It's All Connected
Lakota spiritualty and traditions are the foundation for identity for many indigenous peoples throughout the world. I was not raised traditionally but the culture and language were always available through family gatherings and cultural activities. There were several times in my youth that opportunities presented itself to learn about our culture through art and actively participating in community events. The cultural identity become a strong pinnacle of strength when I became a father and had to take the necessary steps to become the role model I could. Based on my upbringing, I wanted my children to have complete access to the culture and language and what better way is for the parents to teach in the home. Upon my journey into spirituality, I was able to build relationships with family elders and community members to assist in teaching and sharing the culture and language. The wide variety of culture that is available on reservations takes years to understand and comprehend and by doing so, the lessons come through action. During the journey, I recalled a few elders who taught us how to make certain cultural items during my youth which I had put away items and kept them safe.
Eventually, my mentor started relying more and more on my assistance which pushed me to become a newer version of myself. He also advised me to keep safe the sacred items I was taking care of and how I was to keep them safe.
Around 2017, my father became very ill with COPD and his health declined rapidly which we utilized every aspect of the culture and spirituality to assist through ceremony and consistent prayer. I had felt that this was a monumental point in my spirituality that would test my belief system and help us utilize the strength of the prayers. We had reached out to other spiritual leaders and did everything we knew possible to offer our assistance to my father like we have done for so many others. We did a lot of traveling between reservations and the hospital for three weeks solid during this time. Additionally, this brings me back to the cultural items I was taking care of and had not utilized them for their spiritual purposes as of yet. Eventually, our entire family and extended families came together to support our father and families’ decisions as he was only able to write on a board now. Before his health dropped, he wrote me a last message of to utilize those cultural items now! This was a clear sign from my father who was on his death bed to bring them out and utilize them how they were intended. At the time, I was sure he would pull through because we did the very most we could do through our cultural spirituality, and this is where we see miracles happen. All the long days and nights through the past fifteen years were meant for this specific moment. His health deuterated quickly after receiving the written message, and the next day we watched him take his last breaths. I was in shock as I was certain that our prayers were heard, and he would make a recovery. Watching his pulse rate slowly subside and attempting to comprehend what happening while hearing the wails of my family members around me, I walked out to gather myself. From when I stood up and the walk to the elevator to the hospital chapel was quiet but filled with confusion and anger. In those moments, my mind was racing, and my inner monologue was saying this is not true, prayer doesn’t work, why do I believe these things, and it’s a waste of time. Once I reached the chapel it was a one room chapel or prayer room and sat there for twenty minutes in shock. Eventually, I seen a prayer request box and laughed to myself. For a half an hour, my belief in my culture was shook to its core but when I glanced at the prayer request box, the thought of my father writing me his last message hit me like a ton of bricks. It an instant everything that lead up to this moment crossed my mind and my belief in prayer came back tenfold. I began thinking about where he is headed, the people that he loves and that love him are going to be after this. I need to be present and strong for our family here!
When it comes to spirituality and belief systems, we often need to see it to believe or need a sign to confirm our beliefs. In Lakota spirituality, there are many ways to reinforce our beliefs, but we must be open and aware of our surroundings to notice the signs that help us along the way. Finally, I leave with this, don’t be afraid to ask questions and always remember; everything happens for a reason but it’s for us to attempt to understand why? - Sunka Luta