As Native American Heritage Month comes to a close we continue a Lakota family tradition of making at home, wasna as a way of honoring our ancestors. With the right ingredients it’s easy to prepare at home. We share here how we make ours.

Start with grounded choke berries.

Mix with grounded dry deer meat.

Add a touch of melted deer kidney fat.

Sauté in a pan (a cast iron pan works best).

Once sufficiently mixed and heated you have wa la,wasna, a traditional spirit food delicious as it is good for you.  Wasn is high in protein and an excellent source of energy which is why it was an important food for our ancestors.

Start or revive a tradition in your own home by preparing this spirit food for your family.

Send us a reply to share your experiences or your own special ingredients.

Aho! Have you ever wondered how to make a hand drum? What gives it its beautiful sonority? In this post I show you how to make a “Ca ce gah”, a Lakota style drum. The preparation for these drums begin in the summer when we treat the hide so that is suited for drum making. I use buffalo hide for large powwow drums. While buffalo rawhide is used for the strips that tie the hand drum cover, elk rawhide is better suited for the cover of  smaller drums.   In between are several other steps, but I share with you the final 15 steps of making a well crafted signature hand drum. As  with any fine  musical instrument the quality of the drum sound depends on a selection of suitable materials as well as expertise. Indeed the Lakota word “ca”, signifies wood and in the case of drums it should be of very good quality. Maple wood is a good choice for the shells. On the other hand, the drum sticks are made from branches of choke cherry bushes, which are native to this land and its fruit is  considered sacred. Hence, this is a good choice for striking the hand drum.  In other words, much thought and technique goes into the crafting of a hand drum. Not only that, every drum, no matter what its size tells its story when it’s made with love.

Visit our main gallery or our FB page  for other fine Lakota Red Nations drums and crafted artwork.

Contact us if you have any questions, or you would like to order a hand drum to tell your own story. Inquire about wholesale pricing for large orders.

Kelly Looking Horse -Founder Lakota Red Nations

Wakpamni Lake, Pine Ridge, South Dakota

Native American Heritage Month

During November, the month of Waníyetu Wi  “Moon when Winter Begins” the country celebrates Native American heritage and history. However, Lakota Red Nations celebrates Native legacy every day. How? By sharing stories, songs and dance drawing from Lakota tradition and way of life. We also make crafts, specialty artwork and other traditional items including regalia. All our work combines new techniques with time honored practice . Thus, each drum we make tells its own story. Similarly, each pair of moccasins comes with the wish that the one who wears them walks far and in a good way. In other words, our moccasins are made to walk on the Red road. Finally, we draw from a tradition rich in history as it is relevant today. We invite you to connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to see what we are working on.

Veterans Wacipi

This coming  Saturday, November 11 we honor all veterans for their service to our country.  Indeed, we’re grateful for all  who have protected the people and the land.  This year we’ll be participating in in the Fourth Annual Cansayapi Veterans Powwow co hosted by Lower Sioux Indian Community. We left Pine Ridge Thursday morning and we’re heading east towards Morton, Minnesota by way of Sioux Falls, SD. Temperatures have dropped and a frosty chill is in the air.  As Waníyetu Wi suggests, winter is almost here.  Redwood County is home of the Mdewankton band of the Dakotas.  The Cansyapi Wacipi begins with the Grand Entry at Jackpot Junction Casino in the Dakota Exposition Center.  In the language of the Dakotas is  ‘Cansa’yapi’ meaning “where they marked the trees red”. Learn more about the Dakotas in Minnesota ‘the place where the water reflects the sky’ here.

We look forward to gathering with old friends and meeting new ones in ‘Dakota’ Friend country. We hope to see you there!

Aho!

We just packed up the war pony and are heading towards Milwaukee, WI for the Hunting Moon Powwow at the Wisconsin Center this weekend, October-Canwápe Kasná Wi, Moon when the wind shakes off the leaves 20-22.

In addition to our popular Lakota Red Nation Tee, honoring the memory of Wounded Knee and the Dakota 38+2 we  bring a  selection of traditional crafts including drums, moccasins, and parfleche bags, as well as jewelry, dream catchers and more. We’ll be demonstrating technique for hand drums and moccasins. As always we’ll be happy to share our history, culture and contemporary concerns. See you there!  Kelly & Suzie

The 2017 total solar eclipse came and went  touching the minds and hearts of thousands across the country. Here are some pictures of the day of sharing at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument  under a warm and cloudless day. A once in a lifetime event for many of us there. An eagle flew over us as night was approaching –it was beautiful. Suzie and I felt overwhelmed and blessed!

And here are some thoughts  I shared which appeared South Dakota Public Broadcasting Blog Post. Click here for the full article.

“We’re being given an opportunity to give thanks and pray for the future. When the eclipse comes to this area, everything beneath that eclipse is sacred. Because the spirit people are coming. When it gets dark, that’s when they come. That’s when we can embrace them.That’s when we can ask for their help. That’s when you can say, help me to look into the future. You just gotta remember the past — all those that died so that we can be here, and then give thanks and pray for the future generations. This dark chapter of our history has nothing but atrocity and ill feelings between the white man and the Indian. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. As the eclipse shows itself and darkens the earth, it’s showing us that it doesn’t have to stay that way. When it gets dark, we realize that we’ve come to the end of our lives, and as the sun gets light again, it’s like saying you’re reborn. From this day on, carry on with what you believe. And if you can do that, others will follow.”

My great-grandmother witnessed the solar eclipse of 1870 on this land. The buffalo would come here and our people would follow them. I hope and pray that in 50 years one of my grandchildren will be able share a Lakota perspective at the next solar eclipse to come this way.

Kelly Looking Horse