Bereavement beliefs and practices in the modern, American culture have been well documented. However, virtually no research has been conducted on traditional and contemporary death, dying, grief, and bereavement beliefs and practices among native tribes, such as the Lakota. The present study was conducted with the Lakota, and fulfilled two goals. iii First, the contemporary and traditional death, dying, grief, and bereavement beliefs and practices of the Lakota were documented and summarized. Such documentation may help bereaved Lakota tribal members who are experiencing problems with death and bereavement, and may help preserve traditional knowledge, beliefs, and practices. Second, the consensus of opinion among Lakota tribal elders about death, dying , grief, and bereavement practices and beliefs was qualitatively evaluated and compared with that of mental health and substance abuse workers who serve the Lakota. Two main theoretical conclusions to this study were reported. First, the Lakota elders' preferred interventions for bereavement for their people included family, social, community, tribal , and ceremonial activities. These findings likely resulted from the functional aspects of these types of culturally appropriate practices not only to help the bereaved Lakota individual, but also to help "fill the hole in the circle" left by the death of a tribal member. A cultural mechanism for continued tribal unity and wholeness is provided by these tribal bereavement practices. Second, the ancient historical Lakota ceremonies used to ameliorate grief within the tribe appear to have been fragmented over time, but these rituals still exist and their derivatives are used in various contemporary forms. Two main clinical findings were reported. First, a careful clinical assessment of the bereaved Lakota client's level of acculturation is required as a prerequisite to treatment planning. Second, intervention with grieving Lakota clients should include informed attention to both "western" bereavement treatment methods and traditional Lakota family, community, and social bereavement practices. The relative value of various Lakota family, social, community, and tribal bereavement practices and a rank ordering of various Lakota ceremonies were provided. These ceremonies and Lakota tribal practices were compared to modern "western" bereavement treatment methods.

<p>In this paper I discuss the theory of altered states of consciousness. Some of the rock art of the san-people in southern Africa and the lakota people in South Dakota, USA have been inspired by experiences during trance. The question is if some of the rock art in southern Scandinavia also have been inspired by trance experiences, and if archaeological scientists by investigating this theoretical view might find a better understanding as far as the Bronze Age in Southern Scandinavia is concerned.</p>

In this paper I discuss the theory of altered states of consciousness. Some of the rock art of the san-people in southern Africa and the lakota people in South Dakota, USA have been inspired by experiences during trance. The question is if some of the rock art in southern Scandinavia also have been inspired by trance experiences, and if archaeological scientists by investigating this theoretical view might find a better understanding as far as the Bronze Age in Southern Scandinavia is concerned.

This research is the result of a long-standing interest in the work of one individual, George Sword who composed two hundred and forty-five pages of text in the Lakota language using the English alphabet in the period 1896 through 1910. In the past scholars have studied Lakota narratives and songs and with each study new insights are gained. However, the focus generally in oral literary research has been in the study of content and not process in Lakota oral traditions. In order to better understand the characteristics of Lakota oral style this study shows how it is composed and structured in the work of George Sword. The research focus is from a qualitative perspective concerned with exploring, describing, and explaining a culturally specific Lakota oral narrative more commonly found in history and ethnographic disciplines, where it is a special type of case study research. The primary method used is an analysis of historic documents and original text in Lakota to address the issues raised in the general research problem: How do you define Lakota literature? In the end this study shows the way in which Lakota oral narrative is composed, how its practice produced a distinct form. During the course of this study, what became apparent in George Sword's Lakota narratives were the formulaic patterns inherent in the Lakota language used to tell the narratives as well as the recurring themes and story patterns. The primary conclusion is that these patterns originate from a Lakota oral tradition. This analysis can be used to determine whether any given written narrative in Lakota oral tradition is oral or not; and leads the way for further research

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, 2009. / Title from screen (viewed on August 27, 2009). School of Nursing, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Advisor(s): Melinda M. Swenson, Kathleen M. Russell, Deborah Stiffler, Larry J. Zimmerman. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 169-185).

This ethnographic dissertation study contains a total of six chapters. Chapter One provides an introduction to the topic, Perspectives of Saskatchewan Dakota/Lakota Elders on the Treaty Process within Canada. It also discusses the following: the purpose of the study; the rationale & justification for an interdisciplinary approach; the research methodology; the definition of terms; the limitations of the study; assumptions; and the ethical protocols applicable to this study. Chapter Two provides a review of literature pertaining to the various theoretical and methodological considerations to be addressed within this study. These include the traditional Rankean approach to the study of history; that termed within Western academia as Oral History, combined with that termed as Oral Tradition; that termed as Dakota Oral Tradition; and that termed within Western academia as Outsider vs. Insider Research. Chapter Three provides a review of the history of the treaty negotiation processes that occurred both in the United States and Canada and concludes with an analysis of research findings to date. Chapter Four reviews previously written documentation pertaining to the Dakota/Lakota treaty negotiation process within Canada and concludes with an analysis of research findings to date. Chapter Five discusses in detail the data collection process employed for this study. In addition, the data generated from the interviews with the Saskatchewan Dakota/Lakota Elders regarding their perspectives on treaty are presented. Chapter Six provides a synthesis and analysis of research findings for the data collected from the Saskatchewan Dakota/Lakota Elders during the interview process. In addition, an epilogue is provided regarding the implications of the research for the treaty negotiation process of the Dakota/Lakota people within Canada. In this way the findings of the study are placed within the context of the Native-White treaty relationship currently evolving and being negotiated within the province of Saskatchewan. Recommendations are also presented to assist and enhance the contemporary political and legal position of the Dakota/Lakota First Nations within Saskatchewan in their efforts to either sign adhesion to the Numbered Treaties, or to adhere to an alternate treaty protocol agreement with the Canadian federal government, which would include provisions regarding land, as well as related treaty benefits and annuities.

This ethnographic dissertation study contains a total of six chapters. Chapter One provides an introduction to the topic, Perspectives of Saskatchewan Dakota/Lakota Elders on the Treaty Process within Canada. It also discusses the following: the purpose of the study; the rationale & justification for an interdisciplinary approach; the research methodology; the definition of terms; the limitations of the study; assumptions; and the ethical protocols applicable to this study. Chapter Two provides a review of literature pertaining to the various theoretical and methodological considerations to be addressed within this study. These include the traditional Rankean approach to the study of history; that termed within Western academia as Oral History, combined with that termed as Oral Tradition; that termed as Dakota Oral Tradition; and that termed within Western academia as Outsider vs. Insider Research. Chapter Three provides a review of the history of the treaty negotiation processes that occurred both in the United States and Canada and concludes with an analysis of research findings to date. Chapter Four reviews previously written documentation pertaining to the Dakota/Lakota treaty negotiation process within Canada and concludes with an analysis of research findings to date. Chapter Five discusses in detail the data collection process employed for this study. In addition, the data generated from the interviews with the Saskatchewan Dakota/Lakota Elders regarding their perspectives on treaty are presented. Chapter Six provides a synthesis and analysis of research findings for the data collected from the Saskatchewan Dakota/Lakota Elders during the interview process. In addition, an epilogue is provided regarding the implications of the research for the treaty negotiation process of the Dakota/Lakota people within Canada. In this way the findings of the study are placed within the context of the Native-White treaty relationship currently evolving and being negotiated within the province of Saskatchewan. Recommendations are also presented to assist and enhance the contemporary political and legal position of the Dakota/Lakota First Nations within Saskatchewan in their efforts to either sign adhesion to the Numbered Treaties, or to adhere to an alternate treaty protocol agreement with the Canadian federal government, which would include provisions regarding land, as well as related treaty benefits and annuities.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Adolescence is a time of turbulence as young people stretch parental boundaries, seeking where they fit in society. For many American Indian adolescents this time involves the initiation of dangerous high-risk behaviors. Potential causes posed for this are: loss of identity, loss of cultural values and traditions, lack of positive role modeling and feelings of hopelessness. Survey research has been the predominant method of data collection. Very few studies of Native American youth use storytelling, even though stories are a part of many Indian cultures. The primary purpose of this study was to describe the phenomena of respect and risk from the viewpoint of the Lakota adolescent. I employed hermeneutic phenomenology with photography to help the adolescents illuminate these somewhat abstract concepts. I recruited participants from a single reservation on the Northern Plains. I collected data through non-structured interviews and participant observation. I analyzed the data using hermeneutic phenomenology based on Gadamer. Ecological systems theory provided a framework to assist me in understanding the multiple dimensions present in the adolescent’s stories. The phenomena of respect and risk from the perspective of these Lakota adolescents revealed a paradox. Each can be either positive or negative, depending upon the circumstances or the context of the situation. This paradox became the pattern among the participants. The pattern is the rock (inyan) and the wind (tate). The rock and the wind are deeply interconnected, and the influence of one may impact the other. Three themes emerged from this pattern: role modeling (positive or negative), identity, and feeling valued. These themes are consistent with current research regarding adolescent high-risk behaviors. These stories are significant in that they are personal accounts by these adolescents. This study has implications in nursing education, nursing practice, and health policy. Nursing education must attend to teaching students to listen and to become comfortable working with other cultures. As nurses advocate for future programming, it is essential that the research that guides the policies and programming be community-based action research. As society becomes more diverse, nursing must embrace many perspectives, helping all to achieve the highest quality of health and well-being.

Historically, research on Aboriginal education issues has ignored the needs of Aboriginal people and disempowered the Aboriginal community. This thesis seeks to offer a corrective to that trend. <p> The intent of the thesis research was to establish a process for conducting educational research with one Aboriginal community - the Dakota People of Wahpeton which would enable this community to have a legitimate voice and control over future research that will be conducted on their behalf. A methodology called community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) was utilized because it provided the means for community input and direction. Through the use of CBPR, collaborative relationships were established with 20 Dakota People of Wahpeton, who were identified as the research participants. The interview was used as the primary research method. <p> The thesis discusses how the conflict between two cultural world views - the Aboriginal view of the Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota People, generally referred to as "Sioux", and the contemporary Western view - was resolved within the process of implementing the Community-Based Participatory Research methodology. This resolution of differences was accomplished by bridging, then mirroring, the methodologies and ways of gaining knowledge unique to these two respective cultural world views. Additionally, theoretical and practical suggestions are offered so that the thesis might serve as a model for Dakota-Nakota-Lakota Community-Based Participatory Research in the future. <p> In keeping with Community-Based Participatory Research, the voice of the people will be emphasized in this thesis, through extensive use of quotes. Furthermore, the voice of the researcher will be clearly identified so that he may be held accountable for his input.

Historically, research on Aboriginal education issues has ignored the needs of Aboriginal people and disempowered the Aboriginal community. This thesis seeks to offer a corrective to that trend. <p> The intent of the thesis research was to establish a process for conducting educational research with one Aboriginal community - the Dakota People of Wahpeton which would enable this community to have a legitimate voice and control over future research that will be conducted on their behalf. A methodology called community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) was utilized because it provided the means for community input and direction. Through the use of CBPR, collaborative relationships were established with 20 Dakota People of Wahpeton, who were identified as the research participants. The interview was used as the primary research method. <p> The thesis discusses how the conflict between two cultural world views - the Aboriginal view of the Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota People, generally referred to as "Sioux", and the contemporary Western view - was resolved within the process of implementing the Community-Based Participatory Research methodology. This resolution of differences was accomplished by bridging, then mirroring, the methodologies and ways of gaining knowledge unique to these two respective cultural world views. Additionally, theoretical and practical suggestions are offered so that the thesis might serve as a model for Dakota-Nakota-Lakota Community-Based Participatory Research in the future. <p> In keeping with Community-Based Participatory Research, the voice of the people will be emphasized in this thesis, through extensive use of quotes. Furthermore, the voice of the researcher will be clearly identified so that he may be held accountable for his input.