Native American Lakota Research
So Iâm working on my trigger-laden story, and I love doing research, so I figured Iâd share the parts Iâve saved with you guys! This is absolutely not the only research you should do if you need to; itâs just what I need. Anything in italics are my thoughts.
Itâs gonna be real fuckinâ annoying to go up to Insert Special Characters every time I want to show their dad but thatâs okay #firstworldwriterproblems
This tribe views death as an inevitable equalizer, something that happens to all living things despite their achievements on earth. The Lakota believe that the dead depart to a spirit world free of pain and suffering.
Okay so this link was some good shit right here
 Typically, the Lakota bury their dead. Custom dictates that the tribe wait about a day and half before burial when a person dies at home, in hopes that the deceased might revive.
Thatâs fair, I mean the natural reaction to someone you love dying is wishing that they hadnât, so it makes sense, plus I know ghosts are kinda an issue
 Bodies are typically placed on a scaffold to encourage the spirit's journey into the sky. Burial practices vary and include traditional earth burial, air burial -- in which bodies are left in the open, a practice often used for warriors who have fallen in battle --, burial under mounds or rocks and even tree burial, in which the limbs of a tree stand in for a scaffold. These methods vary depending on the tribe, location and resources.
Oh nice, thereâs a religion (Jainism, I think?) originating from Asia that does the air burial for everybody to offer sustenance to the earth and birds and everything.
 Journey to the Spirit World
Much of the Lakota's beliefs about the spirit world manifest in their burial ceremonies. To help them on their journey to the spirit world -- a parallel plane of existence that can be reached by the living -- the Lakota take bundles of their belongings with them to the grave, including items such as weapons, pipes, tools and medicine. Mourners also place food and drink at the scaffold of the deceased and kill the departed's horse at this location, tying its tail to the scaffold.
Above all, the ceremonial beliefs and funeral customs of the Lakota are meant to show respect and reverence for those who have passed; in a mourning process that may last up to a year, this respect is often expressed through grief. Mourners express grief for the departed by singing, crying, wailing and running pegs through their limbs, cutting their hair or even -- in the case of female Lakota -- cutting off a part of their little fingers. To symbolize their grief for young children who have passed, the Lakota practice ritual crying and wound their own arms and legs.
Iâm so happy, this is all perfect, this is exactly what I need. Should I do the whole wounding their arms and legs in term of Chelseaâs father? Itâs been seven months for them and I also donât wanna give anyoneâs brain more fuel to prompt a trigger. Iâll think about it.
 Like the belief systems of many indigenous people groups, the Lakota embrace the notion of a balanced universe and see death as a sacred and natural part of the life cycle. In fact, David recalled having attended dozens of funerals during his childhood and teen years, and saw to it that his own children attended funerals-not only for family members but for neighbors and friends, as well.
 In keeping with Lakota custom, David's wake was an around-the-clock event with some members of the family or community present throughout the period of three days. Friends of David's took turns playing a funeral drum and chanting during the wake, and a traditional star quilt hung behind the open casket. Inside the community center where David's wake was held, his casket was placed inside a large tipi, in the belief that his spirit would commune with ancestors who would guide him to the spirit world.
 So this is from an article about a specific Lakota man (David) who died and how his family followed traditions and customs in looking after him. I relish case studies in psychology so this is just delightful.
 During David's funeral, several people shared memories of the ways his life had positively impacted the world, calling on the Lakota values of generosity, wisdom, fortitude (bravery) and kinship. Robert Davis, a middle school social studies teacher recalled David's wisdom as he told of visits to his classrooms and how students sat spellbound as they learned from this friend who had grown up on the reservation. "How was I to know that Sioux was a derogatory name?" Robert asked to the knowing laughter of many of the mourners. "But David had such a gentle way; he just quietly taught me the terms that better defined his tribal heritage. My kids and I all learned something important that day about using care when using 'labels.'"
Shit, I didnât know that either. Since theyâre using Lakota so much and there wasnât any expansion on the terms Iâm gonna go with Lakota being safe
 At all times a surviving family member is with the body and available to visit with those who attend the wake. The casket is flanked on either side by a table filled with flowers and memorabilia of the deceased, and star quilts are hung on the wall behind the casket. All of these items will be given away. This is a time of open sharing, mourning, respect, and compassion. It is not uncommon to see people from all walks of life attend a Lakota wake. People take time off from work, travel long distances, even get a pass to leave jail for this sacred event. The concept of family is far reaching in this culture.
Those who attend the wake are welcome to add their own mementos to the casket as a parting gift to the deceased. Joan wryly commented that during a recent funeral home tour during her seminary education, the funeral director displayed a casket supplied with âsecretâ pockets that could be filled with small mementos. She thought, â This is nothing new, weâve been doing this for years!â Another parishioner told me of witnessing this tradition as he attended a Lakota wake saying, â My gosh, people kept putting things on top of the dead body that I thought we wouldnât be able to see it finally.â Such an outpouring of presence and memorabilia frames the Lakota wake.
Oh I love the mementos thing, I want that at my funeral, fuck Iâm tearing up
 Buffalo meat has more protein and less fat than beef. It also has less cholesterol, yet a mere four ounces provides more protein than a half a dozen eggs. Wasna, because of the protein it contains, can raise a personâs iron level within 15 minutes. Todayâs Lakota believe that their ancestors did not suffer from diabetes, heart disease, or cancer due to the healing powers of Wasna.
The Lakota diet was high in protein and often the tribe either had much food to eat, such as after they killed a buffalo, or very little. One of the traditional Indian food recipes that the Lakota have passed through the generations was Wasna. Wasna is a Lakota word with the "wa" meaning "anything" and the "sna" meaning ground up, although non-Lakota people refer to it as pemmican. This dish consisted of dried buffalo, dried berries, and fat or bone marrow. The Lakotaâs would grind the ingredients together with a pounding stone. Wasna was a very good source of protein and the Lakota valued this traditional recipe not only as a food, but also as a healing instrument. Therefore, Wasna is often seen as a sacred food and was often used in ceremonies and rituals.
Another of the Indian food recipes that is a favorite is Lakota plum cakes. This recipe included dark raisins, purple plums, toasted hazelnuts, butter, flour, baking soda, cloves, honey, and maple syrup.
Okay, sweet. The food is only gonna show up for like five seconds because theyâre having breakfast, but Wasna sounds perfect. Lakota plum cakes sound yummy too. But these seem like harried yet âresponsibleâ parents, and they hold with plenty of traditions so I donât think they would give their kids something that might be a dessert. I canât tell, it doesnât quite seem it even though the word cake throws me off. But best not to chance it; Wasna gets eaten not just during ceremonies and rituals by the looks of it.
The Lakota used honey and maple syrup as sweeteners
Nice, itâs always good to have something else to dribble on the readersâ senses
 http://www.elexion.com/lakota/iyapi/words2.html
 http://peopleof.oureverydaylife.com/lakota-burial-ceremony-beliefs-3711.html
 http://www.selectedfuneralhomes.org/A-Lakota-Family-Remembers-199
^^^^^^^^This was so fascinating^^^^^^^^
 http://www.indiana.edu/~famlygrf/culture/minton.html
 http://indians.org/articles/indian-food-recipes.html
 http://peopleof.oureverydaylife.com/did-lakota-indians-eat-7581.html
