The Lakota’s Dying Culture
Location
CSU 202
Start Date
18-4-2016 3:15 PM
End Date
18-4-2016 4:15 PM
Student's Major
Theatre and Dance
Student's College
Arts and Humanities
Mentor's Name
Julie Kerr-Berry
Mentor's Department
Theatre and Dance
Mentor's College
Arts and Humanities
Description
In the late 1800s, the Lakota culture was nearly exterminated by the U.S. Government. The Ghost Dance was created as an attempt by the Lakota to restore their culture even as their lands and culture were diminishing at the hand of the government. In response, the Lakota people created the Ghost Dance to keep hope alive, restore the sacred buffalo, and reunite with their ancestors. This research focused on the role the Ghost Dance played in the Lakota’s dying culture. It also addressed the impact this history had on the present. Methodology entailed an analysis of a variety of historical documents, class lecture notes, and information from a guest lecture presented by a Dakota poet, writer, and visual artist. Research results revealed that the Lakota endured the loss of their culture only to re-emerge in 20th and 21st centuries to tell their story. Nothing will ever make up for the past, considering the overpowering force of the U.S. Government. Recognizing the Ghost Dance as an important aspect of the Lakota people was vital to understanding this culture’s past with implications for its restoration today.
The Lakota’s Dying Culture
CSU 202
In the late 1800s, the Lakota culture was nearly exterminated by the U.S. Government. The Ghost Dance was created as an attempt by the Lakota to restore their culture even as their lands and culture were diminishing at the hand of the government. In response, the Lakota people created the Ghost Dance to keep hope alive, restore the sacred buffalo, and reunite with their ancestors. This research focused on the role the Ghost Dance played in the Lakota’s dying culture. It also addressed the impact this history had on the present. Methodology entailed an analysis of a variety of historical documents, class lecture notes, and information from a guest lecture presented by a Dakota poet, writer, and visual artist. Research results revealed that the Lakota endured the loss of their culture only to re-emerge in 20th and 21st centuries to tell their story. Nothing will ever make up for the past, considering the overpowering force of the U.S. Government. Recognizing the Ghost Dance as an important aspect of the Lakota people was vital to understanding this culture’s past with implications for its restoration today.
Recommended Citation
Abdullah, Nyairah. "The Lakota’s Dying Culture." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 18, 2016.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2016/oral-session-15/4
