I chose the virtue Bravery.

This is defined as being an act of courage or having character

that is showing courage. This term is very universal and can have a meaning that is accepted and

used in a variety of ways. In the Lakota way, it is shown by Joseph M. Marshall III. He shapes

stories of the twelve different virtues in his book The Lakota Way: Stories and Lessons for

Living. The story The Defender was my favorite and portrayed the action of bravery. The story

converses about a young boy who is an excellent hunter. Since he is such a proficient hunter at

such a young age, his uncle is allowing for him to go on a hunt. The hunt ended up becoming

successful and his uncle allowed him to protect and guard their kill and continued their hunt.

However, when the boy was standing alone, he started to hear strange noises surrounding the

outside of the camp. Even though he was scared, he knew that he still had a duty to carry. A bear

was close by and the boy knew that he couldn’t leave, so instead, he climbed a tall tree. He was

protecting himself and was still guarding their kill, just secretively. Following this incident, the

boy’s uncle and the rest of his men returned, happy to see that their kill was still there. Despite

the fact that the boy was scared, he overcame his fear and conveyed his bravery and devoted

himself to protect their kill.

Reference: Marshall, J. (2002). The Lakota Way: Stories and Lessons for Living. New York,

New York: Penguin Compass.