Standing Rock nonprofit connects people with Native traditions

On July 24, Milk and seven of her colleagues from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s Child Support Enforcement Agency learned to build one of the traditional dwellings of the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota people.

“It’s pretty cool to learn how we used to do things,” said Milk. “It’s more modern, but it’s still the same experience.”

The group labored under the beaming July sun in Cannon Ball, North Dakota, with support from Ron Lebeau, a member of Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe and Wozu’s cultural manager.

First, Wozu staff tied together three wooden poles on the ground and raised them to create the foundation, which looked like a large tripod. Then, all eight visitors plus the Buffalo’s Fire MMIP reporter, Jolan Kruse, pitched in. They constructed the frame by adding nine more poles, which were tied to the top of the foundation with rope. Then they covered the frame with a canvas tarp — traditionally made with 8 to 15 buffalo hides sewn together.

Lebeau put the finishing touches on the tipi: fastening the entrance flaps together with wooden dowels and securing the tipi to the ground with stakes.

The whole tipi raising effort had taken just over 30 minutes.

Lebeau grinned and clapped as he walked back to the group’s members, who faced the tipi, taking in what they had accomplished. “There,” he said. “Now you’re all tipi professionals.” Sweating and smiling, the group responded with laughter and then cheers, proud of their work and happy to be leaving with more Indigenous knowledge than they’d arrived with.

Passing on such knowledge about Native traditions drives Wozu, said Everett “EJ” Iron Eyes Jr., a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and Wozu’s president.

“People who possess that knowledge can come out and teach not just someone in their family but ten people. Then those ten people know how to do it, and those ten people can teach members of their family,” he said. “And that way, I’m assured that when my kids and grandkids are old, people will still know, our people will still know, how we did stuff.”

Along with tipi raising, Wozu also teaches classes in quilt making, fishing, archery and buffalo butchering. Iron Eyes said they’re always open to community suggestions about other classes they can offer.