Lakota Woman by Mary Crow Dog and Richard Erdoes

My friend Darci gave me this book because she knows I often work on the reservations here in South Dakota. I have found the Lakota people to be fascinating and inspiring. I have found their challenges to be incredibly difficult and hope I can be a support in improving educational opportunities for children on the reservation. I like to expand my understanding of our state's history and this book gave me a perspective I hadn't read before.

Mary Crow Dog chronicles her life in the early 1970's. She describes what it was like to be involved in the American Indian Movement, the siege of Wounded Knee, and the occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C. I related to much of what she describes, because at that point in time I was involved with anti-war (Viet Nam) protests in the Bay Area. The sense of purpose, the ignorance, the sociality, and the idealism were all things to which I could relate.

I was alternately impressed and disappointed as she described her relationship with leader Leonard Crow Dog. They were adventurous and brave and often foolish. It was especially disheartening to read about Crow Dog's spiritual life. Mary took great pains to describe how serious and relevant Lakota ceremonies are, and yet often described how certain aspects were disregarded when it was inconvenient. It's hard to take someone or someone's practice seriously when they themselves didn't honor it. It feels more like an adventure than a sacrifice...although there was much hardship and sacrifice involved.

In some ways this view of history is very superficial and describes actions and hardships but lacks any analysis or deep understanding of what brought the actions about. It's an interesting ride, and a perspective I hadn't read before, but sadly lacking in generating empathy for the movement and the struggle.