living and waiting for the earth to be ready for them.

Who are the two spirits mentioned in the story?

The two spirits mentioned in the story are Iktomi, the trickster spirit, and Unktomi, the double-faced woman.

What did Iktomi and Unktomi do to trick the people in the spirit world?

Iktomi and Unktomi tricked the people in the spirit world by sending a wolf with buxton clothing, berries, and dried meats to entice them to come to the earth.

What was the reaction of the people when they first emerged from the cave?

When the people first emerged from the cave, they saw a giant blue sky and green and yellow grasses, which they thought was the most beautiful place they had ever seen.

What happened to the people who followed the wolf to the earth?

The people who followed the wolf to the earth struggled with the difficult work of hunting and gathering, and when winter came, they were not prepared, leading to suffering from cold and hunger.

What did the Creator do to the people who disobeyed and followed the wolf?

The Creator punished the disobedient people by transforming them into the first bison herd.

What does the number four represent in Lakota culture?

The number four is sacred in Lakota culture, representing the four times the people stopped to rest and pray as they emerged from the cave.

Why did the Creator shrink the hole at the end of the story?

The Creator shrank the hole to the size of a person down to the size of today so that the people would always have it, remember where they came from, and know not to try to go back to the spirit world.