Bear Butte

Last summer I had the pleasure to read a dual biograpahy of the lives of Crazy Horse and Custer. The book, Crazy Horse and Custer : The Parallel Lives of Two American Warriors by Stephen E. Ambrose very clearly depicts the lives and cultures of these two men. Much to his credit he demystifies the great cloud of smoke and awe that has followed these men and their deeds since the Battle of the Little Bighorn. After reading this dual biography I was left with a dinstinct and realistic view of the context that produced such contact between these American cultures.

Important to my journal here I would like to highlight the personal freedom within the Sioux culture written about in great length by Ambrose. In America now and perhaps since the spirit of '76, the ideals of freedom and liberty have been as valuable as an endless mine of gems for politicians, citizens, and diplomats to use and exploit for infinite agendas. However, in a culture that speaks so much about freedom I find that we know little of it and show even less in our collective actions. Currently, our discourse is inundated with talk of our innate freedom at risk. But, how much do we allow ourselves and others to deviate from norms and customs? How much do we dream?

Marginal cultures in America, to me, represent the courageous dreamers. The reason they are fringe cultures is because of a rational fear of violent reaction or ridicule from those toeing the popular line. This brand of reaction exhibits a need to push these members of society back into line, thus reflecting the woes and pain of looking to others to learn of yourself.
How does this represent freedom? Or, indeed, even a basic respect of humanity and individual potential?


In Sioux culture on the plains, Crazy Horse and his people allowed each other to dream. Children were allowed to choose what they were destined to be and to do. Critically, they were allowed this choice despite family legacy, afffiliation, or trend. Thus, your choice of purpose was an organic, personal development permitted to grow and expand. His culture did not pursuade Crazy Horse to take on the warrior role, nor did he suffer implicit pressures from society to do so. He chose to be himself for the sake of personal strength and integrity, rather than fame, wealth, or posterity.

In Sioux culture this freedom extended to allow homosexuality and beyond. So when we speak of American freedom I now reference the plains instead of Yorktown or Concord. For we as Americans still can't allow people to live by the ideals of our Constituition.