The knowledge held by the Lakota people is the core of our historical and modern ways of life. The Lakota People’s Law Project encourages and facilitates education within our culture and among cultures.
The land of the Lakota has changed a great deal since the mid-1800s. Instead of feeding millions of buffalo, the land feeds cattle and the United States’ addiction to non-renewable energy. Water that ran clear has been polluted by industrial logging and by mining for uranium, gold, and coal. The wind carries pollution from coal-fired power plants, traffic, and industry. The natural element of fire has been suppressed for a hundred years, leading to catastrophic forest fires.
Water is critical in this semi-arid area. Water is also critical to the Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota people. The people cannot survive without access to a consistent supply of clean water. On the Pine Ridge Reservation, radiation pollutes surface water and groundwater. On the Flandreau Santee Sioux Reservation, efforts to renew the Big Sioux River are threatened by farm runoff. Lakes on all the area’s reservations have been polluted by coal-fired power plants, and people are told not to eat the fish.
At the same time, the region is the “Saudi Arabia of Wind” and could produce enough wind-powered electricity to meet the needs of the entire United States. Solar energy is abundant, especially on reservations within western South Dakota. These resources leave small marks on the land, help tribal economies, and provide for the people’s long-term needs.
Our region is supporting a growing number of buffalo, who leave fewer marks on the land and are more self-sufficient than cattle. Reservation-based individuals and businesses are seeking ways to continue increasing their herds of these lords of the Plains. Our people are building energy-efficient homes, restoring indigenous species, trying new crops, and gaining access to clean water.
These are just a few of the gifts of the spiritual elements.
The Lakota People’s Law Project works for tribal control of tribal lands. Through our work to reclaim our lands, we also will reclaim our ability to protect the spiritual elements. Our history is a history of sustainable use of resources, and we are working for the future of the gifts given by the earth, wind, water, and fire – the sacred maka, tahte, mni, and peta.
Rediscover the Elements
Maka, Tahte, Mini, Peta—Earth, Wind, Water, Fire
The knowledge held by the Lakota people is the core of our historical and modern ways of life. The Lakota People’s Law Project encourages and facilitates education within our culture and among cultures.
The land of the Lakota has changed a great deal since the mid-1800s. Instead of feeding millions of buffalo, the land feeds cattle and the United States’ addiction to non-renewable energy. Water that ran clear has been polluted by industrial logging and by mining for uranium, gold, and coal. The wind carries pollution from coal-fired power plants, traffic, and industry. The natural element of fire has been suppressed for a hundred years, leading to catastrophic forest fires.
Water is critical in this semi-arid area. Water is also critical to the Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota people. The people cannot survive without access to a consistent supply of clean water. On the Pine Ridge Reservation, radiation pollutes surface water and groundwater. On the Flandreau Santee Sioux Reservation, efforts to renew the Big Sioux River are threatened by farm runoff. Lakes on all the area’s reservations have been polluted by coal-fired power plants, and people are told not to eat the fish.
At the same time, the region is the “Saudi Arabia of Wind” and could produce enough wind-powered electricity to meet the needs of the entire United States. Solar energy is abundant, especially on reservations within western South Dakota. These resources leave small marks on the land, help tribal economies, and provide for the people’s long-term needs.
Our region is supporting a growing number of buffalo, who leave fewer marks on the land and are more self-sufficient than cattle. Reservation-based individuals and businesses are seeking ways to continue increasing their herds of these lords of the Plains. Our people are building energy-efficient homes, restoring indigenous species, trying new crops, and gaining access to clean water.
These are just a few of the gifts of the spiritual elements.
The Lakota People’s Law Project works for tribal control of tribal lands. Through our work to reclaim our lands, we also will reclaim our ability to protect the spiritual elements. Our history is a history of sustainable use of resources, and we are working for the future of the gifts given by the earth, wind, water, and fire – the sacred maka, tahte, mni, and peta.