Lakota Views of "Art" and Artistic Expression
Bea Medicine, Ph.D.

Perhaps, we as anthropologists and art historians have spent too much time
categorizing dimensions of Native art within a Euro-American context. With the current
trend in attempting to get "insider" views, it may be more appropriate to consider how
aboriginal peoples view artistic expressions of all sorts. In researching where the
statement, "there is no Native word for Art," I can possibly attribute it to the ATLATL
conference in the 1980s. I am grateful for Gloria Webster Cranmer, who, as discussant to
the session at the 1999 NAASA conference stated she used it in a conference in 1973.
However, this is a rather incomprehensible all encompassing statement, considering the
more than one hundred Native languages and dialects which are still used in Native North
America. Many of us have spent our life-times attempting to rid ourselves and yes,
"Others" (Euro-Americans and Euro-Canadians) of the monolithic "North American
Indian" which obliterates the tribal diversity which characterizes this continent.
It is this cultural diversity which is reflected in Native place, society, and
individuals which must be examined in assessing aboriginal art in the present time. I
prefer not to get involved at this time in the conundrum of "will the real Indian artist,
please, stand up" syndrome, which seems to permeate many aspects of Native art today.
Indeed, the American Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 attempts to confront this issue.
It specifies that only federally recognized (enrolled on a reservation) Natives are
considered "Indians." This has led to cries of "card-carrying" Natives, or pedigreed blood
quantum.
In the interest of furthering the dialogue, I will concentrate upon the views of
artistic expression among the Lakota people - mainly the Hunkpapa and Sihasapa bands.
For within the linguistic dialect of this Siouan, language, there are subtle differences in
the Lakota language - commonly referred to as the "L-speakers." Other dialects are
Dakota and Nakota - which are mutually intelligible. The Dakota dialect is pervasive in
the northern part of Standing Rock reservation
Philosophical and linguistic domains as it applies to art forms are functional
according to the native people who use them. Another blanket statement plays into the

essentializing of the many vibrant traditions in the artistic production of most indigenous
groups. That is, all Indians are "artistically inclined." These types of statements seem to
contribute more to the homogenization of our peoples which seems to be occurring in the
present emphasis on multicultural education in all fields. When anthropologists and art
historians resort to such sloganizing statements, one may give to an observing majority
audience in museums, galleries, tourist shops, and classrooms, a convenient handle to
again place Native peoples in a subordinate position in contemporary society. Patronage
seems predominant.
Originating from and returning to one's natal community has weaknesses and
strengths. One does not have to worry about rapport and who might be a reliable
"informant" - excuse me, the in-term is now "consultant." A weakness is that many
people do not know what returnees have done in the "White" world. So, it is relatively
easy to ask questions. More importantly, it is easier to listen and remember. Thus, in a
discussion to delineate world views a male elder stated, and I translate - he said - "To
know what WOLAKOTA means ... it means art, music, aesthetics, philosophy, and the
way of life (FH). To him, way of life meant this definition indicates an inter-relationship
of all intangibles of Lakota life. While the English word "ART" represents a
compartmentalization of an aesthetic framework, Lakota world view represents an
integration which is difficult to delineate into discrete entities.
I also asked an individual who might be viewed as a tradition bearer in my
community. He defined art as taku gaxape na ohola pe. "What is made and cherished."
This may include songs, beaded or quilted items, such mundane things as WASNA (pemmican) which when used in special contexts - naming ceremonies, the Sun Dance
and adoption ceremonies as Hunka (making of relatives). Thus an ordinary food of
survival becomes wakan (sacred) in a sacramental context. These things are
WOLAKOTA, (honored by the Lakota). In order to obtain gender equality in elicitation,
a female elder stated: Taku waste'la ka pi na ga xapi - whatever we (Lakota) make and
adn3ire. The integrative aspect of art in a Native perspective appears to negate
segmentalized thinking in realms of arts and crafts.
One can say there is possibly no correlation between the English ART, and the
sterile binary compartmentalization ART and CRAFT. There is, at least among the Lakota

speakers and their world view a greater inclusiveness of the vitality of Native life - even
in the supposed waste land of contemporary reservations. One must look to functional
verbalization in communities and elicit linguistic terms of appreciation and appraisal to
delineate Native aesthetic views. Many of us who have spent precious years teaching
about Native cultural diversity cringe at many all encompassing ideas in multicultural
education and museum displays which are still tied to a "culture area" approach.
A word for ART is yu gla ke ke - "going across - to draw.
yu o swa ye - "going down" Basically, the process describes sketching
and painting contemporarily.

This utterance is the one used for painting on parfleche (raw hide) containers. The
term for this artistic expression is ae ba zu - to mark on surface. Since these designs tend
to be geometric on rawhide containers, called phun the standard evoked here are straight
lines, pleasing colors and symmetry especially in matched pairs. In some of the more
newer shapes, which have added wool flannel binding, the color of desire is most
commonly red wool, and neatness of attachment is important. Painting of men's shields
were vision and/or dream-based, and only the maker can evaluate them. Recently, I was
researching Clark Wissler's letters to Franz Boas in the archives of the American Museum
of Natural History, New York City. His letter of 3 August 1902, written from Pine Ridge
stated:
"The 'dream design' were the work of wakan (mystic) women chiefly;
though shields were often carved and decorated according to dreams or visions
experienced by men. No one was permitted to use plant designs except a few wakan
women. This is said to be an "ancient custom."
Formerly, there were magic blankets supposed to have power in seducing
women." Art was very realistic - warrior deeds on buffalo robes.
From the data I have on hand now, there are two kinds of "dream" or vision
figures and a kind of "sign writing." The former is largely feminine, the latter
masculine. That is, the women cannot, or will not explain the sign writing, for it
belongs to the profession of a warrior.

Although Wissler refers to the Oglala, it is difficult to find "raw data" before an
analysis, thus this quote seems significant. I am not aware of any assessment criteria for
these in recent times. Indeed some Lakota ritualists do not want shields and pipes in
exhibits.

Perhaps…there is no word for "art" in American-Indian languages it may be
simply another dimension of deficit models by "Others" which have plagued American
Indians/Alaska Native linguistic and philosophical systems for too long. It also appears to
play into the simplification of the many vibrant traditions in the artistic production of
many nations of indigenous peoples in North America. It may also negate the rich
linguistic variation in our cultures. The negation of linguistic terms does not take into
account contemporary revitalization movements in the Plains Quill work and parfleche
objects. What seems imperative is a concerted effort to elicit Native terms for any artistic
expression.
Another greatly neglected area in Native art is gender variance. Lakota analysis
must also consider Art of the winkte - "2 spirit" people. Some of whom still do artistic
work, and have Native linguistic appraisals.
Oscar Howe, the well-known Dakota artist, viewed art and philosophy as ini "to
live"-states "in art I have realized a part of a dream." The school gymnasium in a BIA
school on Standing Rock reservation displays the wondrous drawings of Art Amiotte. He
labels these as:
woyuonihan - honor/respect/responsibility
wo wa cin tanka - thoughtful, great thoughts, wise
wa on sila - compassion, humility
wok sape - intelligence
ohitika - brave, courageous

These are the four cardinal virtues that underlie Lakota life. Douglas Fast Horse of Rapid
City states:
Wolanota ki means "art, music, aesthetics, a way of life."
Joe Flying By a Hunkpapa ritualist uses wiconi to include the above categories - the
expressive elements of Lakota culture.