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Chapter 15
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Lakota Woman, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Activism and Resistance
Assimilation, Tradition, and Identity
Unity, Inclusion, and Equality
Racism and Sexism
Summary
Analysis
Adjusting to life after Leonard’s imprisonment and legal battles came as a shock. Leonard’s children, who had stayed with relatives, were older and emotionally distant from both Mary and Leonard. The Crow Dog property had become even more run-down in their absence. Mary, who had spent much of the last two years living with wealthier friends and supporters, had to get used to living without running water again.
The book reveals some of the interpersonal costs of Leonard’s imprisonment and court case. For one, all the time apart caused the children became emotionally distant from their parents, which echoes how the U.S. government deliberately separated indigenous children from their parents to break up the process of passing cultural traditions from one generation to the next. Mary notes that she personally had to get used to living in impoverished conditions again, as she spent time living in wealthier and more resourced environments while traveling for Leonard’s case. The stark difference between her living conditions highlights the economic inequalities in the U.S.: Mary depicts how many white people live with amenities like running water that some Native American communities live without.
Themes
Leonard’s imprisonment and legal battles had changed both him and Mary, and, upon being reunited, they had to get accustomed to the new people they had each become. For example, Mary’s time with New York feminists influenced the way she viewed male-female relationships. She was no longer willing to meekly follow what men demanded of her, and she was more critical of Lakota men and their “macho” sense of masculinity. She especially became more critical of domestic violence, which happened far too often to Lakota women.
Leonard’s imprisonment also meant that he and Mary had spent a long time apart, during which they each had very different experiences. The emotional distance that resulted shows how the government’s unjust imprisonment had long-lasting impacts on Leonard’s life and the lives of his loved ones—forced separation of family members threatens relationships. The implication is that Leonard’s imprisonment was another way in which the government harmed a Native American community. But Mary makes it clear that not all the changes were bad; for example, her time with feminists emboldened her to advocate for her rights as a woman. Her refusal to blindly accept the “macho” masculinity of Lakota men suggests that she was tired of the gender roles that many Lakota espoused. She notes that her time with feminists especially made her critical of domestic violence, which suggests that—given the high rates of domestic violence among indigenous women—it had become normalized for Mary. After her travels, however, Mary was no longer willing to accept this widespread violence against indigenous women as “normal.”
Themes
At the same time, however, Mary viewed feminism as primarily a movement that supported “white, upper-middle-class” women. At times, her feminist New York friends patronized her for her beliefs, like her anti-abortion stance—she saw it as her duty to procreate to offset the genocide that white Americans had enacted against Native Americans.
But while Mary found some parts of her friends’ feminism to be useful (such as how domestic violence against women should not be normalized), she generally saw the movement as something that only addressed the issues that white women faced. The memoir has illustrated how indigenous women experience a more complicated form of oppression than white women because they (indigenous women) experience racism in addition to sexism, and the effects of racism create systemic problems for indigenous women that white women are spared. For example, because of the historic genocide against indigenous people—which was perpetuated by forced sterilizations on the part of the U.S. government—Mary is against abortion, which the white feminist movement of the 1970s advocated for. Mary says that her white friends patronized her for her anti-abortion stance, which reveals these white feminists’ narrow perspective of what feminism should encompass; instead of espousing issues that affect women of color (such as forced sterilizations and ethnic cleansing), they only addressed problems that white women faced and belittled the women of color who disagreed with them.
Themes
Leonard also struggled to adapt to life after imprisonment. His trials had made him famous, so he was the recipient of many letters and requests from people of all races who contacted him for spiritual aid, money, ceremonies, and more. He was especially receptive to the requests he received from inmates and did his best to help them.
Leonard’s decision to fight against an unjust system made him an inspiration among other inmates; therefore, not only did Leonard’s legal battle result in meaningful change (he got released), but it also set a precedent of resistance against the injustices of prison. Leonard’s receptiveness to the requests for help that he received reveals his dedication to advocate for others’ rights, especially inmates’ rights. This passage depicts him as a man of empathy whose desire to help others was racially inclusive.
Themes
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It was during this time that Mary noticed that Leonard was more understanding of Mary’s difficulties, both as a woman and as she tried to fit into his lifestyle. He dropped many of his “old Sioux macho habits,” and the two fought much less than before. He also made an effort to reassure Mary of the important role women play in Lakota religion.
The book illustrates that people can change their beliefs or political attitudes. In this instance, Leonard became more sympathetic regarding the forms of oppression that women—in particular, indigenous women—face, and he changed his behavior (by dropping his “macho” attitudes) to be a better ally for Mary and other women.
Themes
Mary interrupts the narrative to relay the story of First Woman, a story that Leonard told her about the importance of women in Lakota culture. Unlike in Christianity, where Adam came first, the Lakota believe that First Woman was the first human, and First Man came from First Woman’s menstrual blood. First Woman was given the tools and knowledge for survival. As Leonard told Mary, “she was four-dimensional—all the Creation rolled into one human.”
The book suggests that Leonard told Mary of the important roles that women play in Lakota culture because he wanted to show Mary that he valued and respected her womanhood. In this passage, Leonard showed how Lakota traditions value women for their integral role in producing and sustaining life for humans. According to the story, First Woman preceded First Man and comprised “all the Creation,” which suggests that, in traditional Lakota society, women held an extremely important role and were respected for being life-givers.
Themes
A woman was also the person who gave the Lakota people the ptehincala-huhu-chanupa, or the “sacred pipe.” This woman was White Buffalo Woman, and the pipe that she gave the Lakota people still exists. Leonard has even prayed with it a few special times.
White Buffalo Woman is another important female figure in Lakota lore. Leonard told this story to again reassure Mary that women play an important role in Lakota religion.
Themes
According to Lakota legend, women were also behind the discovery of peyote. Mary retells the story, in which a woman and her granddaughter heard the plant calling to them while they were lost. Upon eating the plant, the women were able to find their way home, whereupon they shared the knowledge of peyote’s power.
Mary tells another Lakota tale to emphasize the important role of women in Lakota religious beliefs. But, throughout the memoir, Mary has called attention to how, in modern society, Lakota women are not afforded the same amount of respect as men in their communities. The implication is that the respect that the Lakota had once held for women dwindled after the arrival of colonizers, who forced assimilation and poverty upon the Lakota people.
Themes
While Leonard firmly believes that women are important to Native American religious ceremonies, he is staunchly opposed to various Native American feminists’ groups decision to hold ceremonies that exclude men. For example, he was furious when Women of All the Red Nations (a Native American feminist society) hosted a woman-only Sun Dance. He believes that “our religion was all-inclusive;” the only people excluded from ceremonies are menstruating women, because their periods are too powerful and override the power of any ritual.
This passage reveals that, while Leonard did make strides in recognizing the specific problems that indigenous women face, he was not ready for them to create their own spaces that exclude men. His thinking was largely influenced by his desire for inclusivity and unity—he believes all people should be able to participate in Native American religious ceremonies (Mary doesn’t specify a specific tribe’s religion, so it appears that she is referring to Native American religions as a group of religious beliefs that share many commonalities, particularly their identity as indigenous religions threatened by white society). But while Leonard said that everyone can participate in these ceremonies, he actually made an exception that affects women: only people who menstruate risk being excluded. Leonard accepts this as tradition, but the book suggests that not all indigenous women wanted to accept that exclusivity. Lastly, the fact that a Native American feminist society formed shows how the mainstream, white-centered feminist movement did not include the issues that indigenous women face so, in response, Native American women formed their own feminist movement.
Themes
After his imprisonment, Leonard embarked on a vision quest (also called “Crying for a Dream”), a ritual he often does when starting a new phase of his life. Mary interjects to describe a vision quest. During a typical vision quest, one crawls into an underground pit and stays there—in complete darkness—and fasts for several days and nights. While in the pit, one loses one’s senses: one cannot see, feel, taste, or hear anything. Mary adds that some vision seekers don’t use a pit but will find other ways to isolate themselves.
Leonard’s decision to embark on a vision quest reflects how traditional Lakota rituals help Leonard feel confident in his life choices and in who he is.
Themes
While living with Leonard and his family, Mary began to appreciate how “every part of daily life had a religious meaning.” From the weather to animal calls, many day-to-day occurrences “had spiritual significance.” The more time she spent with Leonard and his family, the more she began to develop “a split personality”: she felt like both a traditional Lakota woman and still a roaming “half-breed girl.”
Mary expresses how the process of embracing her Lakota identity could be confusing. Because there was “spiritual significance” to every moment of life, Mary had a lot to learn, which likely only accentuated how separated she felt from her Lakota heritage. But the more she learned, the more she appreciated Lakota traditions, which suggests that she felt more in tune with her identity the more she embraced Lakota culture. All the same, Mary acknowledges that she felt like she had “a split personality,” which means that she was still torn between her different identities: her identity as an indigenous woman raised to assimilate to white society, and her identity as a Lakota woman yearning to live a more traditional lifestyle.
Themes
An important step in Mary’s spiritual journey was participating in the Sun Dance, a ceremony in which participants pierce their flesh to help a loved one. For decades, white missionaries banned the Lakota people from participating in the Sun Dance, as they saw it as “barbarous” and an obstacle to “civilizing” the Lakota. Nonetheless, the Lakota continued to secretly perform the Sun Dance, which means that the details of the ceremony have been preserved.
The Sun Dance was yet another indigenous ceremony that white missionaries tried to eliminate in their effort to force Native Americans to assimilate to Christianity. It was thanks to the Lakota who refused to comply to the missionaries’ bans that the Sun Dance was preserved, which speaks to the value of resistance against oppression: their resistance mitigated the effects of forced assimilation.
Themes
The Sun Dance is now legal, but it is also often commercialized in a way that cheapens the sacred ceremony. So, in 1971, Leonard and several other medicine men decided to hold the ceremony at Wounded Knee, away from the “circus atmosphere” of the commercialized Pine Ridge Sun Dance. But police interrupted the ceremony to arrest and fine the dancers—all because this Sun Dance drew people away from the Pine Ridge money-making one.
The commercialization of the Sun Dance at Pine Ridge shows another way that colonization wreaked havoc on indigenous communities. Additionally, the book suggests that there were some Lakota who joined in the commercialized Sun Dance, the implication being that some Lakota exploited the sanctity of the ceremony to make money for themselves. This led to a group of traditionalists (which included Leonard) hosting their own ceremony, one that better followed traditions and respected the sanctity of the ceremony, which suggests that maintaining a more traditional atmosphere to the Sun Dance is imperative for the ceremony to retain its spiritual weight and impact on its participants.
Themes
But Leonard and the dancers did not give up. They decided to move the ceremony to the Crow Dogs’ private land, but there was one problem: they needed to somehow transport the sacred tree that stands in the middle of the Sun Dance circle. The tree is cut each year and then transported to the circle without letting it touch the ground. Unfortunately, the Crow Dogs’ land was many miles away from Wounded Knee.
Leonard’s hesitancy to move the ceremony because of the sacred tree reflects how much he values retaining Lakota traditions.
Themes
At that moment, a truck full of hippies pulled up and, when they heard the dancers’ dilemma, they offered to transport the tree on their truck. Leonard disagreed—the tree is traditionally carried on foot—but another medicine man, Bill Eagle Feathers, took them up on the offer. He was sure that the Great Spirit and the Sacred Tree would understand. When they arrived at the Crow Dogs’ land, they proceeded with the Dance.
Leonard’s initial refusal to move the tree via the truck again shows his determination to adhere to Lakota traditions, which he clearly values dearly. On the other hand, Bill Eagle Feathers’ decision to use the vehicle to move the tree represents how one can adapt to a new situation without giving up one’s traditions or the meanings behind them. Additionally, the hippies’ offer is an example of individuals extending aid to a community that could use assistance to achieve its goals.
Themes
Mary then describes the forms of self-inflicted pain that take place during the ceremony, which have only gotten more intense under the influence of Leonard and several other medicine men. Participants make flesh offerings for loved ones who are suffering. They then pierce themselves in the chest with a skewer that is attached to the top of the sacred pole with a rawhide thong. The dancers must tear themselves free from the pole, thus ripping out the piercing. Participants can also embed buffalo skulls in their backs, which they must then drag behind them for a distance.
The self-inflicted pain that is part of the Sun Dance represents a sacrifice for one’s community, which indicates that a sense of unity is central to the ceremony. In this way, the book suggests that participating in the ceremony helps foster a sense of unity with one’s community, which would both strengthen the community (as people feel more attached to it and the people within it) and one’s own cultural identity. Perhaps achieving this reinforced sense of her Lakota identity is why participating in the Sun Dance was such an important step in Mary’s journey to embracing and understanding her Lakota heritage.
Themes
Mary then describes her Sun Dance experiences. She says that she doesn’t feel pain from the piercing; rather, as she stares at the sun and hears the eagle-bone whistles, she is in the power. In the sun she sees the faces of her loved ones who have died while the spirits communicate through the whistles. It was her first Sun Dance, she maintains, that made her “wholly Indian.”
Mary makes it clear that it was by participating in the Sun Dance—a traditional Lakota religious ceremony—that she truly felt in tune and secure in her Lakota identity. The implication is that the way for Native Americans to feel at peace with their identity is by embracing their indigenous culture and spirituality.
Themes
