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WoLakota Project & Teachings of Our Elders

The Value of Generosity Oliver Gourd

Explore The Value of Generosity Oliver Gourd with available transcripts, learning questions and source alignments in the South Dakota and North Dakota Elder archive.

Interview · North Dakota · Oliver Gourd · NDNAEU 3

Themes: Spirituality & ceremony, Values & generosity, Food & plants, Listening & observation, Children & young people, Humor & play

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Learn About questions

What role did hunting and gardens play in developing generosity? How does sharing and generosity improve relationships? Why is it important to not only share material things but also time?

Learn From questions

How do I show generosity in my life? How did I learn to share in my life? How can I help others to learn the importance of sharing their lives? Is it easier for me to share things or time?  Why?

Transcripts

The Value of Generosity Oliver Gourd NDNAEU 3

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Well you know when I was growing up we always shared like it’s all about hunting they would sometimes some people digging some meat over to our house and then they bring some deer meat or some ducks or some rabbits and then later on in the spring my grandpa you sir have a big garden after we kill all the corn the potatoes and carrots and all that so as always a lot left over so you invite all the people that come so they’d be wagons part along the road over there they’re all come and help themselves so that was my grandpa’s were sharing I have big rich sellers and I was kind of fooled a lot of stuff shiokara tea tips on uh you know corn potato vegetables and later as I was going older days they start and can’t stuff done it then oh she went jars in those days so they had a lot of jars of different things berries you know took Terry jung-bae so they all had those and uh and they all shared them so she sharing this I was it was one of our the way I who I was growing up was you know that was generosity one of our values was sharing generosity and kinda like that to be generous not only for material stuff but you know we have time for somebody I talk to them or you know take care of children share your time listen that prayers you know save your prayers there’s a lot of stuff to do with sharing and I know that I used to walk all the way to Fort Totten when my mouse is what go see Uncle Harry tell me to want some sugar so I walk always for talking me go see how could mom want some bars for sugar yeah maybe a big bag of sugar so I take the city walk all the way back and then later on we reciprocate you know somehow someway

Resource text

NDNAEU Alignment:

Affiliation sources

NDNAEU document credits: Oliver Gourd — Spirit Lake (Dakota).

Source materials

Supplied transcript documents. Text and transcription uncertainties are preserved as supplied.