Despite exile and alienation, American Indian spirituality is alive and well on tribal land, said Craig Howe, director of the Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies.
Howe, a member of the Oglala Sioux tribe at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, discussed the importance that sacred land holds for the Lakota people in a lecture titled “Sacred Places, Public Policy and American Indians” Thursday in the West Duke Building. Because American Indians have lived in North America for more than 14,000 years, they have more experience with the land than other cultural groups, Howe said, adding that spirituality and the land are inseparable.
“If Lakota spirituality made it through to this day, it can make it another 200 years and flourish again,” Howe said.
But this mindset is different from that of white settlers keen on obtaining cheap land, he said. As a result of broken treaties, American Indians lost ownership of much of the land they once possessed, including the Black Hills of South Dakota—known to the Sioux people as “He Sapa” and considered to be the center of the universe.
Many religious landmarks of American Indians, including Devils Tower in Wyoming, are under the care of the National Park Service. American Indians are still allowed to worship within these sites but do not have exclusive rights over them.
During the event, Howe showed clips from “In the Light of Reverence,” a 2001 documentary that focuses on legal and ethical disputes between American Indians and groups such as mining companies, New Age practitioners and rock climbers.
Howe noted a scene where some people accused American Indians of exaggerating the holy nature of an area in an effort to seize the land. He said he considered that mentality more reflective of the 1950s or 1960s than of the early 21st century.
Howe added that mistreatment of American Indians goes beyond the loss of their territory. For instance, many refer to the Lakota as “Sioux,” which comes from a French word for “little snakes.” Similarly, American Indian holy sites are not identified by their native names, but instead by different English interpretations.
Discrimination against American Indians also extends to the realm of public policy, Howe added.
“The United States wanted the Lakota to be dependent on the United States, and they got away with it—that’s not the Lakota culture,” he said. “The Lakotas don’t want to be dependent on the government.”
Poverty is rampant across American Indian reservations in the state. According to the 2000 census, four of the five poorest counties in the nation contained reservations. Howe said he believes the federal government has a responsibility to help American Indians and that his people will eventually prosper.
“We have gone through the worst the United States’ government can do—I hope,” Howe said.
Mindy Miller, administrative assistant for the vice provost for the Office of Interdisciplinary Studies, said she had not previously heard of American Indians’ belief in a hopeful future.
“There wasn’t a lot of new information, but to hear it in the voice of someone who lives it... was very special,” she said.
Lou Brown, education and outreach associate at the Kenan Institute for Ethics, noted that the event is an exploration in cross-cultural moral dilemmas and the interaction of value systems. The event was organized by the Kenan Institute.
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