Introduction
People experiencing cultural amnesia tend to forget about their traditions, beliefs, religion, taboos, and customs, which have been accepted by traditionalists, but have now been neglected and replaced by various beliefs. This is illustrated in the PBS documentary “The Spirit of Crazy Horse,” in which the Indian tribe forgets its cultural customs, as evident when the young Indian activists return to the reservation to learn about their traditions. This was contributed by the modern society where the Lakota religion was given the right to move to the city. The departure contributed to social amnesia because the new life replaced the rural ideals. People may reconstruct these cultural factors in new ways, but they will never be able to restore their original appearance. They may be recorded in words, paintings, etc. (it may be in electronic form today), but because no one practices these cultural elements as in the past, they will become dead fossils. This paper examines the tradition of the Indian society in the Black Hill and the challenges they encountered while trying to maintain their culture.
How the Loss of the Black Hills Has Affected the Lakota
Even though the Black Hills was a sacred place and the heart of everything where the Lakota ancestors came to pray, the white people stole the holy place after figuring out that the area had gold. Additionally, the United States government outlawed the Lakota religion, thus affecting Lakota’s daily lifestyle. For instance, due to the Black Hill’s loss, the Lakota people led by Crazy Horse retaliated, resulting in many killings of the Lakota community. They were relocated to reservation areas that the white people had no use making them poor as there was lack of industries and businesses in the area (PBS Frontline, 1990). Unemployment escalated to over 80 percent in the reservation (PBS Frontline, 1990). The primary income source was from welfare groups and government programs that provided financial or other help to Lakota people who could not support themselves. Each individual received about $32 every two weeks from the welfare groups (PBS Frontline, 1990). Additionally, the Black Hill loss resulted in the breakdown of the culture, and increased rate of alcoholism among the population.
How the Knowledge of the Lakota Culture Has Survived
The Indians living in the city were inspired by the new civil rights movements, which led them to travel back to the reservation to look for the identity that their parents had lost. Pine Range Reservation attracted young Indians since it had descendants of Crazy Horse traditional Lakota. These descendants started rediscovering their lost culture and explained their tradition to the young Indians who came to establish about their culture. The Native Americans met a medicine man named Henry Crow Dog from Lakota, who was the remaining link to the past. Henry had maintained the ancient tradition and told the young Indians that to be a true Indian, a new spiritual foundation needed to be formed. The significant issue was to create a spiritual connection to the land. Therefore, the Indians began to learn about the Black Hill and the history of the broken treaties (PBS Frontline, 1990). Having realized their tradition, they began series of demonstrations at the Bureau of Indians Affairs in Washington DC. The Native American activists managed to capture news headlines, and they continued demonstrations, which led to a free Indian society at last.
The Role of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the Life of the Tribe
The Bureau of Indian Affairs had a significant role in the existence of the Indian tribe. Their major role is to provide jobs to the tribe to help them meet their basic needs. Moreover, the Bureau of Indian Affairs helped settle disputes between the Lakota tribes and US Federal Government and managed the reservations. This played an important role in shaping the relationship between the US government and the various tribes of American Indians for years. On the same lines, the Bureau of Indian Affairs helped improve the living standards, creating economic and employment opportunities for the Indian society while improving the trust assets (PBS Frontline, 1990). The bureau helped build the education system, social services, law enforcement, detention services, tribal courtrooms, water and housing improvement, and community infrastructure.
Conclusion
In conclusion, “The Spirit of Crazy Horse” portrays a political dispute time in the Lakota community in Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Although Crazy Horse was arrested and killed, the Indian society continued with the Spirit of Crazy Horse until they received their freedom despite unemployment challenges. The Bureau of Indian Affairs played an essential role in improving the Indian community’s living standards. More government programs should support the Lakota society, and each Indian community should educate its people on the importance of its cultural beliefs. Moreover, the Lakota spiritual leaders should involve members of all ages in the community during spiritual practices. Spiritual leaders should then share the teachings and lessons of their grandparents with young people. This will help to connect the young generation to spiritual awareness of the Lakota tradition.
Reference
PBS Frontline. (1990). The Spirit of crazy horse. [Video]. Web.