Mitakuye Oyasin
Overview
[edit]Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ is a phrase from the Lakota language. It reflects the world view of interconnectedness held by the Lakota people. It originates from a line of a Lakota folk song.[1]
Meaning
[edit]The phrase has been translated multiple ways, such as "all my relatives," "we are all related," or "all my relations."[2] Francis White Bird, writing in the Lakota Country Times, argued that a more accurate translation would be "everything is related to the existence of all my Lakota relatives." The phrase does not refer specifically to the individual being interconnected, but rather that all groups are collectively connected to one another. It can be most accurately translated into a single word as "oneness".[3]
Spirituality
[edit]
Usage and context
[edit]The phrase appears in prayers in the Lakota religion, which is also observed by some Dakota and Nakota. It is also used by the Native American Church.[2][4][5] The phrase was used also by the Ojibwe during a revival of spirituality in the 1960s, loaned from the Dakota language because the Ojibwe language had yet to experience a revival. The Ojibwe were criticized by some Lakota as "cultural thieves".[3]
It is a prayer of oneness and harmony with all forms of life: other people, animals, birds, insects, trees and plants, rocks, rivers, mountains and valleys.[2]
It has been compared to the philosophy of Marcus Aurelius as written in his book Meditations, where he writes "Always think of the universe as one living organism."[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 François, Damien (2007). The Self-destruction of the West: critical cultural anthropology. Publibook. p. 28. ISBN 978-2-7483-3797-6.
- 1 2 3 Maroukis, Thomas Constantine (2005). Peyote and the Yankton Sioux: The Life and Times of Sam Necklace. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 160. ISBN 0-8061-3649-9.
- 1 2 "Levels of Lakota language". Lakota Country Times. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
- ↑ "US: Indigenous Lakota women face harsh winter wrath under climate change". womennewsnetwork.net. November 2, 2010.[dead link]
- ↑ Lupton, Mary Jane (2004). James Welch: A Critical Companion. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 23–24. ISBN 0-313-32725-4.
 | This article relating to a myth or legend from North America is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
 | This article relating to the Indigenous peoples of North America is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |