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WoLakota Project & Teachings of Our Elders

Dakota Values with Demus McDonald

Explore Dakota Values with Demus McDonald with available transcripts, learning questions and source alignments in the South Dakota and North Dakota Elder archive.

Interview · North Dakota · Demus McDonald · NDNAEU 7

Themes: Language & revitalization, Education & learning, Values & generosity

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Learn About questions

How is speaking Dakota language different for men and for women? What are some examples of the differences in Dakota language for men and for women? What are some of the phrases that Demus shares in Dakota? What are the four Dakota Values? How did a turkey help Demus to learn these values?

Learn From questions

What are ways that I speak differently from others because of my gender? How did I learn to speak my language appropriately? Who was my teacher? How do the values of respect, generosity, fortitude and wisdom impact my life? Are there other values that I believe are important in my life? What are they? How have I learned about the values that guide my life?

Transcripts

Dakota Values with Demus Mcdonald NDNAEU 7

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Yeah when school is out my mother brought me to my grandpa John Sherman and the reason for that a man talks different from a woman Dakota so we raised by Grandma alone I would have been talking like a woman so my mom would drop now there all summer never spoke a word of English at all Dakota so that’s why I never did forget my Dakota grandpa would come and shake my foot Oh clean off not kicked out we said okay little boy wake up now and you can take a short call your job you say I don’t go and get the horses but we go outside first that screen door was kind of squeaky and my grandpa had a mean Tom Turkey it was done by the barn maybe a hundred yards or so when he heard that squeaky screen door he start running up and left there for the quarter values one is respect generosity brave for the to never give up that’s bravery and no with them so when I Turkey with Tom close he’d start flapping his wings to come and light me and I wanted to chicken out run behind my grandpa but he say stance turret then he say kick knock all we said that kick him so I started kicking back and finally quitting goes but that was one of the values my grandma grandpa taught me be brave you know be brave no don’t be scared at Turkey and then that the same as our fortitude has never give up then respect us for respect elders generous generosity and with the bump elders

Resource text

NDNAEU Alignment:

Affiliation sources

NDNAEU document credits: Demus McDonald — Spirit Lake (Dakota).

Source materials

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