Ricky Gray Grass: Mitakuye Oyasin

This video is part of a set of interviews for the WoLakota Project. “Approval granted on 7/12/2017 by Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation to use the copyrighted image of the Mountain Carving for the Elder Interview files, WoLakota project. Crazy Horse Memorial is a public charity and cannot endorse or oppose the statements represented.” “WoLakota” implies balance and coming together. The WoLakota project supports students in high-need schools, pairing trained mentor-teachers with new teachers and providing Courage to Teach circles to tend to the ʻheartsʼ of each. Mentors support the embedding of the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings (OSEU) into practice, complementing the Common Core. The OSEU address the achievement gap of American Indian students by embracing their identity, and promote cultural understanding among non-native students and teachers. Lakota Elder Dottie LeBeau states, “When we approach teaching with one worldview…we create systems of failure in our schools.” WoLa