Lakota Warrior Societies

[Dakota]

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Toka'la or Fox or Kit Fox society
Kangi'yuha or Crow Owners society
Cante'tinza or Strong Heart or Brave Heart society
Iho'ka or Badger society
Sotka'yuha or Bare Lance Owners society
Miwa'tani or Mandan society
Sunk'ska akan'yanka or White Horse Riders society
Oma'ha or Grass Dance society
Wi'ciska or White Marked society

Toka'la or Fox or Kit Fox society
Members of this society were said to be as agile and clever in battle as is the fox. The members would wear a fox pelt like a yoke, with the head hanging in front and the tail hanging in back. Warriors or iki'cize who joined this society pledged to uphold the high ideals of bravery, generosity, and honor. Fox-men as they were called, were noted for their care and concern for the tribe in peaceful times as well as in times of war, and if something was needed to be done, no matter what the danger or difficulty, they frequently were the first to volunteer. The Toka'la was one of the societies from whose members, were frequently chosen to serve as Aki'cita. Aki'cita has often been translated as "soldier," but it's implied meaning is more like "guard" or "police." These Aki'cita would act as "guards" and watch over the tribe when the tribe moved from one place to another and keep watch for enemy activity when a camp was chosen. Aki'cita also acted as "civil police" to preserve order in the camp, and had the right to punish offenders of tribal codes of conduct. Warriors chosen to serve as Aki'cita also had the responsibility to maintain strict control during a buffalo hunt.

Kangi'yuha or Crow Owners society
One of the societies whose members were chosen to serve as Aki'cita, Crow Owners or "those that owned the crow," were proven and successful warriors. They emulated the crow, who was always first to arrive and take advantage of the carcus of a dead animal or a dead warrior on the battlefield. The members of the Crow Owners believed that by wearing a stuffed crow wrapped around their neck when they went into battle, their arrows would fly as straight and true as a crow is known to fly, and they would be first to claim honors against the enemy. It was the Crow Owners who often were selected to assist in the selection of suitable places for winter camps.

Cante'tinza or Strong Heart or Brave Heart society
The purpose of the Strong Hearts were to be physically, emotionally, and spiritually capable of taking care of any emergency that would affect the tribe. Members had to pledge to codes of good moral character including self-control of one's actions and emotions, to be fearless in defense of the tribe, to take care of the poor and needy, and to be always ready at a moment's notice. One of the more prominent pieces of society regalia for Strong Heart members was an eagle feather headdress with a pair of buffalo horns, one on either side. Strong Hearts also served as Aki'cita when it was their turn.

Iho'ka or Badger society
Another Aki'cita eligible society, the Badgers were said to have been started by a man who dreamed of a badger. Members were said to be amongst the most extreme warriors. They often took great risks against seemingly insurmountable odds, emulating the great tanacity found in the behavior of a badger, who will not think twice about going nose to nose with a bear 10 times it's size, and winning the fight. Among the notable insignia of this society are the society's crooked lances wrapped in wolf skin, quirts with one serated edge and otter fur wrist loops, and otter skin yokes, which were later adorned with trade mirrors to blind the enemy.

Sotka'yuha or Bare Lance Owners society
This was another society with very old origins. The symbolic "bare lance" was a straight lance with no war honors, eagerly waiting for each young warrior to accumulate their respective honors to be displayed. Young warriors would begin to test themselves in this society, although the membership was said to be limited to not more than 24 at any one time.

Miwa'tani or Mandan society
Sometimes referred to as the "Tall Ones" or the "Owl Feather Headdress" society, or the "No Flight" society. The members of this society were "exempt" from serving Aki'cita duties. The society was very old, even in the Buffalo days, and was said to have originated by a man who dreamed of an owl-being. Admission into the society was difficult, because one of the requirements was that each member pledge to sacrifice his own life in battle if need be, to save a wounded member. A notable feature of this society was the four "sash-wearer" positions. The wearers of the "society sashes" took on the obligation to stake themselves down to the ground with their sash during a desperate battle, as a signal that they would die in that spot, rather than submit to the enemy. They would fight in that spot till they were killed, or until a fellow society member released them.

Sunk'ska akan'yanka or White Horse Riders society
The White Horse Riders were primarily older, experienced warriors who would paint their many war exploits on their white horses for the enemy to see plainly from a distance. These older warriors also saw to it that the families of wounded warriors, who could not hunt because of their injuries, never went hungry.

Oma'ha or Grass Dance society
The origins of this society originate with traditions among the Omaha tribe, and an early component of the society included rites involving a healing ceremony which included the Grass Dance. The Horse Dance and the Kettle Dance also have their origins within this society. The evolution of two of the most notable features of this society, the hair roach and the crow belt or feathered bustle, can still be seen at most intertribal Pow-Wows today.

Wi'ciska or White Marked society
The White Marked society alludes to the many "white" golden eagle tail feather (white with black tips) war honors each member had. Society membership was made up of well established warriors with extensive experience, their feathered headdresses were impressive, with trailers extending to the ground, and each member had a robe or blanket with a quilled or beaded strip attached.

I want to make sure to emphasize that the Aki'cita was not a society. As I understand it, at the beginning of the summer buffalo hunt, the leaders of a camp (members of the "Big Belly" or "Bulls" society) would select four members of one of the warrior societies to serve in the positions of head Aki'cita for that season. These four head Aki'cita would then choose other members from their particular warrior society, to serve as Aki'cita as the needs arose. The following season, the camp leaders would select four members from a different warrior society to serve as head Aki'cita, and the cycle would continue like that.

It is important to note that these warrior societies were different than the dream societies, such as the Horse Dreamers, Buffalo Dreamers, Elk Dreamers, Bear Dreamers, etc. Dream societies are a complex topic, but I will try and condense things a little bit.

When warriors had dreams, they had great spiritual significance, and organizations were formed long ago of warriors who had dreams of a similar nature or topic. The leaders of these organizations or dream societies were sacred men, spiritual interpreters, men who had medicine ways. When a warrior had a dream of a particular topic he went to the sacred men of the society who specialized in that, be it a dream of a horse, elk, buffalo, bear, wolf, etc. The sacred men would most likely have counseled him and have him recall his dream in a ceremonial setting, possibly amongst members of the dream society in their lodge. Frequently admission into the dream society involved acting out the dream in dance in a public setting.

Dream societies had special significance for all the people. For example, the Buffalo Dreamers were consulted when it was time for the camp to look for Buffalo. The Buffalo Songs were sung, special prayers offered and a Buffalo Dance performed by the society members with special headdresses and other ceremonial components. Frequently the Wolf Dreamers and Thunder Dreamers took part in the dance as well.

The Horse Dreamers would have been consulted for example if you wanted help in the training of a special war horse or buffalo horse.

The Elk Dreamers were known for their gifts of spiritual power to combat malevolent forces and to generate passion.

The Bear Dreamers were known for their healing abilities.

It may seem an over-simplification, but the warrior society structure educated warriors on what to do and how to do it. The dream society structure educated warriors on how to have success and harmony in all they did, with spiritual guidance.

While it was not unusual for a warrior to belong to more than one warrior society in his lifetime as he gained experience and honors, it would be highly unusual to belong to more than one warrior society at the same time. Each society being intensely loyal to it's membership.

However, a warrior might belong to a warrior society and a dream society at the same time, such as the ones mentioned earlier.

Some of these warrior societies exist even today, but I prefer to keep information about the modern societies private.

However, for more details concerning the historical aspects of Lakota and other tribal warrior societies, I can recommend the following sources:

Wissler, Clark. Societies and Ceremonial Associations in the Oglala Division of the Teton Dakota. American Museum of Natural History, Anthropological Papers, Vol. 11, Part 1, New York, 1912.

Densmore, Frances. Teton Sioux Music. Bureau of American Ethnology, Smithsonian Institution, Bulletin 61, Washington, DC, 1918. ("Military Societies" pp. 311-331)

Mails, Thomas E. The Mystic Warriors of the Plains. Doubleday & Co. Inc., New York, 1972.

Mails, Thomas E. Plains Indians: Dog Soldiers, Bear Men and Buffalo Women. Bonanza Books, New York, 1985. ("The Non-Graded Societies, The Sioux as Example" pp. 225-254)

[Charlie]

Ihan hyvä artikkeli, mistä se oli?

Tässä lisää noita lähteitä liittyen Lakotojen soturiseuroihin:
Clark Wissler's "General Discussion of Shamanistic and Dancing Societies"
Clark Wissler "SOCIETIES OF THE OGLALA"
Blish "Pictographic History of Oglala Sioux"
James R. Walker, Lakota Society.
Songs and Dances of the Lakota by Black Bear and Theisz
The Indians book by Natalie Curtis
Lowie "Plains Indian Age Societies"
James H. Howard "The Warrior who killed"

[Dakota]

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