Lakol Wicohan Un Tawacin Api
Iciya Pi
(Healing of Thoughts/Emotions
using the Lakota Culture)
Hmuya Mani-Richard Two Dogs
Example of Historical
Unresolved Grief/Loss
Wounded Knee 1890
•Intergenerational loss
•Loss of teachings from one
generation to the next
•No time to grieve appropriately
Copyright Richard and Ethleen Two Dogs
2009
Iyowaniye-Historical Trauma
Ancestors
Eg.Wounded Knee Massacre
Iyowaniye-Historical Trauma
Grandparents & Parents
Eg. Boarding Schools
WokaphaIntergenerational
transference of
Negativity
Iyowaniye - Personal Trauma
Any type of trauma or unresolved Grief
Passed to the next Generation
Ki-Wasicu Aye
(Assimilation)
The Lakota/Dakota/Nakota people
have endured generations of
oppression, genocide and federal
policies designed for assimilation of
our people into the “mainstream” of
America.
Oinajin Topa
Lakota Stages of Life
NAGI YATA (spirit world)
Return to Spirit World
Pre-Birth +
Age 50+
Positive/Enhancement , e.g.
quitting drinking/drugs at
age 30 (e.g. strength based
perspective)
Interruptions to
Natural Life Cycle
(e.g. abandonment,
trauma at age 3)
Age 12+
Age 21+
E. Iron Cloud-Two
Dogs, 2004
HEALING FROM HISTORICAL TRAUMA
AS A PEOPLE
Wopakinte
(Spiritual Cleansing)
• One of the healing ceremonies that is relevant
to the native youth who are incarcerated is
the “Wopakinte” or “wiping off” ceremony in
which the individual goes into the Inipi, after
the Inipi, an Elder (or older person) wipes the
individual off with sage. If an Elder is not
available, the individual can wipe him/herself
off with sage. This signifies wiping away the
spiritual residue left by the intergenerational
trauma that is transferred from our ancestors
to the youth as well as the youth’s own
individual historical trauma.
•
It is a Lakota belief that everything has a spirit,
therefore grief, loss, anger and rage that the
native youth express have a spirit and without a
“wopakinte”, our youth can become burdened
and become vulnerable. This cultural
intervention along with other interventions can
prevent transmission of negativity and can lead
to a renewed sense of strength.
This has resulted in many of our people
becoming disconnected from their
culture as a way of life.
Apiciya Pi
(Healing from Trauma)
• When an individual experienced
trauma, there were cultural
interventions that were immediately
applied to prevent the traumatic
experience from having a long term
effect on the individual.
Today many of the native youth who are
incarcerated in the penal system have
experienced trauma but have not had the
opportunity to heal through indigeneous
cultural interventions.