Dr. Zimiga speaks 3 - Talk on "Crazy: Horse A Life" (sequencing of childhood)
Dr. Art Zimiga talks “Crazy Horse: A Life” by Kingsley” M. Bray (part 3)
Link to video: https://youtu.be/kpNfTf5znes
Transcript of Video (found below):
Zimiga: Well, it’s good to be with you today. I hope you’ve been following us. The important thing is the sequencing of childhood experiences of Crazy Horse. Kingsley M. Bray draws from primary sources of other biographies to construct a tragic childhood sequencing of conflict of Crazy Horse. Kingsley seemingly disregards the Lakota philosophy, commitments based on Crazy Horse’s culture heritage. This relevance is easily passed over because of European preoccupation with colonization and foreign cultural transference of choice of understanding for what is called the ‘American Indian’.
Bray sequencing childhood conflicts seems like a tragic mishap related to Crazy Horse’s inherited birth in a non-European city. Crazy Horse as a child was born in a Lakota society, created as a social democratic nation. The freedom of choice was to expound the worthiness of each individual tribal member – men, women, youth, children. Without a family member who would take their place of a deceased relative.
Crazy Horse was raised by two Lakota aunts on his mother’s side after the passing of his mother. Each mother came from a tiospaye – an extended family from which his real mother came from as surrogate mothers with children of their own. Crazy Horse’s childhood reasoning was based upon Lakota primal knowledge. These fundamental social and belief systems existed before his birth and after death. He assumed the Lakota behaviors and cultural beliefs that his karma was inherited through one’s traditional origin and philosophy. His childhood conflicts were verbalized by those around him and those who influenced his belief system at time of his birth – January 1840 and until his death on March 17, 1876 at an age of 36 years old.
This continued encroachment of the United States western European countries had tremendous influence upon the entire Lakota, Dakota, Nakota native nations as well as Crazy Horse as a Lakota boy child. These forced assimilation concepts created an alienation between one Native band and against another Native band or even other tribes. This European diplomacy was enacted to protect foreign interests and belongings in order to build an alliance supporting foreign courses of actions.
The Lakota Nation, fighting against other tribal nations for foreign monarchs’ colonizations and promises as being recognized as American Indian Nations internationally. Crazy Horse as a child witnessed these actions when his grandfather Makes the Song took him with him to gatherings and to open councils. These threats against the Lakota nation were discussed and actions to fight or make war was to protect Lakota lands and resources to substain the Lakota people and nation.
Crazy Horse’s parents were from two alliance bands – one of seven bands of Oglala Lakota Oyate and the other from Hunpatila known as Wazaza, True Oglalas, Tetons extending made up from Osage, Hunkpapa, Miniconjou, Sicangu, and other Oyate Tiospaye extended groups of the northern range of the plains.
He (Crazy Horse) was called ‘Curly’ and Curly was light skinned with brown curly hair born in January as we’ve said before in 1840 around what is contemporarily where we are today…around here in Rapid City. His older sister was four years older who was born in 1836 was called Laughing One and his younger brother Little Hawk was born in 1842 who had greatly influenced Crazy Horse’s life. He was born Wakanyeja – child (a sacred being), a hoksichantiyapi (a beloved child) of mixed blood – wasicu cinca.
All children and babies are wakan’wohan – made sacred by the Creator of Everything – Wakan Tanka. Curly belonged to the different Lakota family groups or tiospaye which claimed him as a family member with certain tribal rights and known lineage. He was not an orphan or misfortunate, but a welcomed newborn arrival having all the privileges given to him in Lakota social offerings and tribal acceptance. He was neither more nor less but a child of the Lakota Oyate. His parents were accepting and caring Lakota adults who nurtured and protected their children first. The grandparents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, and close relatives and friends taught all the children the living skills while assuring within the warrior spirit (zuya wakan) to protect and sacrifice for the people.
The children were raised to be contributors to the next generation of Lakota society and lineage to ensure the heritage given to them by their past generations of Lakota Oyate so as not to be forgotten. Lakota culture is based on the idea of a whole and sacred universe where life is a series of travels with a purpose. The Lakota communicate with the Creator and the Great Spirit, who are sometimes equated with the Judeo-Christian God. Curly (Crazy Horse) who was given his father’s name Tasunka Witco – His Horse Acts Crazy was also experienced of the teachings of Christian worship about the Catholic theology by Pierre-Jean De Smet, SJ (Dutch and French IPA) member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) also known as Pieter De Smet.
Peter De Smet had a widespread missionary work in the mid-19th century among the Native peoples, in the midwestern and northwestern United States and western Canada. He is said to have traveled over 180,000 miles also advising the royalty of European nations in his travels there as the spokesperson for the Lakota people in 1827. Around 1848 at the Miniconjou camp at Fort Pierre, South Dakota – Curly (Crazy Horse) was taught by Pierre-Jean De Smet the English language and spoke a little English from the teaching at the age of seven. The Lakota spirituality balance and Christian beliefs became a framework for Curly’s (Crazy Horse’s) orientation.
He (Crazy Horse) was of mixed blood…He liken some Christians and other immigrants as the Philistines against Christ. He continued his knowledge in Lakota from his grandfather and relatives besides the wisdom taught by Father Pierre-Jean De Smet. Father Pierre-Jean De Smet also gained some knowledge of Native Americans’ beliefs and acknowledged that Lakota social beliefs made them more ‘Christian’ than the supposed ‘real Christian’ followers.
Lakota Oyate people honored Mother Earth and the White Buffalo Calf Woman who brought them the Seven Sacred Rites. The Lakota practiced various ceremonies such as the Wacipi, the Yuwipi, the Ghost Dance, and the Peyote religion to maintain their balance and health. Crazy Horse’s Lakota culture he was raised to a definite established belief system, social norms, customs, and traditions of this group of indigenous people known as Lakota. Lakota culture is based on the idea of a whole and sacred universe where life is a series of travels with a purpose. The Lakota communicate with the Creator of Everything and this Great Spirit, who are sometimes equated with the Judeo-Christian God. Sometimes the fictions of half truths and Christian political theology tends to judge one side more unfair while justifying one’s inherent cruelty of behavior. This the sequencing of Kingsley M. Bray’s “Crazy Horse: A Life” draws from a primary source and other biographies to construct the tragic sequence of Curly’s (Crazy Horse’s) childhood conflict without equal fairness to both cultures. The next sequencing will be on the imaging of Crazy Horse as a Lakota man and warrior by Kingsley M. Bray – a conflict and resolution that continues between the United States government and the Lakota nation people today.
We shouldn’t think of the abstract of the past because the past doesn’t exist now. Or we shouldn’t think about what is going to happen in the future is because tomorrows don’t come. There’s a Lakota saying: …..which means ‘Creator, today is my day because the Creator made it’. It’s not the past or the future, but how we make this day ours – everyday.
Thanks for watching!