Lakota Gender roles in Marriage and

Religion

Nestor Martinez
Franz Metcalf
Religion 335
10-16-2015

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 Introduction

In Oglala Women, Myth, Ritual and Reality, Marla Powers portraits a powerful Native

American community- Oglala, one of the main tribes of the Lakota (allied people) alliance

located on the Oglala Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. They are known for being one of

the biggest reservations in the United States who won the war in 1868 against the United States.

In this book, Powers focuses on the women’s role within their community and how their sacred

traditions and religion shaped their culture. Therefore, by using various readings on Lakota

practices, this paper will examine the gender roles in Oglala culture in terms of marriage,

religion and the effect that Americanization and Christianity have had on their culture and how

they compare to my own cultural practices.

Discussion

In Oglala society, gender roles had a distinct influence in marriage. Women play the most

important role when choosing their future husband. As part of this courtship, man have to

provide gifts to the woman’s family consisting of buffalos, hunting tools and other animals.

However, regardless whether woman accepts him or not, her family would keep all the gifts.

During this whole process, there are certain criteria that both genders look for their partners. A

man would expect his future wife to be “skillful and respected herself…who was motherly and

compassionate [whereas a woman would expected] a healthy partner who could provide for a

family and who could protect” Elk (1997). Once marriage took place, there were also certain

dynamics that were used between family members, husband could not communicate with his in-

laws or aunts/uncles as a sign of respect and vice versa. However, couples’ siblings could

assume a more “joking” relationship with the newlyweds. A woman’s role was also sacred,

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since the “wife did not take the name of her husband nor enter his clan, and the children

belonged to the clan of the mother. All of the family property was held by her, descent was

traced in the maternal line, and the honor of the house was in her hands” (Eastman, 1858).

In terms of divorce, either women or men could dissolve their marriage at any time by

performing certain rituals. A man would just simply have to approach the drum, hit it and throw

the drumsticks over his shoulder to signal that his marriage was over. A woman would pack his

belongings and leave them by the front door and her husband would not have a choice but to

leave. Either decision could not be contested by their counterpart. However, there were several

interesting variations of these gender roles, depending on family wealth. If a man came from a

wealthy family, he had the chance to have several wives. However, they all had to have their

own household or “tipi.” The woman would never be left unprotected regardless of the

husband’s death or infidelity. If the husband died, his wife had a choice of remarrying the

husband’s brother whereas, if the woman divorced her husband, she will be taken care of by her

family and he would lose his position in the clan.

As expressed by Young (2002), male dominance was not present in the Lakota

society, both genders had complimentary roles within their community and both were

considered equally important. While woman were the caretakers, they did not think of

themselves less than their husband’s counterpart who had to hunt to support his family

and protect them against other enemies.

Men were the protectors, the providers; the women were the homemakers.
Unfortunately, popular literature and films have greatly distorted the role of
women by depicting them as slaves and household drudges, unequal or
inferior to their men. This is far from the truth. The Lakota woman was a
total individual, and her physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental makeup
were not derived from the Lakota male. She had her own name suited to her
personality and ability and did not take her father’s or husband’s name.

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 Religion
Religion became an essential part of Oglala culture. However, in order to understand

their religion, one must revisit their myth and believes. The Oglala plays an emphasis on

women’s power, since they believe that it led to the creation of

time and space. It is woman who, bored with the natural universe, conspires
with the culture hero to coax humans, her own people called the Buffalo Nation,
from their subterranean world to the people. It is she who in concert with
tricksters teaches the people about culture, and it is she who suddenly then
leaves them to face the vicissitudes of nature alone. Finally, it is a scared
woman who drops to the earth in the form of a falling start and unites with the
most virile of sacred beings, the South Wind. In the transformation of Falling
Star into the sacred White Buffalo Calf Woman (Powers, 2010, p. 12).
As a result, the Buffalo Calf Pipe ritual was always performed first before any important decision

was made within the tribe/clan. The importance of this ritual, showed how Oglala’s daily lives

were governed by religion. Spirituality provided power and protection to their community. The

pipe offering was made before any of their Seven Sacred Ceremonies: Sun Dance, Vision Quest,

Sweat Lodge, Hunka, Ghost Keeping ceremony, Sacred Ball Game & Female Puberty ceremony

(Powers, 2010 p. 183). Therefore, every detail of these rituals were taken into consideration to

pay respect to the spirits and to emphasize the importance of gender roles during these events.

Women play an important role in her child’s religious upbringing. The mother’s spiritual

influence was essential, which started from the time she was pregnant. She had to meditate to

prepare her body and mind for the birth since they were expected to deliver their child on their

own. After the child reached certain age, they have to meditate on their own and depending on

their gender, they worked with their mentors. If the child was a boy, they were mentored by his

father, whereas girls were safeguarded by their grandmother. Therefore, the elders have the tasks

of teaching the younger generation their traditions, religious beliefs and wisdom.

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 Religion also played an important part of the marriage and daily life of Oglala

community. It was believed that the couple’s union must be blessed by God followed by family

celebration. Therefore, a couple’s engagement was not fully announced, they had to first wander

into the wilderness and after a certain time of solitude return as husband and wife. The duty of

prayer governed the daily lives of this community. At dawn, every man must clean his soul by

the water, face the sun from the horizon and pray. “Each soul must meet the morning sun, the

new, sweet earth, and the Great Silence alone! Every act of his life is, in a very sense a religious

act” Eastman (1858). Everyone had to recognize the beauty of the creator, meditate and pray

daily to give thanks for their blessings.

Americanization and influence of Christianity on Oglala society

While Oglala is not a type of religion, but a description of the type of people who have

prospered by following their beliefs and influences of Christianity, both of these religions have

shared similarities in the rite of passage in Christianity and Seven Sacred Rites of Oglala. While

in Christianity, the original sin is washed away by the process of “baptism”, the Oglala performs

a similar process of purification. In Christianity the cleansing of the soul is practiced by

sprinkling or immersing holy water on the person, whereas in Oglala, the individual enters a

lodge made of willows. In Christianity, the person who is baptized dresses in white robes which

symbolizes the purity of the spirit, while in Oglala the lodge has heated rocks which helps purify

the spirit. Despite of these similarities, it is obvious that Oglala society adopted Christianity as a

mean to survive since their spiritual displacement was mainly due to the extermination of the

buffalo.

There are a number of reasons Oglala people can move from one religion to the
next, even go to mass on a Sunday and a traditional ritual a few days later. First,
from a historical point of view, Indians at Pine Ridge had to belong to a church to
receive ration books. One declared membership in a church or risked starvation

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 for the whole family. Second, there was never any good reason why Indians could
not join a Christian church and still pray to Wakantanka (Power, 1986, p. 185).

Therefore, rather than completely accepting Christianity as their religion, some still incorporated

their Oglala rituals in their daily lives.

Since the establishment of Indian reservations, Lakota economic society and religion

have been greatly affected, particularly men who had been stripped of their political and

economic responsibilities, while women’s role were not greatly affected. “Indian males did not

take part in the white man's economy; they were hunters and warriors stripped of their normal

economic pursuits and political independence” (Powers, 2010, p. 26). It is clear that in Lakota

and American culture gender roles shared similar traits, and its influence affected their future

generations. For instance, in Lakota, traditional woman’s role seems to have helped them in

their survivals, whereas man’s role became almost obsolete. “Both the male and female ideology

and the real gender roles have been disrupted, partly because of the establishment of the

reservation and partly because the white man promotes, consciously or unconsciously, a division

of labor that stresses the dominant/subordinate relationship between males and females”

(Powers, 2010, p. 197). Rather than complete conversion from Christianization, Oglala culture

fused their traditions with American values, as a result, many of the gender roles shifted as well.

Nevertheless, women were less affected than men, since their tasks were similar and

more stable. Women easily adopted new positions of secretaries and office jobs and were able to

fit into the American mainstream and the marketplace. On the other hand, men who were used

to being the leaders, warriors and hunters, could not easily accept that their positions were no

longer required in the American culture.

What makes the Oglala woman particularly adept at what she does…she is not
simply Indian or white, she is not simply traditional or modern, and she is not

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 simply female—often filling a male role. What makes her most capable in her
roles as wife and mother on the one hand and as effective community leader on
the other is her ability to move along a number of continua with ideological
Indianness at one end and the white world at the other. She can be a traditional
Indian, a grandmother if you will, giving advice to young girls and women and
transmitting the code of the Lakotas through the stories and legends of fantastic
cosmological beings as well as the brave heroes of the historical past (Powers,
2010, p. 204).
My perspective

While one might not understand why the Oglala society did not completely

Americanized, knowing that their culture, religion and rituals have served as a support for their

community is essential. Based on my experience as a Mexican-American immigrant, I

completely comprehend the effects that migration & relocation has on one’s culture and

traditions. I understand that it is hard to let go of family customs, particularly when they are so

engraved in our daily lives. But, like the Oglala community, I have learned to combine family

traditions with American ones to survive and fit in. Despite having a Mexican background,

where men have been known and raised as “machistas” (to be tough, independent and at times

violent to exert control women), growing up in Los Angeles have taught me to accept that

women can be viewed as equal counterparts. While in both cultures – Oglala and Mexican men

are considered the protectors of the family, they differed in the way gender roles are viewed. In

Oglala society, no distinctions were made between genders and both were considered equal prior

to Americanization. However, in Mexican culture, men are considered superior while women

are expected to be in charge of raising the kids and household chores.

In addition, like the Oglala people who were governed by religious rituals, Catholic faith

and culture are very important to my family; as such we continue to celebrate many of those

traditions. For example, the girls in my family look forward to celebrating their “quinceanera”,

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which is known as sweet 16 in the United States. It has very distinct traditions, its origins date

back from Spanish-Catholic and Aztec influences. This ceremony is very meaningful, since the

girl is presented with many significant gifts (white dress, tiara, shoes) and mothers instruct &

remind their daughters to keep their traditions and their role in society. Although, this tradition

has evolved and changed overtime particularly in the United States, it is still one of the most

anticipated event in a girl’s life since it is still a celebration of womanhood, family and

community in the Mexican culture. Another great Mexican celebration is the weddings which are

filled with many traditional elements and demonstrates the importance that Catholicism has had

in Mexican-American families like mine and on gender roles. While Mexican weddings involve

civil and religious counterparts, it is filled with Roman, Spanish and indigenous influences.

During the religious wedding the couple receives blessings during a mass performed at a Roman

Catholic Church while kneeling down at the altar. Family and godparents play an important role

during the ceremony, since the couple is presented with gifts (rosary, unity lace, coins) and

offerings are made to the “Virgen de Guadalupe”(equivalent to Virgin Mary). The coins play an

important role, since they are blessed by the priest and signifies Jesus and the 12 apostles. In

addition, it signifies the economic support the groom will provide for his wife. When the bride

accepts the coins, she shows her commitment and support to him. The unity lace is very

important, since once it is placed around the bride and groom in the form of an “8”, it reinforces

their commitment with each other and most importantly with God.

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 Conclusion

As shown by various readings on the Lakota culture, I have learned that gender roles in

Lakota society are strictly influenced by its values and rituals. Although its culture has been

directly affected by Americanization and Christianity, their shift in gender roles came as a result

of survival. “Unlike many of her non-Indian counterparts, who view womanhood exclusively in

terms of gender differences, being a wife, sister, and mother only partially defines her role as an

Oglala woman” (Powers, 2010, p. 207). Oglala people always let their religion govern their lives

and as a result, became prosperous. While this may have shifted due to their encountering with

the white man or due to their migration into reservations, they have wisely learned to fuse their

beliefs with what they have learned from Americanization in order to survive.

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 References

Eastman, and Charles Alexander (1858) "The Soul of the Indian." Print.

Elk, David L. (1997) "Marriage." Print.

Powers, M. (2010). Oglala Women Myth, Ritual, and Reality. University of Chicago
Press.

Young, William A. (2002) Quest for Harmony: Native American Spiritual Traditions.
Seven Bridges Press.

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