Interview · South Dakota · Duane Hollow Horn Bear
Themes: Language & revitalization, Storytelling & oral tradition, Food & plants, Listening & observation, Children & young people
New transcript-based questions created with AI assistance using Scott Simpson’s Learn About and Learn From guide.
Learn About questions
1. What danger threatens the meadowlark and her young?
2. How does she use conversation and a plan to protect them?
3. What additional care does the youngest bird need during the escape?
Learn From questions
1. What helps me pause and think when a situation is difficult?
2. How can care account for different people's abilities and needs?
3. What does the meadowlark's response suggest to me about courage?
Transcripts
The Meadowlarks - Duane Hollow Horn Bear – Storytelling
Watch this interview on YouTubeChildren, I’m going to share with you a little story about some meadowlarks.
Here was this nest…a mother meadowlark. She had three little baby birds. Now meadowlark, they build their nests on the ground amongst the weeds. So here she is with her babies, and then not hearing anything, all of a sudden they find a huge snake had wrapped itself around their nest. But the mother was very calm and she says to the eldest one,
“Oh, my! Son, you did not tell me that your uncle was here. My brother is here. Quickly go in…borrow! I don’t have a big enough pot to make all this food for him. I must feed him. Go and borrow a pot.”
And they had not really learned to fly yet, but she nudges to one, “Go and get a pot…a big one.”
And the snake is curled around there, and he’s watching them. So she’s making chit chat talking to the snake… “How are you today? These are my children. Where is that one that’s supposed to bring my pot back? You, brother, go and hurry him up, would you?”
And she pushed him out of the nest and he flew away. She knows the youngest one, the littlest one is too tiny, so she cradles that one and she’s talking to the snake. And she curls that one underneath her and she puts her claw into his wing holding on. And she distracts,
“Oh, perhaps the others are coming.”
She looks. The snake shifts his eyes just for a moment…That gives the mother meadowlark just a split second time. It’s all she needed. Up she darts away. if you ever see a meadowlark, how quickly they can leave the ground and fly into the air very fast.
And she hollers back at him,
“Now you old snake, now you can find someone else who will cook for you,” she says.
The Meadowlarks in Lakota
Watch this interview on YouTubeThe Meadowlarks - Duane Hollow Horn Bear - Storytelling
Children, I’m going to share with you a little story about some meadowlarks.
Here was this nest…a mother meadowlark. She had three little baby birds. Now meadowlark, they build their nests on the ground amongst the weeds. So here she is with her babies, and then not hearing anything, all of a sudden they find a huge snake had wrapped itself around their nest. But the mother was very calm and she says to the eldest one,
“Oh, my! Son, you did not tell me that your uncle was here. My brother is here. Quickly go in…borrow! I don’t have a big enough pot to make all this food for him. I must feed him. Go and borrow a pot.”
And they had not really learned to fly yet, but she nudges to one,
“Go and get a pot…a big one.”
And the snake is curled around there, and he’s watching them. So she’s making chit chat talking to the snake… “How are you today? These are my children. Where is that one that’s supposed to bring my pot back? You, brother, go and hurry him up, would you?”
And she pushed him out of the nest and he flew away. She knows the youngest one, the littlest one is too tiny, so she cradles that one and she’s talking to the snake. And she curls that one underneath her and she puts her claw into his wing holding on. And she distracts,
“Oh, perhaps the others are coming.”
She looks. The snake shifts his eyes just for a moment…That gives the mother meadowlark just a split second time. It’s all she needed. Up she darts away. if you ever see a meadowlark, how quickly they can leave the ground and fly into the air very fast. And she hollers back at him,
“Now you old snake, now you can find someone else who will cook for you,” she says.
Resource text
In Lakota In English
Lakota Language Transcript:
Coming Soon…
English Language Transcript:
Children, I’m going to share with you a little story about some meadowlarks.
Here was this nest…a mother meadowlark.
She had three little baby birds.
Now meadowlark, they build their nests on the ground amongst the weeds. So here she is with her babies, and then not hearing anything, all of a sudden they find a huge snake had wrapped itself around their nest.
But the mother was very calm and she says to the eldest one,
“Oh, my!
Son, you did not tell me that your uncle was here.
My brother is here.
Quickly go in…borrow!
I don’t have a big enough pot to make all this food for him.
I must feed him.
Go and borrow a pot.”
And they had not really learned to fly yet, but she nudges to one,
“Go and get a pot…a big one.”
And the snake is curled around there, and he’s watching them.
So she’s making chitchat talking to the snake… “How are you today?
These are my children.
Where is that one that’s supposed to bring my pot back?
You, brother, go and hurry him up, would you?”
And she pushed him out of the nest and he flies away. She knows the youngest one, the littlest one is too tiny, so she cradles that one and she’s talking to the snake.
And she curls that one underneath her and she puts her claw into his wing holding on.
And she distracts,
“Oh, perhaps the others are coming.”
She looks.
The snake shifts his eyes just for a moment…That give the mother meadowlark just a split second time.
It’s all she needed.
Up she darts away.
if you ever see a meadowlark, how quickly they can leave the ground and fly into the air very fast.
And she hollers back at him,
“Now you old snake, now you can find someone else who will cook for you,” she says.
Source materials
Transcripts from supplied documents and the current WoLakota source pages. Text preserved as published.
Additional source transcripts
The Meadowlarks in English
The Meadowlarks - Duane Hollow Horn Bear -
Storytelling
Children, I’m going to share with you a little story about some meadowlarks.
Here was this nest…a mother meadowlark. She had three little baby birds. Now
meadowlark, they build their nests on the ground amongst the weeds. So here she is
with her babies, and then not hearing anything, all of a sudden they find a huge snake
had wrapped itself around their nest. But the mother was very calm and she says to the
eldest one,
“Oh, my! Son, you did not tell me that your uncle was here. My brother is here. Quickly
go in…borrow! I don’t have a big enough pot to make all this food for him. I must feed
him. Go and borrow a pot.”
And they had not really learned to fly yet, but she nudges to one,
“Go and get a pot…a big one.”
And the snake is curled around there, and he’s watching them. So she’s making chit
chat talking to the snake… “How are you today? These are my children. Where is that
one that’s supposed to bring my pot back? You, brother, go and hurry him up, would
you?”
And she pushed him out of the nest and he flew away. She knows the youngest one, the
littlest one is too tiny, so she cradles that one and she’s talking to the snake. And she
curls that one underneath her and she puts her claw into his wing holding on. And she
distracts,
“Oh, perhaps the others are coming.”
She looks. The snake shifts his eyes just for a moment…That gives the mother
meadowlark just a split second time. It’s all she needed. Up she darts away. if you ever
see a meadowlark, how quickly they can leave the ground and fly into the air very fast.
And she hollers back at him,
“Now you old snake, now you can find someone else who will cook for you,” she says.