Knowledge Keepers
"For the Lakȟóta, there is a notion of not speaking prior to learning from
the knowledge of those who are older and wiser.
Our belief that everything is connected is the essence of our being and kinship.
Lakȟóta pray before every function, customarily beginning each prayer with the phrase mi'takuye oyás'in (all my relatives, all my relations).
We are a common spirit with all things animate and inanimate.
The Indigenous view of the economy is holistic and incorporates respect for the Two-Legged, Four-Legged, Winged, and Plant Nations. The collective sentiment of Lakȟóta agricultural households is to maximize land for other animals, birds and insects."
Wildlife Stewardship on Tribal Lands, Hoagland & Albert (2023)
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Darrell Kills In Sight Marcus
"We have land on the reservation. We have water, we have pȟeží (grass) and if we can offer that, maybe we can alleviate some pain from what the horses are going through. We can give them comfort, we can give them a home."
- Darrell Marcus Kills In Sight, “Wambli Ohitika” Brave Warrior, Lakȟóta American Indian, Marine, Advisor, Author and Artist
Darrell often tells stories about the relationship and teachings of nature and how it is interconnected with the people. He paints his beautiful messages of horses, man, and nature to preserve his culture through stories for the Lakȟóta youth.
Darrell is the blood relative on his mother's side of the great Lakȟóta warrior Crazy Horse. He is also a retired US Marine and has served on the Rosebud Reservation tribal council. He is a grandfather and speaks the Lakȟóta language fluently in his community.
"The horses gave us dances, and an understanding of how to live in a community. When we speak about horses, they are the forefront of our cultural identity. They are at the forefront of our lives. For many years my people have lived their lives on the back of a horse, and there's no greater teacher."
-Moses Brings Plenty, Lakȟóta Sioux spiritual leader, teacher, and actor
Moses hails from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. His traditional name — given to him as a young boy — is Ta Sunke Wospapi (“catches his horse”); it befits a man who spends more time on his horses than anywhere else.
As a Lakȟóta, Moses works through a vision of the future of tribal America to share best practices and cultural understanding with Rewilding America Now and our constituents, advocating for the importance of the horse nation as an important part of our culture and environment.
Moses Brings Plenty
Ron Brownotter
"In Lakȟóta culture, the buffalo and the horses are part of us. Our people are true conservationists, they understood the land, the weather; we had special horses trained for buffalo hunting. How many people know how to do that anymore?"
- Ron Brownotter, buffalo rancher, marine, member of the Standing Rock Reservation
Ron Brownotter owns and manages one of the largest privately-owned and tribal buffalo herd in the country. He has brought buffalo back to his grandmother's and ancestors' land. He is a Marine veteran and graduate of Cal Tech. He is a leader in his Rock Creek District and is on the Board of Trustees for Sitting Bull College.
"In 2010, when I lost my horse, I decided to honor him, and all that he did for me, to give back. So I took his tail and put it on, to bring it back to life with a song. I remember his relatives, what they do for us, they are spiritual animals. I will dance now. While I'm dancing, think about something good, in your heart and in your mind. Think about your relatives. Maybe you have someone lying in the hospital. Remember them while I do this dance. It's a prayer dance."
- Mike One Star, Lakota Traditional Horse Dance Performer
