Interview · South Dakota · Sidney Byrd · OSEU 3
Themes: Land & stewardship, Values & generosity, Culture & continuity, Arts & expression, Listening & observation
Learn About questions
What are the traditional Lakota beliefs concerning “living things” and things like rocks that are generally considered “inanimate”? How much are Mr. Byrd’s views influenced by traditional Lakota views and how much are they influenced by Christian views?
In what way are we all related to everything that was created? Does that include only “living” things, or does it also include rocks, minerals, etc…?
What is the meaning of Mitakuye Oyasin?
Is it traditional to give thanks for things like air and water for the Lakota people? How often?
What’s the meaning of Wakan Tanka?
What are the traditional Lakota views concerning the source of Life and the role of Death?
Learn From questions
What living things (other than people) do you interact with on a regular basis? Are they important to you? Why?
Are there some non-living things that are important to you as well? What makes them important to you?
What “free things” hold great value for you?
How do you give thanks? Do you consider yourself a generally thankful person?
What are your beliefs concerning the source of Life and the role of Death?
Transcripts
Life and Giving Thanks - Sidney Byrd - OSEU #3
Watch this interview on YouTubeEverything is related. And this is why I took that…you take a little kernel and put it in the ground. And you took a rock and put it in the ground. And he said, “You water the…one where you put the ground…the seed…the rock…after a few days, a shoot comes. But with the rock, nothing happens.” Eventually, there’s a stalk, an ear of corn. But nothing happens to the rock. What’s the difference? Why does this one…it’s something that has defied definition. Life. It has life. That little thing’s got life. That’s why it grows. The stone does not have life. But we are all related to all that has ever been created. We are only a small part of a total creation…mitakuye oyasin. Hold your breath…and time yourself.
Let me know when you can no longer hold your breath. The best things in life are free. Without air, you’re dead. But, have you ever given thanks for the air we breathe? No one ever thinks about giving thanks for the air we breathe. But we are only a few minutes away from death. Without air, we are gone. We even sleep…breathe while we sleep…unconsciously. But, without air…but we never think about giving thanks for the air we breathe. That’s an old man that tells me, “Thank Wakan Tanka for the breath.” And there is a song that says the best things in life are free. It’s free. You don’t have to earn it. So that…this little kernel…has something called life. And that’s why it can grow into this thing. You will look in a microscope and examine it…but you can’t…
It’s something…it has life. It defies definition. What is life? And the old man said, “Wakan Tanka, Great Spirit, is the giver of life. But we never give thanks for that.”
Resource text
OSEU 3: INTERVIEW WITH SIDNEY BYRD
WoLakota Project
From the current WoLakota source page:
Life and Giving Thanks
Sydney Byrd
Transcript
(deep listening, information)
(deep listening, transformation)
Some indexed text was extracted from scanned material. Check the original source for exact wording and spelling.
Source materials
Supplied transcript document. Text preserved as supplied; spellings and transcription uncertainties have not been corrected.
Additional source transcripts
Life and Giving Thanks
Life and Giving Thanks - Sidney Byrd - OSEU #3
Everything is related. And this is why I took that…you take a little kernel and put it in the ground. And you took a rock and put it in the ground. And he said, “You water the…one where you put the ground…the seed…the rock…after a few days, a shoot comes. But with the rock, nothing happens.” Eventually, there’s a stalk, an ear of corn. But nothing happens to the rock. What’s the difference? Why does this one…it’s something that has defied definition. Life. It has life. That little thing’s got life. That’s why it grows. The stone does not have life. But we are all related to all that has ever been created. We are only a small part of a total creation…mitakuye oyasin. Hold your breath…and time yourself.
Let me know when you can no longer hold your breath. The best things in life are free. Without air, you’re dead. But, have you ever given thanks for the air we breathe? No one ever thinks about giving thanks for the air we breathe. But we are only a few minutes away from death. Without air, we are gone. We even sleep…breathe while we sleep…unconsciously. But, without air…but we never think about giving thanks for the air we breathe. That’s an old man that tells me, “Thank Wakan Tanka for the breath.” And there is a song that says the best things in life are free. It’s free. You don’t have to earn it. So that…this little kernel…has something called life. And that’s why it can grow into this thing. You will look in a microscope and examine it…but you can’t…
It’s something…it has life. It defies definition. What is life? And the old man said, “Wakan Tanka, Great Spirit, is the giver of life. But we never give thanks for that.”