Interview · South Dakota · Lowell Amiotte · OSEU 5
Themes: Language & revitalization, Kinship & family, Storytelling & oral tradition, Education & learning, Values & generosity, Culture & continuity, Community & responsibility, Listening & observation, Children & young people
Learn About questions
Why is important to develop native writers when so many stories have been written by non-native people?
Why isn’t there very much of a written voice for the native people?
What is the Oak Lake Writers Association? How has it helped develop a written voice for native people?
Who is Lydia Whirlwind Soldier?
Who is Liz Cook Lynn?
Who is Don Montileaux?
What is a vanishing language? Lowell says, “We don’t want to be the vanishing anything,” what does he mean by that?
Why is it good to read other people’s philosophies and religions?
Lowell says, “We are responsible for 7 generations,” what does he mean by that?
Learn From questions
Are there written stories of your family’s history, culture, ethnicity? How might having those stories written help you as an individual?
In what ways does a written voice differ from an oral voice for you? In what ways are both important to you?
What oral stories do you know from your own family that have never been written down? How do they continue to be passed on through your family?
Have you ever taken time to learn about another philosophy or religion that is not your own? Why or why not? If so, how has it helped you?
In your family, do you have a sense of responsibility for the something similar to the seven generations Lowell speaks of? How does that shape the way you see the world?
Transcripts
Developing Native Writers - Lowell Amiotte - OSEU 4
Watch this interview on YouTubeIn order to have the Indian voice heard, we're going to have to develop writers. People who actually put things down on paper. You know, earlier, when I was young and I went to school, we would read things about Native Americans, but they were all written by non-Indians. So gradually, we were trying to build toward developing a written voice. I think the old stories are very important, and a lot of them have been written down now, so they're easier to pass on.
We even established what's called the Oak Lake Writers Association, where we—again, I'm not a writer, but here I'm starting something. We invited them all in, known writers and young people who wanted to be writers, and they produce three or four books now. One of those that you may know is Lydia Whirlwind Soldier. She's been a very good person in that group. And another one from right here in Rapid City is Liz Cook Lynn.
She's the one trying to get the Indian statues down at Holly Park.
So we started that with the idea that we now needed a written voice. And we have young writers like Don Montlow now who are coming on and starting to write things down so it's not all lost. I mentioned earlier the idea of the vanishing language. There was even a book called The Vanishing American, which was about American Indians. We don't want to vanish anything. We think we have a lot to offer, and people should stop and read other people's philosophies, learn something about their religion. I think it makes us very important.
The Indians always say we're responsible for seven generations. We have to make sure that Seven Generations has that knowledge and that it's passed on. And as we go on now through the times, if it's still all oral, we're going to lose a lot of it, or it's going to really change because outside factors influence it. So we have to get it written down by Indian people.
Resource text
Learn ABOUT Learn FROM
(deep listening, information) (deep sharing, transformation)
1. Why is important to develop native 1. Are there written stories of your family’s
writers when so many stories have been history, culture, ethnicity? How might
written by non-native people? having those stories written help you as
2. Why isn’t there very much of a written an individual?
voice for the native people? 2. In what ways does a written voice differ
3. What is the Oak Lake Writers from an oral voice for you? In what
Association? How has it helped develop ways are both important to you?
a written voice for native people? 3. What oral stories do you know from
4. Who is Lydia Whirlwind Soldier? your own family that have never been
5. Whois Liz Cook Lynn? written down? How do they continue to
6. Who is Don Montileaux? be passed on through your family?
7. What is a vanishing language? Lowell 4. Have you ever taken time to learn about
says, “We don’t want to be the vanishing another philosophy or religion that is
anything,” what does he mean by that? not your own? Why or why not? If so,
8. Why is it good to read other people’s how has it helped you?
philosophies and religions? 5. In your family, do you have a sense of
9. Lowell says, “We are responsible for 7 responsibility for the something similar
generations,” what does he mean by to the seven generations Lowell speaks
that? of? How does that shape the way you
see the world?
yy, OSEU 5: INTERVIEW WITH LOWELL AMIOTTE
3 os WoLakota Project
From the current WoLakota source page:
Developing Native Writers
Lowel Amiotte
Transcript
(deep listening, information)
(deep listening, transformation)
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Additional source transcripts
Developing Native Writers
Developing Native Writers - Lowell Amiotte - OSEU 4
In order to have the Indian voice heard, we're going to have to develop writers. People
who actually put things down on paper. You know, earlier, when I was young and I went
to school, we would read things about Native Americans, but they were all written by
non-Indians. So gradually, we were trying to build toward developing a written voice. I
think the old stories are very important, and a lot of them have been written down now,
so they're easier to pass on.
We even established what's called the Oak Lake Writers Association, where we—again,
I'm not a writer, but here I'm starting something. We invited them all in, known writers
and young people who wanted to be writers, and they produce three or four books now.
One of those that you may know is Lydia Whirlwind Soldier. She's been a very good
person in that group. And another one from right here in Rapid City is Liz Cook Lynn.
She's the one trying to get the Indian statues down at Holly Park.
So we started that with the idea that we now needed a written voice. And we have
young writers like Don Montlow now who are coming on and starting to write things
down so it's not all lost. I mentioned earlier the idea of the vanishing language. There
was even a book called The Vanishing American, which was about American Indians.
We don't want to vanish anything. We think we have a lot to offer, and people should
stop and read other people's philosophies, learn something about their religion. I think it
makes us very important.
The Indians always say we're responsible for seven generations. We have to make sure
that Seven Generations has that knowledge and that it's passed on. And as we go on
now through the times, if it's still all oral, we're going to lose a lot of it, or it's going to
really change because outside factors influence it. So we have to get it written down by
Indian people.