All cultures have their emergence story. And the Oglala band of the Lakota Sioux are no exception. See how many similarities you can find between the biblical creation story and their emergence story. Write to me at afm.nativemissions@gmail.com and let me know what you find.

Traditionally, the Sioux believe they came from a place in the Black Hills called “Wind Cave.” The story, as I know it, says the earth’s surface was still being prepared by the Creator, who had instructed the people to live underground until it was finished.

But a spirit-being called Inktomi tricked many of the people into going above ground before it was finished. When the people realized they had been tricked and wished to return underground, they discovered that the way had been blocked, trapping them on the surface. Not knowing what to do, they sat and cried.

When the Creator heard them crying, He asked them why they were on the surface of the earth. They told Him how Inktomi had tricked them and how they now wished to return underground, but could not because the way was blocked. The Creator became angry and punished them for disobeying His instructions by changing them into great, hairy beasts called tantanka, which we know as bison. He did not punish Inktomi because evil does what evil does.

In time, the surface of the world was finished, and the Creator instructed those still underground to come to the surface. Those who had been changed into bison now helped their relatives to survive on the earth’s surface by giving themselves up to them for food and clothing. To this day, the Sioux have great respect for their bison “relatives.”

Please join us in praying that our Native brothers and sisters will come to know the Bible truths about their Creator and His love for them—a love so perfect and so strong that He sacrificed Himself as their Passover Lamb and became their Redeemer, clothing them in His robes of righteousness.

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