Jerome Kills Small, an Oglala Lakota from Porcupine, South Dakota, gave a presentation titled “Water: Lakota Spirituality and Science” on Tuesday, March 12, on the lower floor of Conn Library.
Kills Small grew up with his grandparents, which had a big influence on him. He learned the traditions of the Oglala Lakota people, immersed himself in their life, and even saw miracles performed.
After enrolling at the University of South Dakota at age 43, Kills-Small taught classes in Native American culture and linguistics, including Native American Oratory. Kills-Small hopes to use his background and what he has learned to use his presentation to teach others about the importance of water, he said.
“Of course, the most important thing for me is to respect water and help Mother Earth gain strength,” he said.
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In her presentation, Kills Small combined Lakota culture and science to explain the value of water. Kills-Small said that during his time at USD, he learned more about the science of certain phenomena described in Lakota culture. Through his experiences, he understood both scientific and spiritual explanations for various phenomena.
“I was there at the right time and the right place to know both,” Kills-Small said in the presentation.
Kills-Small said Bear Butte, a sacred and mystical geological formation in South Dakota, sometimes appears to be reaching out. At some point he witnessed this phenomenon and connected it to the story of the Oglala Lakota people. When he took physical geology at USD, he learned scientific explanations and “kept the mystical out of it,” Kills-Small said.
Kills Small opened their presentation with an apology to Mother Earth. He said some people are careless and should always apologize if they have done something that has caused harm to the world. Lakota ritual traditions help reflect respect for water and Mother Earth.
The Sundance Ceremony held by the Lakota people is a dance that lasts four days. During this ritual, the dancers abstain from water, in contrast to other religions where they drink water for blessings. When the dance ends, those in attendance raise their hands to the sky for water. Kills-Small said the aim is to understand what sacred water is through exploring its importance to people’s bodies and things around them.
The Lakota language expresses the importance of water to Lakota communities and traditions. Many of their words have roots for water, including the word for “creation.” Kills Small believes that water rewards us and makes things grow for us, and it’s reflected in his words.
“Culture feeds language, but for us it also feeds philosophy, because our culture is full of sacred examples,” Kills Small said. “Language is beautiful in that it contains philosophy and spirituality. It’s a parallel existence.”
Kills-Small said she hopes people can discover the importance of the space around them and how spirituality and science combine to provide its value and importance. He also wants to keep language and oral traditions alive.
“Remember the Nebraska Humanities Council. Without them, the oral tradition wouldn’t be as active as it is…It’s what keeps us going,” Kills-Small said.
Carissa Loftis, reference librarian at Conn Library, organized the event. She said Kills Small is the second speaker to come to Wayne State University to speak at the library. Loftis said she finds speakers through Nebraska Humanities.
According to Humanities Nebraska’s website, “Humanities Nebraska’s mission is to help people explore what unites us and makes us human.” Loftis said Humanities Nebraska is a speaker. He said he has provided a list of speakers to choose from and has applied for grants to pay for speakers.
“My goal is to try to help students understand a little bit better where they are from a Nebraska perspective, because not all students are from Nebraska, and not all students are from Nebraska. It’s not like Nebraska students recognize the value of where they are,” Loftis said. .
When she chose Kills Small, her hope was to hear more about Nebraska’s water rights, especially since Nebraska is located in the Ogallala Aquifer.
“Nebraska has been at the forefront in terms of water rights, water use and how to protect and conserve it or how best to manage it,” Loftis said. “I think we all have a role to play in this. I’d like to hear his thoughts and feelings on this.”
