Questions from Europe

[Diane Merkel]

I have been corresponding with a gentleman who has asked me several questions that I cannot adequately answer. I realize that all of the people he is asking about are not Teton, but this is the only "general" category. I believe he is honestly trying to understand the Indian culture, so please do not be offended by his questions. I have cleaned up his English a bit, but his basic questions are below.

1. I am looking for graves of famous Indian Chiefs. Perhaps you can give me information about where I can find them: White Bull (he was the warrior who killed Custer), Gall, Spotted Tail, Fools Crow and Black Elk (all Sioux).

2. Red Tomahawk was the Indian Policeman who killed Sitting Bull in 1890. Why didn't the Sioux punish him and his family? Do I not understand the Indian culture?

3. Next question is about the battle at the Little Bighorn in 1876. Why did the Indians retreat after the great victory in this battle? Why didn't they wait for the troops of the Generals Terry and Gibbon because they were strong enough the destroy them as well? Do you have an explanation for that?

I referred him to the website for info about the burial locations of Gall and Black Elk. Thanks for any help you can give me with this.

Diane

[ladonna]

This is the same person who keeps emailing me.
As I tryed to explain
Red Tomahawk's wife was Red Thunder's daughter
who was Rain-in-the-face neice.
It is family.
White Bull is buried at Cherry Creek as I told him before, gall is buried in Wakpala.

[wolfgang911]

why does the guy not join this board. can we both join in debate on the red tomahawk omerta.

[ladonna]

good ideal

[miyelo]

Spotted Tail is buried here on Rosebud, in Rosebud cemetary. He Dog is buried up in Old He Dog past Parmelee.
Fools Crow is buried in Kyle, cemetary out by the tower. Black Elk is buried in Manderson I think by his old cabin? not sure about that one.

[Diane Merkel]

Thank you, miyelo!

[eamonn]

Miyelo

Black Elk is buried in St Agnes Cemetery

[Diane Merkel]

Thank you!

[hunkpapa]

I am writing a piece for a local school and one of the concepts I am trying to explain is how the original English versions of names such as Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse were best guesses by the interpreters of the time.

What I want to get across as an example is that if the English translation of a Lakota girl's name is 'Running Deer' that is a translation which makes it easy for the English speaker rather than a translation which captures the essence of the actual Lakota words from which the English name has been derived.

With only a very limited understanding of the Lakota language I have assumed that the original Lakota meaning of the name 'Running Deer' would perhaps be more in the nature of 'The Girl Who Runs Like a Deer', but that is merely a guess.

Can anyone help me with the correct Lakota for 'Running Deer' and what the wider meaning would be?

My thanks in advance for any help you generous people can give me.

Pila maya.

hunkpapa

[miyelo]

There is no answer to that question. It could mean many, many things and only the family would know. But yes, the translations are almost always wrong. So much of the Lakota language is not translatable into English. It is not a written language.

[ladonna]

I guess you would have to look at the word and the way it is wrote. There are no generals for lakota language names. Let say like the name red tip it mean red tip
Running deer could be Running deer depends on the words used. Sitting Bull's name was Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse was Crazy Horse, it is like my name Tatanka Ohitika-Brave Buffalo.
Now if the name is not handed down there is a story to the name then the family would know the story but the name is just what it is.

[hunkpapa]

miyelo and ladonna,

Your information is very helpful indeed and will enable me to convey to the children just how complex the naming of Lakota people is.

I am most grateful.

hunkpapa