Wowačhiŋtȟaŋka

by Wamniomni Afraid of Hawk

Suffering, an intrinsic aspect of the human condition, transcends cultural boundaries and societal divides, uniting humanity in its shared experiences of pain, loss, and adversity. However, amidst this universal phenomenon, the Lakota people have uniquely embraced suffering as a fundamental aspect of life, forging epistemologies that not only acknowledge its presence but also provide proud insights into how to navigate its complexities. At the heart of their worldview lies the concept of Wowačhiŋtȟaŋka, a term that encapsulates values essential for enduring suffering with resilience and dignity. Through Lakota stories, culture, and the perspectives and stories of individuals deeply rooted in their heritage, we embark on a journey to unravel the intricate meaning of Wowačhiŋtȟaŋka and its significance in shaping various facets of life within Lakota communities. Moreover, by analyzing these cultural insights, we can gain valuable lessons that offer universal applications, empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds to confront and transcend suffering with grace and strength in their own lives.

The Lakota language is a member of the Siouan language family, characterized by its polysynthetic grammar where complex words can be created through the use of many root words. Polysynthetic languages often create words that are not easily understood when translated to different languages. Literal translation risks distorting the original word to convey a completely different meaning and in some cases, words are considered untranslatable due to cultural differences. Consequently, the word Wowačhiŋtȟaŋka does not have a literal translation in English, but by breaking the word apart into its different components, we can gain an understanding of the word. The prefix “wo-” creates nouns of verbs and some stems; the word “wacin” means to intend to do something, plan to, try to do, make an effort to do something; the word “thanka” means to be large, big, great in any way, significant (Lakota Language Consortium Dictionary). An attempt to translate the word as best as possible can be “to make an effort to achieve greatness or significance.” Sinte Gleska University translates Wowačhiŋtȟaŋka to “fortitude”; Lakota historian, Joseph Marshall, translate the word to “perseverance”; Lakota elder, Virgil Kills Straight explains and translates the word into “patience and tolerance.” The Lakota culture encompasses all of these values and definitions into a single word. Through the analysis of Lakota history, culture, and stories, we can gain a better understanding of what the word could mean.

In Joseph Marshall’s The Lakota Way, he offers stories and explanations pertaining to the Lakota culture that give an understanding of Wowačhiŋtȟaŋka. In The Story of the Giants, he tells a tale of a large hungry giant, Iya, that wreaks havoc on a village, destroying tipis and eating people. In the story, the survivors ran miles to track Iya down, tirelessly dug a hole for days to lay a trap for the giant, and used their own flesh to bait Iya into the trap. They persisted, pushing back against their own fear and fatigue to avenge their village and retrieve the people they lost. In another story, the Oceti Sakowin, thousands of Sioux people, gathered for a celebration. A traveling old woman asks a young girl to take the responsibility of watching her dog while exploring the gathering. The old woman is gone for weeks and the young girl is offered lavished goods, feasts, and service in exchange for the dog. The young girl resists temptation, remembering the promise she made to the old woman. Through these stories, we can gauge a better understanding of the virtues that Wowačhiŋtȟaŋka encompasses. It’s the perseverance that comes from our spirits when we’ve reached our limits and come across barriers that tell us we can’t continue (Marshall 30). Wowačhiŋtȟaŋka was important in ensuring Lakota culture, language, and ways of life survived in times when it was illegal to be Lakota and there was nothing left to defend Lakota communities except for spiritual strength (Marshall 32). The Lakota people recognize that this spiritual strength arises from facing adversity head on (Peterson Lund, Bunkers).

By the latter part of 1890, the conflicts known as the Indian wars across the American West had concluded. The immense buffalo herds that sustained the Indigenous tribes of the Plains had been decimated by government-sanctioned hunters, while waves of white settlers inundated Indian territories in search of valuable resources such as gold and land for ranching (Spindler). Faced with the looming threat of starvation and the loss of their traditional hunting grounds, numerous proud tribes found themselves compelled to relocate to government-administered reservations, exchanging their freedom for sustenance. However, the Lakota Nation, the largest among the Plains tribes, resisted the forced relocation from their ancestral lands. In 1876, various Lakota bands gathered to fight at the Battle of Little Bighorn with the intent of thwarting Colonel George Custer and the Seventh Cavalry (Spindler). The Lakota people prevailed and the Seventh Cavalry suffered their worst defeat in history. For 14 years after this battle, soldiers relentlessly pursued the chiefs of the Lakota bands. Eventually, on December 18, 1890, Chief BigFoot led his people to Pine Ridge, South Dakota, seeking refuge under the protection of Chief Red Cloud. Despite facing dire circumstances and harsh winter conditions, the Lakota band pressed on, enduring a grueling 150-mile journey with temperatures plummeting to forty degrees below zero. However, their perseverance was tragically met with violence when they encountered a cavalry patrol just forty miles shy of their destination. Surrounded by armed soldiers, the Lakota encampment was subjected to a ruthless attack, resulting in the massacre of hundreds of men, women, and children, with only about 50 managing to escape (Wood 4). Wanbli Numpa Afraid of Hawk, a descendant of one such survivor, recounts the harrowing tale of his ancestors' resilience and tragic fate.

Afraid of Hawk’s great-grandfather was only 10 years old at the time of the massacre. In order to heal from the hurt of the trauma passed down, the Lakota people would need to embark on the grueling 150 long journey in the same conditions as the people before in a ceremony known as the Big Foot Memorial Ride. Afraid of Hawk was only 8 years old at the time of the ride. “I was scared too, but I thought that if my great-grandfather did it when he was a boy, so could I” (Afraid of Hawk 9). Afraid of Hawk endured freezing temperatures, hunger, and fatigue while on the ride. “I thought that our ancestors faced genocide. My great-grandfather witnessed his family get massacred. He passed down that trauma, but he also passed down the value of Wowačhiŋtȟaŋka. Through that, I was able to persevere throughout the ride to help heal our people” (Afraid of Hawk). Through the Big Foot Memorial Ride, the Lakota people show Wowačhiŋtȟaŋka by reliving the adversity, but also the resilience, of their ancestors.

Summer Afraid of Hawk, a strong Lakota woman and someone I have the honor to consider a mother figure in my life, embodies the characteristics of Wowačhiŋtȟaŋka. Throughout my life, she’s displayed resilience, perseverance, patience, and fortitude by pursuing her education, raising a family of her own while simultaneously caring for me, and always putting her family and people first. Afraid of Hawk currently works in buffalo restoration and relates Wowačhiŋtȟaŋka to buffalo. In a personal interview, she states:

The buffalo are us. We come from the buffalo and get our kinship system from them. They are our relatives and we have much to learn from them. They’ve experienced removal and near extinction, with their population down to 900 at one point in time. They cared for us before colonization by nourishing our people and showing us our ways of life so it’s time we take care of them in this post-colonial world. Through buffalo restoration, I’m trying to reestablish that connection that has been severed by revitalizing our relationship with the buffalo and sharing it with our communities.

Buffalo and Native peoples showcase Wowačhiŋtȟaŋka by enduring the impacts colonization had on them, their relationship, and ways of life. Both have rebounded from near extinction and cultural genocide and have persevered. Afraid of Hawk also tells of buffalo’s behaviors in a blizzard. When buffalo are caught in a blizzard, they are faced with two choices: run away from the storm and risk freezing, or run towards the storm in hopes of surviving. Buffalo runs through the storm, demonstrating Wowačhiŋtȟaŋka by enduring the freezing cold and violent winds (Afraid of Hawk). As indigenous people and humans, we can learn from the buffalo and apply this lesson to our own lives and communities. When faced with the storm of trials, tribulations, and pushback we will receive in efforts to decolonize, we can not run away and risk losing ourselves and community identity. Rather, we must face the storm head on and endure the adversity in hopes of a better future for ourselves and people. That is what Wowačhiŋtȟaŋka truly means: to strive in spite of difficulties, to possess strength in heart, body, and mind, and to maintain patience and tolerance to achieve greatness.

In reflecting on the profound concept of Wowačhiŋtȟaŋka and its embodiment in Lakota culture, it becomes apparent that the endurance of suffering with resilience and dignity is not merely a historical or cultural artifact but a timeless and universal principle with profound relevance for all humanity. The Lakota people, through their stories, traditions, and lived experiences, offer invaluable insights into navigating adversity with grace and strength. By dissecting the intricate layers of Wowačhiŋtȟaŋka, we uncover a wealth of virtues—perseverance, fortitude, patience, and tolerance—that serve as guiding beacons in the face of life's trials and tribulations. Moreover, the lessons drawn from the Lakota culture are not confined to a specific time or place; they transcend cultural boundaries, offering universal applications that empower individuals from diverse backgrounds to confront and transcend suffering in their own lives. As exemplified by the stories of survival, resilience, and restoration shared by individuals like Wanbli Numpa Afraid of Hawk and Summer Afraid of Hawk, Wowačhiŋtȟaŋka reminds us of the indomitable spirit inherent within us all—a spirit that enables us to endure the storms of life, face adversity with courage, and emerge stronger and more resilient than before. In essence, the legacy of Wowačhiŋtȟaŋka beckons us to embrace suffering not as a burden to be avoided but as a crucible through which we forge our strength, resilience, and humanity.

Works Cited

Afraid of Hawk, Summer. Personal interview. 29 February 2024.

Afraid of Hawk, Wanbli Numpa. Personal interview. 25 February 2024.

Kalloch, Ken. “The Four Values of the Lakota .” Lakota - Four Values, kalloch.org/lakota__four_values.htm.

“Lakota Language Consortium - Revitalizing the Lakota Language.” The Lakota Language Consortium, 2 Feb. 2024, lakhota.org/.

Marshall, J. (2002). The lakota way: Stories and lessons for living. Penguin Compass.

Spindler, W. H. (1977). Tragedy strikes at Wounded Knee. News/Star.

SS;, P. R. (2017, December 19). The living experience of suffering: Lakota voices. Nursing science quarterly. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29235960//

Wood, T., & Hawk, W. N. A. of. (1996). A boy becomes a man at Wounded Knee. Silver Burdett Ginn.