INED 411-Journal #6

Jessie Sommers

One of the twelve Lakota Virtues is perseverance, or wowacintanka. Perseverance means

to persist, [or] to strive in spite of difficulties (Marshall, 20). One story that Marshall told to

describe this virtue was “The Story of the Giants.” This story takes place on Highway 16 in

Tripp County, South Dakota, where there is a ridge that may look out of place considering much

of the land around it is flat. To many today, it is just another hill, but to others it is much more

than that. It was a summer filled with storms and Cloud and Plum had just got married. One

night there was a storm so bad that it had awakened a dark, ugly, and very strong giant named

Iya. Many people were screaming and were scared for what would happen next. Suddenly, the

dark, ugly giant ripped Cloud and Plum’s lodge apart and took Plum and swallowed her. Iya

swallowed other women and young girls as well. Cloud could not believe it, but he knew that he

had to get his wife back and help the other women and young girls. Him and many other men

gathered and grabbed their bows and arrows and set out to get back at Iya. Cloud came up with a

plan that would lure Iya into a hole where Cloud and his men would bury him for good. Cloud

knew that Iya’s weakness was that he was always hungry so Cloud was going to trick Iya into

thinking that there is food. Cloud set out to find Iya and once he found him, he started to take

action and lure Iya in. It was a long way back from where Iya was and to where the hole where

Iya was going to be buried. Cloud began to lose strength and endurance trying to stay ahead of

Iya who was trying to attack Cloud. For a brief moment, Cloud was going to give up because he

physically could not take it anymore. He started to have images run through his mind. These

images included his wife and their future, where they would raise children and grow old

together. Cloud found a little more strength in himself to finish his plan with Iya now that he
remembered he was fighting for the love of his life and his future with her. His plan worked and

Iya was lured into the hole. Cloud’s men began moving the dirt into the hole to bury Iya once

and for all. Cloud grabbed his knife and opened Iya’s stomach to find his wife and all of the

other women and young girls who had been swallowed. Cloud saved all of the women and girls

and the rest of the men finished moving the dirt to bury Iya until it covered him and formed a

long ridge. Although the ridge is Iya’s grave, it was built by those who persevered and had

courage to save the people who meant the most to them.