The Titunwun Lakota

The Titunwun Lakota are the people under discussion herein; and The Titunwun Lakota says, the Birth of the Nation Lakota in the language of the Lakota. Ti is the abbreviation of tipi or house and tun is birth while wun is the article, definite or indefinite. In Titunwun, ti is house which connotes dynasty as well as society which describes the nation Lakota. And this community of Lakota Oyate (nation/people) speaks their own language of Lakota now with its own alphabet of 41 letters since 1982 in the European sense of time. The Lakota tradition has its own wintercount and it is way older than the year 2009. The Lakota Year today is more like 10 to 40,000 years of Titunwun Lakota History.

Historical records and some personal narratives do point out that the United States Government forcibly tried to put an end to the use of the Lakota language, but this suppression did not work for some of us who had parents and grandparents who spoke fluent Lakota only. But for those who lost the use of Lakota and switched to English only, they lost a whole world view and gained a confused identity where some of them still don’t know who they are. This results in reactionary and impulsive behavior, and too many social problems. Those who were turned from using Lakota lost their identity and a world of important ideas and values.

What is lost to the Lakota people in English-only mode is tremendous. In one word tawacin, cin is the main part – cin means want and the basic question is taku wacin hwo?, what do you want? And when you answer that question to the best of your ability, other parts of tawacin come into play. Waciniyoyake is when your feelings and heart come into play, which also calls for your will or willpower or your complete physical, mental and spiritual powers. And this is the full meaning of tawacin or will or willpower. The Lakota person without the Lakota language is like an automobile in neutral position with the motor running but nobody to drive it.

In this way of writing and all expressions in Lakota, the importance of the Lakota world view and identity will be re-established for all Lakota. The Titunwun Lakota, Peta Sakowin, Seven Council Fires, are as follows: Sicangu Lakota, Oglala Lakota, Hunkpapa Lakota, Itazipco Lakota, Siha Sapa Lakota, Mnikoju Lakota, and Owohenumpa Lakota.

This is a short introduction as to who we truly are as a nation. Our national and international identity is proven by the Treaties of 1851 and 1868 between the United States and the Lakota Nation. The United States, in error without a clue as to the identity of the Lakota, thought of Sioux fraudulently to label the Lakota. But in truth and nothing but the truth, Titunwun Lakota is the nation in the 1851-1868 Treaties.

Wicahpi Wanjila- Leroy C. Curley
November 30, 2009