Being Lakota: Identity and Tradition on Pine Ridge Reservation

Being Lakota explores contemporary Lakota identity and tradition through the life-story narratives of Melda and Lupe Trejo. Melda Trejo, née Red Bear (1939-), is an Oglala Lakota from Pine Ridge Reservation, while Lupe Trejo (1938-99) is Mexican and a long-time resident at Pine Ridge. In their forty years together, the Trejos raised eleven children, supported themselves as migrant workers, and celebrated their lives and cultural heritage.

Conversations between this Lakota/Mexican couple an...