One World In Concert: Orderly Letters of Lakota... and English

Kaleidoscope by Sam English
Source: www.firstpeople.us

At the interface of Lakota and English communications since their historic international meeting about 100 years ago, technical comparisons show similar but diverse ways of getting their meanings across to the other which is easier said than done.

When one is bilingual, sometimes no will appear yes, and yes no, both remaining reasonable believe it or not. To illustrate, to negative questions in English and Lakota, observe the following changes in comparative answers. First the following example is in English Q and A: Didn't you understand? No, I didn't understand. Or... yes, I did understand. Whereas secondly in Lakota replies to the same question, notice the different functions of yes & no: Didn't you understand? No, I did understand. Or... Yes, I didn't understand. A Lakota no to no in the negative question results in a positive as in: Didn't you understand? No, I did understand. In contrast, an English no to no to the same question results in a negative statement as shown earlier. In this snippet Lakota will seem directly easier than English and puzzling it is until one becomes familiar with both conversational modes where either is correct. Yes, we have no prosperity - is easier to understand when you're fluently Lakota and bilingual.

And thus as we await the bona fide dialogue, we hear the lone voice speaking, day after day, with only the echoes from the canyon walls returning to the speaker. How distant is the person of one language who may be capable only of selfish soliloquies? We wonder if only a person of two languages is near enough to say something - and only bilingual people can respond. In a multilingual world, to speak two languages is to break through the walls of separation and perhaps the only way to open, informed discussion of all issues.

And as we continue to learn two languages, letters in scientific yardstick of "one sound = one letter" show English having in linguist John Malone's words, a "dumb alphabet." In that, English has 40 phonemes which are smallest sounds, but writes in 26 letters to communicate laboriously. English 26 letters does not match the 40 sounds in the spoken English. In distinction Lakota letters employing the same yardstick uses 41 copyrighted letters to cover completely the 41 distinct spoken sounds. English letters confuses having to learn unnecessary rules and expensive in time, energy and monies to teach spelling to the children. Through comparing speech sounds, 22 identical sounds in spoken Lakota and English resound clearly. So, would it be true to say that one half of the English language is Lakota and vice-versa?

Presently, Lakota orthography can see no improvement unless English, with cluttered-up ABC's in a gridlock of e-c-k-s-x letters, is lettered more accurately. However, with this 28th anniversary year of the 41-letter Lakota alphabet with half- and full-moon configurations of circular designs in line-angle differentiations, no other alphabet is like Lakota in 2010. Because, this creation signifies re-unification of the D-N-Lakota speakers in one alphabet with the sounds of D and N included - usable by both Dakota and Nakota speakers and writers besides the Lakota.

And also simultaneously with Lakota 41 letters, the ten symbols assigned to the formerly oral but now written names of base-ten Lakota numbers is of signal development and a gracious gift of the Wakantanka Tunkasila.

Parallel studies in both letters and numbers produced sets of symbols in each area at the same time in 1982. But the question is whether I discovered or invented these symbols. Anyway, a graceful privilege or the creation it was for me to make these contributions for the whole Lakota Nation.

And now for the meat of the discussion on the meaning of the Lakota language, time sense should be up front as we ponder the year 2010. Here, information is emphasized; native way of alternate thinking about the world is sorely needed. Where it is commonly accepted as the year 2010, other's time sense may show the year 12,010 as indicated in Lakota ideas and materials. "Okama Teca" in Lakota denotes "new earth" which connotes the "new year" at the spring equinox, clearly earth at its most freshest, its green grass most resurgent in Lakota Territories. Also a day begins at zero hour at midnight in European belief. Whereas, Greek, Jewish and Roman times, it began at evening. In contrasting Lakota experience, a new day begins at dawn. A stronger case for the overall time frame of native culture may be inferred from the "Medicine Wheel" built of large boulders on top of the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming, the wheel dated at about 10,000 years old. So instead of 2,000 years, we are looking at a time span of 10,000 years or more of verbal and symbolic Lakota history. Here a quote is in order from Mr. Stanley Looking Horse now deceased who is headman of the family entrusted with the care of the Sacred Pipe at Green Grass: "When our grandfathers came onto the reservation they had three things: Two hides and sticks. One hide was a star map. The other hide was an earth map marked with hills, rivers, and buttes. These two maps were the same because what's on the earth is in the stars, and what's in the stars is on the earth. The sticks were for time, measuring time..."

Time requires space and in truth Grandmother Earth in its circles is considered in its essential meanings. The phrase "Maka kin lecela tehan yunkelo" says "Only the earth long endures" perhaps the most proper attitude of all. Further, time in the old way plus numbers yields the simple accounting method of the land-food-shelter-people equation where anyone hungry or unsheltered is an unnatural condition. In other words, the natural price of a free man was food and shelter, gained directly from the earth only, moneyless but rich in the real values of the world. In contrast, today's reservation area is restricted in terms of the flow of money and creation of jobs. And money - with its defects in such questions as who defines, prints, controls, and circulate money at what amounts under what conditions - is given far too much importance in comparison with how the immensely rich natural world works.

In this manner earth is recalled in its full seasons paying tribute to it's 'sister' states, the red daystar, the stars and our very own intermediate position. Here, highest homage is paid to the most significant celestial body in the Lakota Sundance as more than companionship. Thus the roots of Lakota foundations are recognized much more expansively than a duality of up-down earth and sky, perhaps the view being more multi-directional in origins.

And as we continue to fill a vacuum in bilingual communications yet this is a very brief outline to say the least only covering the highlighted overview of Lakota philosophy in brief. The power of ideas is now here where change is permanent although we haven't even begun Lakota dialect. Later, wicowoyake, oral history, and wicohanpi, established institutions, will be thoroughly discussed. Then too to be covered are the Lakota elan vital of the ceremonies, songs, rituals, spirituality, prayers in fluent Lakota and hopefully a new vigorous language as well.

Then, when talking in Lakota and English is about to begin, what would two people of bilingual ability be talking about? Makuki, my cookie? A whole lot of puns to be sure but some common ideas, too. In the past they had been acting toward each other overwhelmingly without any knowledge of each other. In the interim, the statement that about half of the sounds of Lakota and English are the same is indication that about half of the basic ideas of both languages should be the same. That would leave unknown ideas, in some proportion to each. As each didn't know what they both knew - in time, they together will know what each never knew.

Thus, here are the 41 symbols of the Titunwun Lakota Alphabet. Not copying any other alphabet in the world, the letters are authentic and original.