This course is an in-depth analysis of the foundations of Lakota leadership and management and of the strategies employed by leaders in traditional and contemporary situations, with an emphasis on the Oglala of the Pine Ridge Reservation. The foundation of Lakota leadership and management rests on the bedrock of Lakota identity—the unique spiritual and philosophical thought that distinguishes the Lakota from all other Native peoples and from non-Indians. This thought is crystallized in the complex structure of Wakan Tanka, the systematic ordering of the initial chaotic forces of this world before the emergence of Lakota ancestors onto its surface, the founding of the Oceti Sakowin, and the gift of the sacred pipe and its seven related ceremonies.
The traditional roles and responsibilities of Lakota leaders, leadership characteristics of mainstream and traditional Lakota leaders, and the similarities and differences between traditional Lakota leadership and management strategies and those strategies evident on the Pine Ridge Reservation today will be examined. The course will conclude by proposing leadership and management strategies that incorporate Lakota thought and that may be implemented on the reservation now and in the future.
- Course creator: Whitnee Coy