Kate’s 2¢: “Beloved Child: A Dakota Way of Life “ by Diane Wilson

“Beloved Child: A Dakota Way of Life “ by Diane Wilson

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

Points to ponder from this book:

–We believe that society’s actions throughout the years, have perpetuated negative stereotypes of the Dakota people. They have been ‘soul wounded’.

–This  book is part of the way forward, for Dakota people to participate  in the healing.

–Dream Of Wild Health is a native owned farm with rare, indigenous seeds.

–To live in balance: heal our hearts, our minds, our bodies, and our spirits.

–As part of once again raising beloved children, the people in this book use their intelligence, courage, fortitude, and spiritual gifts to transform their own lives as they give back to the Native community.

–I was searching for my family history and identity as a Dakota woman, ; for a sense of the sacred that was missing in my life

–Need to restore family stories, traditions once practiced,a relationship with the land and plants that become our food.

–Indian faith taught the harmony of  man with his surroundings; white man sought dominance of surroundings.

–Lack of respect for growing things, leads to lack of respect for humans.

–How can we heal from the historic trauma of the 1862 Dakota War  and once again raise beloved children?

— Return to the Creator’s recipe:  Silence  (being the most of all to listen to His words) , Dependability, Respectfulness of self, Helpfulness, Compassion, Positiveness, Bravery

I found the stories the interviewed Dakota people shared to be sad, tragic, and examples of man’s inhumanity to man, yet, profound, hopeful, and instructive.  

These poignant stories express the wounded souls of the children of the children who were taken from the traditional families and tried to raise children, when they, themselves, did not have the firm roots to raise the next generation.

   The people high-lighted in this book are beacon of resilience and how to begin the healing.

https://www.dianewilsonwords.com/

Diane Wilson (Dakota) is a writer and speaker, most noted as the author of Spirit Car: Journey to a Dakota Past (2006).[1] and The Seed Keeper (2021) [2]. She is a Mdewakanton descendent, enrolled on the Rosebud Reservation, and lives in Shafer, Minnesota [3]

Wilson is married to Ojibwe painter Jim Denomie and has one daughter. Wilson and Denomie live in Shafer, Minnesota.

Non-Profit Work[edit]

Wilson spent nearly twenty years at Dream of Wild Health, a Native nonprofit focused on teaching Native youth about plants, seeds, and Native foodways, along with fellow Native food activist Sean Sherman (Lakota), aka The Sioux Chef, who is a board member. According to the Acknowledgements in her work The Seed Keeper, Wilson began as a volunteer and eventually served as Executive Director of Dream of Wild Health until 2019.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Beloved Child: A Dakota Way of Life DBC10040

Wilson, Diane. Reading time: 8 hours, 59 minutes.

Read by Susan Landberg.

Education

U.S. History

Nature and the Environment

Sustained by rich traditions, ceremonies, advocacy, and education, Dakota families are transforming the legacy of colonization and assimilation into a better way of life for their children. Among the Dakota, the Beloved Child ceremony marked the special, tender affection that parents felt toward a child whose life had been threatened. In this moving book, author Diane Wilson explores the work of several modern Dakota people who are continuing to raise beloved children. Adult.

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