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 Methodology entailed an analysis of a variety of historical documents, class lecture notes, and information from a guest lecture presented by a Dakota poet, writer, and visual artist.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.

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Apr 18th, 3:15 PM Apr 18th, 4:15 PM

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 Methodology entailed an analysis of a variety of historical documents, class lecture notes, and information from a guest lecture presented by a Dakota poet, writer, and visual artist.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