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WoLakota Project & Teachings of Our Elders

Generosity with Catherine Howard

Explore Generosity with Catherine Howard with available transcripts, learning questions and source alignments in the South Dakota and North Dakota Elder archive.

Interview · North Dakota · Catherine Howard · NDNAEU 3

Themes: Land & stewardship, Kinship & family, Spirituality & ceremony, Values & generosity

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Learn About questions

What are ways to define generosity? Why is sharing important to the Dakota way of life? What has caused sharing and generosity to become “broken” now? What does it mean to “smudge?”

Learn From questions

What are ways in my life that I show generosity? How does generosity impact my life and the way I view life? Have I ever been the recipient of another’s true generosity? What are ways that I experience my own spirituality each day? Is it something I plan and make time for?

Transcripts

Catherine_howard_understanding_3.mp4

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Sharing and stuff that we do that I still do that when I’m when somebody has weeks and stuff because it was so brought up into my family my mama says you got that Indian name whoa kill me and you always share that when somebody when somebody needs help you go help you do this and don’t ask for no pay in Los so when somebody passes away i make about 50 to 75 or maybe a hundred pieces of fry bread and bring it to them because that’s what you call sharing and then i have elderlies that living on a reservation I do that you know in loving of the resident you know that elderlies I cook soup I make fry bread and I feed the elders and then on November 11 I feed all da o sadaqat she does on a reservation because my dad was a World War one veteran you know sharing and generals you very seldom see that like if I’m at the casino and if I had if I win something like Lacey I want if I see an elderly man or elderly woman I could share it I give you went on this or you know or you know I was telling double it up you know and you know and if somebody if i buy if there’s all packs of cigarettes for a dollar i was by about five of them if you see somebody needs to go give him one those packs somebody walking on the road i give them a ride you know that the quarters were like that long time ago they shared they shared everything and they never the only had bread and water somebody comes to visit you set the table you know my girl feed him and if there’s only water and bread they will feed each other they’re not scared to share you know but that circle of life is broken from that some of us don’t do it you know some of us you know when we have wind we have we think that we shouldn’t but we should but I still lived that life I smudge my house every day like the today before we came down how I call my boy a smudge inside of the room and I say my prayer there with him that I said we’re going to be going to the meeting and you don’t be looking at your phone order put your phone away you know you know and you know have respect yeah I know Mom you know he’s going to be 50 years old but I still tell him those things

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Source materials

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