Lakota Traditions: The Beginning

At the innocent age of 5, a boy on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota was visited by powerful spirits. They spoke to him. The message was clear, they would be back.

Growing up on the reservation is not easy. There is poverty, drugs, alcohol, lack of self-esteem and a paucity of opportunity for advancement.  So as often happens with young men on the reservations, Bow Hacker went to the dark side. His demon is alcohol and the craziness it creates. While in jail, he was visited again. This time he knew what he had to do, and he was told it would not be easy.  And it has not been.

He is spoken of as a medicine man now, but you will not hear him refer to himself that way. Out of respect for tradition, teaching of the elders, and the palpable humility he exudes, he refers to himself as a spiritual leader.

There are others who try to follow this difficult path. Many try. Many fail. Bow is unique. As he puts it… it is very difficult to follow this path and it is easier to take shortcuts, to give in to the modified interpretations of the old traditional ways. But Bow believes it is only in the more rigorous practice of the ‘old ways’ that the true power and understanding of that energy can be used.

He is young, but much respected amongst his people, the Sicangu Oyate Lakota.