Imagine in a not-so-distant past the following scene: a young Lakota (Sioux) girl sits unmoving as the women behind her carefully weaves together three sections of hair into a beautiful, intricate braid. As the woman does this, she shares stories of history and tradition with the young girl. The girl breathes in the words and holds them in her heart. The stories provide her with a sense of togetherness with those around her, and those from the past who first shared these stories.
Like a braid, her ancestors, her elders and she create a cord of three — creating something stronger than any one of them alone.
“And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.“ — Ecclesiastes 4:12
Fast-forward to present day at St. Joseph’s Indian School. While the scene may look a little different, there are still so many similarities.
Regularly, St. Joseph’s includes hair braiding lessons as part of Native American Studies, a class each student in grades 1-8 must take as part of their curriculum. Students gather to practice various styles of braiding on their friends and classmates, while also getting their hair braided.
“In a where cultural diversity can be overlooked and disregarded, the preservation of Lakota traditions, like hair braiding, is more important than ever. It serves as a reminder of the resilience and strength of the Lakota people,” said Joe, Mission Integration director.
In the Lakota culture, hair is sacred. Making up a person’s cultural identity, hair can represent individuality, family, tribe and community. Each strand carries memories, joy and wisdom. However, hair can also hold depth of meaning in times of grief. When a Lakota family loses a loved one, some surviving family members, both men and women, cut their hair as a visible sign of grief. This act symbolizes the pain of loss and the separation from the departed loved one.
All told, there are many layers to the importance of hair in the Lakota culture. This is why families and children have the final say in how students’ hair is cared for at St. Joseph’s. We’re excited to see more and more students, girls and boys alike, honoring their heritage by growing their hair long.
United in a common purpose to educate and care for Native American children, the generosity from loyal supporters creates opportunities for a brighter future for each child. Together, this strong cord of three is unbreakable.
Wóphila tȟáŋka — many thanks — to you for helping provide education to Native American children and families for life — mind, body, heart and spirit.
it is interesting that you have posted this tradition of hair braiding . i just went through this hair growing and braiding with my wife carol. as my hair got below my shoulders, a decon of our church made sport of how my long hair and rather loudly said i look like a girl , as i was leaving the church. i turned around and replyed it was my indian heritage ! indian heritage my foot was his reply. you don”t have indian blood in you, was his reply! then i stopped and turned to face him as i answered him saying , i most certainly do, turned away with pride and left the church! carol and i were upset at first , because there have been other times when the issue of my long hair has been mentioned. without even knowing until now of this tradition , i had made a statement i have been very proud off . thank you so much for my continued lesson in learning . say hi to the students!!!!! JIM
I’m so sorry this happened to you, Jim. Instances like that can be very hurtful, but your responses were spot on. Keep being who you are, and the rest of the world will catch up. We’ll do our part by educating others and instilling the same pride in our students as you have for your culture. God bless!
I am so proud of you for standing firmly upon your ground and speaking from your heart ❤️ People can be so cruel with their words and actions. I wonder if this man somehow felt threatened by you because you were being who you are, a unique individual, displaying your uniqueness and he was too afraid to be unique himself? Or perhaps he was jealous? At any rate, I send great blessings to you forevermore
Our churches have much to learn and atone for in their and present treatment of our Native brothers and sisters. I am so glad that St. Joseph’s has a strong Heritage curriculum. Cutting hair has long been a weapon of subjugation.
I am sorry that you and your proud heritage were so disrespected–and by an elder of a church, no less! I don’t understand how such individuals can expect to be treated with respect when they don’t treat others respectfully. Respect cannot be unilaterally demanded, it must be earned.