The Lakota Way Summary

In the Lakota Way, Marshall teaches many different virtues that all are important to being a good person, but respect shines above them all. It is at the cornerstone of every virtue the author puts forth. It is clear in every story told by Marshall and in every lesson taught in The Lakota Way. Without at least a modicum of respect, the virtues taught by the Lakota would be less valuable to us as a society.

Respect is a such a simple concept and a virtue that should be simple to follow. It means treating other people and animals in a dignified manner. Respect doesn’t mean that people need to hug everyone they come across or hold their opinion higher than everyone elses. Respect means treating others as equals and acknowledging that as human

beings we will always have our differences, Marshall explains that “respect is a close relative of tolerance (Marshall 44).” This concept also stretches to all life on Earth, including animals that most people would consider ‘below us.’ We take animals, like livestock, for granted. Without them the human race as a species would not be able to thrive as it is. Respecting them and their sacrifice doesn’t mean that we should go vegan and never hurt another animal again, but at least acknowledge and respect the sacrifice that that animal gave to feed our families.
Therefore, respect is an incredibly important virtue in life. If no one respected one another the world would be dark, full of hate and terrible things because no one could think about anyone other than themselves in a world where we all depend on each other to survive. Being courteous and holding the door for someone, saying please and thank you to the people who serve you in restaurants, and acknowledging someone’s differing opinion. These things are simple to do and can go a long way in making someone’s outlook on life become a bit brighter because someone showed them just a little bit of respect instead of letting the door slam into their face. It’s not hard to be respectful in daily life and should always be practiced.
Marshall seems to define respect as a wide sweeping belief that all life on this Earth is created equal. He teaches us that we shouldn’t be rude or impolite to any living being, no matter how difficult it may seem. From acknowledging that the animals that we kill are giving their lives so we can live, to listening and being nice to our parents and grandparents. In the chapter on respect Marshall’s story on the Deer Woman shows that the simple action of respecting his grandmother’s wishes, remembering her words, and turning away from the Deer Woman (Marshall 42) made him a better man for doing so. His friends saw that new strength in his eyes after returning (Marshall 43).
Additionally, in Marshall’s stories his characters all have a large respect for life and everyone around them.

For example, No Moccasins loved and respected her husband, so she went to find him and saved his life (Marshall 5). Three Horns respected her bravery and made sure that the tribe knew of her courageous actions (Marshall 3). Also, the mailman that became stranded in the middle of a blizzard when his car slipped into a gully. Despite him staring death in the face the mailman stayed put, and he stayed put because he respected his neighbors and knew they would come looking for him (Marshall 140). In the story of Brings the Deer, Sees the Bear recognizes and respects the struggle of the coyote, the wolf, the fox, and the hawk who asked for his help in their time of need (Marshall 184-188). Without that respect Sees the Bear would have never given up his meat. Furthermore in the Story of the Snake, the hunter’s respected the word of the giant snake and the task it had given them, so they tracked down the man with the scar under his eye (Marshall 59). And in the same story the man with the scar under his eye respected his village and took the shame and punishment of banishment on his own shoulders so his village did not devolve into insanity (Marshall 66). These stories all have respect interwoven into their respective lessons, and they cannot be properly taught without a good understanding of

respect.
Some may say that not all of Marshall’s teachings require respect, things like fortitude and wisdom.

However, this is not the case. In the Story of the Old Woman’s Dog, Forgets Nothing respects the old woman’s word by not trading away the only thing she had, her dog. Even when facing offers of fine goods, the ability to mend the heart of a grieving young girl, and to sacrifice the dog in a ceremony to the Thunder Dreamers she stays true to her word and respects the old woman enough to take good care of the dog until her return (Marshall 159-171). Forgets Nothing would have traded away poor Wolf Eyes whenever she figured the gain was enough to satisfy her if she did not respect the old woman. She is extremely grateful that Forgets Nothing did not succumb to the temptations that she was offered, explaining to her, “others would have traded the dog for the fine things offered and then told me that the dog wandered away… (Marshall 168)” In the Lesson of the Gully, if the boy respected the advice of the old man he would not have tried to cross the snow filled gully. The boy, however, did not respect the old man’s word and going against the wise advice he was resulted in a bruised ego, but could have resulted in worse if the old man was not willing to pull the boy out (Marshall

201).
Throughout the Lakota Way, Marshall makes it clear to us through his stories that without at least a modicum of respect the teachings of the Lakota would be less valuable to society. The examples put forth show us that respect plays a major role in the teachings of the Lakota, even in virtues that seem to have nothing to do with it. Without respect the teachings of Marshall and the Lakota tribe become less valuable in modern day society.