The Lakota Way: Stories and Lessons in Living

The author recalls a playground incident in which two white fourth graders hurled epithets at him related to his Indian heritage. His grandfather tells him to “let the wind blow through you” (xi) so that words will not hurt him. His grandfather’s advice helped him though many turbulent times.

The author says that he was brought up around Lakota storytellers. These stories could apply to the present but also connected him to his past and that of his ancestors. He wanted to repeatedly hear these stories, and the stories connected everything to everything else. These stories not only entertained; they also transmitted Lakota culture and virtues and taught him what he was supposed to be. The virtues in the stories are “the foundation and moral sustenance of Lakota culture” (xiii); these stories helped the Lakota survive the onslaught of European culture and continue to help the culture survive. The stories in this volume provide insight into Lakota values and culture and have the potential to help the reader transform his or her own life.

Story Summary: “The Story of No Moccasins”

The author says that the elderly are the best models for how we should conduct ourselves. This story is about an old woman named No Moccasins who lived before the arrival of the horses (before 1700).