Five Lakota Oral Discourses Transcribed and Translated: How an American Indian Nation Explains Its Philosophy of Life

“Ingham’s work attempts to bring together texts from different periods relating to the Lakota religion and Christianity and the encounter between these two faiths in the ancestral land of the Lakota people. The majority of these are from taped interviews and have not been published elsewhere. These texts are valuable in that they speak about the Lakota religion in the language in which it is practiced and also because they are generally of a discursive, intellectual nature in contrast to the majority of the earlier text collections which narrative and descriptive.” – Prof. David Rood University of Colorado

“Of particular interest is the wide variety of religious viewpoints expressed in the texts, and the fact that many come from taped material. The texts span the range between traditional material and comparisons between Christianity and more traditional varieties of Lakota religion. It will be invaluable for anthropologists, linguists, students of Lakota culture and students of comparative religion.” – Prof. Willem J. de Reuse, University of North Texas

“Ingham’s work is of value to Lakota speakers, students of the language and those interested in Lakota culture, particularly religious belief and ritual. Eschewing an entirely antiquarian orientation, the text presents important cultural moments in the ongoing maintenance of Lakota culture, often against numerous challenges from the outside. This text represents an important addition to a growing body of Native language publications in a variety of indigenous languages. In addition to the richness of each text, the author provides a useful historical introduction to each collection of texts, a review of the ongoing history of Lakota orthography and a discussion of issues involved in producing written and oral narratives as well as oratorical and literary devices important in Lakota discourse.” – Prof. Raymond A. Bucko, S.J., Saint Joseph's University