Tunkasila taught me many things. He taught me how to plant and how to tend to the vegetables we grew. I loved to get down in the Earth and plant things and when the vegetables would grow I was taught to give thanks to Wakan Tanka. I used to go fishing with Grandfather and when we would be sitting waiting for a nibble he would tell me so many things about the Animals and what they meant and how Special they were and how they and Mother Earth and Father Sky and all the plants and the rocks and everything were important and had a purpose and meaning and that all of these things were meant to be respected. We were to live in harmony with everything that Creator put on Mother Earth. I loved it when we went fishing because Grandfather told me stories and I could never seem to get enough.



When I got a bit older Tunkasila read to me things that Chief Luther Standing Bear had written. He gave me a book that he had since he was a young Man that Chief Luther Standing Bear wrote in 1928. It is a wonderful book and an original copy and I was so honored when he gave it to me. I treasure it so very much. Tunkasila told me of our great Chiefs like Chief Sitting Bull and Red Cloud and Crazy Horse and all of our Great Leaders. He taught me Prayers of our People and he taught me about our Sacred Ghost Dance and The Sun Dance and why they are important as well as many of the other dances of our Heritage. I could never understand why some were so frightened by dances.These dances are our Sacred Religion. They are Beautiful.



My Grandfather taught me how to ride Horses. That was my favorite thing to do as a child. We had one particular Indian Pinto who's name was Lucky that was my favorite. I could ride him all the time bareback and he was always so gentle with me but when ever another little child would get on him he would throw them right off. I didn't mean to laugh but I couldn't help it because I always thought that was Lucky's way of saying noone but me of the little ones could ride him. He never ever threw me off. I loved that Horse with all my Heart and I know he loved me too.



There are so many things I could tell about my Tunkasila but that could take many pages and many Moons to do. I just wanted to say some things and to pay him a Tribute. I will have many links to other pages that will take you to pages of Prayers and Stories and things of that nature that he shared with me. One of my very favorite stories to this day is The White Buffalo and you will find that here as well. Thank you for visiting.

Tanyan mani Mitakolapi
Walk well my Friends



My Grandfather died when I was 14. Words can not say how I felt. I cut my hair off real short. It was the first time my hair was ever like that. It is a custom of mourning. Then the government came and took me away from my Mother. She was a good Mother but they had other ideas. They didn't keep me long because I ran away and was on my own before I was 16 years of age. It seems history just keeps repeating itself. Broken Family's, stolen land, another Wounded Knee. When will it ever end? When will the government ever learn? I know that my Tunkasila and my whole Family will all be together again one day. Creator has told me so.





Techihhila Tunkasila

Techihhila, Mitakuye Oyasin