Resources and Learning Guides
Over the past ten years, MaryCares fundraisers have raised over $54,000 for organizations that Mary McDonnell has supported. The vast majority of that total has gone to Sinte Gleska University, who we have worked exclusively with since 2013.
We are tremendously proud of the connections that we’ve fostered, the financial help we’ve been able to give, and the awareness that we have tried to spread. In keeping with their mission statement to “[Strengthen] our Foundation for The People to Go Forward in the Lakota Way of Life”, we feel it is important for those who are supporting the university and working towards ensuring a better future for the students, faculty, and all of those impacted have a basic understanding of the Lakota Way of Life.
On this page, you can find links to websites, articles, videos, social media accounts, and other resources to help you gain a better understanding of not only SGU but also the history of the Lakota people, the traditions and values they espouse, the challenges they continue to face, and the remarkable resilience they have shown.
SinteGleska.edu offers a comprehensive look at the school itself, the history of the school’s namesake Sinte Gleska/Spotted Tail, information about the university’s President Lionel Bordeaux, and details of their unique “Lakota Studies” program.
“The Rosebud Indian Reservation (RIR) is an Indian reservation in South Dakota, United States. It is the home of the federally recognized Sicangu Oyate (the Upper Brulé Sioux Nation) - also known as Sicangu Lakota, and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe (RST), a branch of the Lakota people. The Lakota name Sicangu Oyate translates into English as "Burnt Thigh Nation"; the French term "Brulé Sioux" is also used.” - Official Rosebud Sioux Tribe Website, with links added from Wikipedia.
The Sicangu Scribe is an up-to-date blog detailing events and news on the Rosebud Reservation. More statistics and facts about Rosebud can be found here, here, and here.
The Lakota Country Times is the official legal newspaper for: Oglala Lakota County, Bennett County, Oglala Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, and Lakota Nation Invitational.
The Lakota People’s Law Project is a movement designed to “[expose] the epidemic of illegal seizures of Lakota children by the state of South Dakota [and work] towards the structural solution to end this injustice and bring our children home: tribal foster care programs,” as well as other long-term objectives.
The Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center, an outreach of St. Joseph Indian School, maintains a detailed website with information about Lakota history, art, traditions, and notable historical figures.
The Lakota Language Consortium offers a history and understanding of Language Loss, both generally and specific to the Lakota language, as well as ways to get involved and to learn individually.
Tribal Directory offers a brief history of the Lakota, as well as a comprehensive directory of information related to other tribes and traditions.
Native Languages offers several fact sheets with comprehensive links and bibliographies with further reading recommendations for kids and adults alike.
The Winter Counts Website includes brief histories of the Lakota and an extensive bibliography with recommendations for further reading.
This Lakota educational website also offers stories, biographies, history, and extensive articles about the Lakota tribe.
One Spirit is an organization that works primarily with Lakota on the Pine Ridge Reservation. They have a great deal of information as well as ways to get involved listed on their website, and a bibliography of suggested further reading.
True Sioux Hope offers sobering statistics about life on Pine Ridge Reservation, adjacent to Rosebud, and suggests ways to get involved.
An extremely extensive bibliography of suggested further reading can be found here
Sinte Gleska: @sintegleskau
Rosebud Sioux Tribe: @rstchanne_93
Lakota Country Times: @lakota_timez
Lakota Law Project: lakotalaw
Akta Lakota Museum: @aktalakota1
St. Joseph’s Indian School: @stjo1927
Lakota Language Consortium: @lakotalanguage
ONE Spirit: @spiritpineridge
True Sioux Hope: @truesiouxhope
Sinte Gleska University News
Rosebud Sioux Tribe
Lakota Country Times
Lakota People’s Law Project
Akta Lakota Museum
St. Joseph’s Indian School
Lakota Language Consortium
ONE Spirit
True Sioux Hope
Sinte Gleska: sintegleskautube
Rosebud Sioux Tribe Official: rst_channel93
St. Joseph’s Indian School: saintjosephs
Lakota Language Consortium: lakotalanguageconsor
Wo Lakota: sdwolakota
Lakota People Playlist
***Please note that while we at Mary Cares have explored all of these websites at least peripherally, we cannot vouch for the accuracy of all of the content nor the people behind the various organizations, nor all of the videos or books that have been recommended. To quote from One Spirit’s website, “It is also important to understand that the information below may not reflect the experience of every Lakota individual. Life for the Lakota people is impacted by a complex tribal history that requires more study than any one resource can provide.” We are not Lakota, only individuals trying to learn. We hope that this page can give you a place to start. If anything seems inaccurate or problematic in any way, please contact us. If you know of a resource that would be a good addition to this page, please contact us as well!
