West River Eagle

One story of a Lakota: Taniga Owohan


Taniga Owohan (Cooks With Guts)

By Wakiyan Peta

Ehanni, maybe not that long ago, I was wondering how the origin of our family name of Cook came about.  I had at this time begun to wonder, so I went to visit my *Grandpa Wilson Cook, who lived in the suburbs of the Bear Creek Community, which is located about, let’s see, as the Kangi [crow] flies. It’s about eight miles west of Eagle Butte.  Other option is the built in Lakota GPS system, which estimates it is ten point five hitch hiking miles.  You must first start out by heading west young man, out of any housing cluster located in Eagle Butte SD, then onto Highway 212 toward Lantry SD. Once there, look sharply to your right and you will see a painted plywood sign and a roadside sign with the words Bear Creek.

Well anyway, once arriving at my Grandpa Wilson’s house, I begin by saying, “Grandpa Wilson, I have a question for you.” And he responded by giving me a blank stare.

My first thought Hauuunnnn. . .my poor Grandpa has slipped into the Ol’ timers disease of forgetfulness.

I again stated my question, “Grandpa, can I ask you a question about the name Cook, and how it came to be?” A’ke [again], he gave me this look of looking past me with minor disgust. 

Finally he said, “How many times must I remind you,  you are Ni Lakota [you are of the Allies], and the proper word is Tunkasila [oldest living relative in a Tiospaye], or for a short cut term, Lala [any word with ending of La in the Lakota language means to be said or thought of as something very cherished].

Little did I know I was being schooled in the proper protocol for being an Indian, Sioux or a Native American who was being introduced to the Lakota thought and philosophy.  In short, I was being taught how to bring the Lakota back out of this semi-assimilated guy, me.

Okay, enough of the introductory comments.  With the proper word introduced, I begin with my Lala Wilson Cook, who started the history lesson something like this: 

“Our Tiospaye starts like this: Little Skunk & Bessie Black Tongue, your great, great, great grandparents, next is my parents, Bennett Cook & Nellie (Brings Blue Horses) Cook, your great, great grandparents: their children are Eunice, Amos, John, myself Wilson and Your grandfather Wallace Cook, who married your grandmother Louise [Roach] Cook, and one of their son’s Milton Cook Sr., who married your mother Caroline Iron lightning.” 

So with the genealogy insert, we start with the story. With maLaLa Wilson starting the story, “My Dad’s original name is Taniga Owohan [Cooks With Guts]. He was at the time of when the Mila Hunska [Long Knives, later termed Americans] were forcing the Lakota Oyate to the reservation to begin the process of assimilating Lakota into the American culture, or be introduced to the art of war. The outcome of this choice was simply genocidal in nature of all aspects such as biological [disease infested items], psychological [kill the Indian, Sioux or Native American, but save the man] and much more which we will get into at a different time.”

“My father joined the United States Army as a scout, as a way to keep some sort of the Lakota warrior spirit alive.  Somewhere in this time period of my dad being in the service of the United States Army, he had to somehow come about to have a different name. As they often said in those days a christian / English name.”

“It just so happened as the story goes that my dad’s unit happened to be stationed near Fort Bennett.  Therefore, it was told if you want to be in this man’s army, you will need to change your injun or heathenistic name to something we can put on the army roster.  So thus with maybe no thinking or maybe it was ignorance abound or maybe, as they say, that is the way it was in them thar days, a new name was given.”

“’Well we are here at Fort Bennett, so your first name will be Bennett, and for a last name, hmm. . . let me think, oh, goodness gracious I had a brain fart, since your name means Cooks With Guts we will use a portion of this and call you Cook.  From this point on, as a U.S. Army Scout, you will be known as Pvt. Bennett Cook.  Well hallelujah and praise the lord! You might just be saved!’”

I will share few more things about my dad’s experience as a Lakota in the guise of a U.S. Army guy.

When my dad was discharged from the U.S. Army, the Lakota Oyate were not even being considered for American citizenship.  Strange huh! A stranger in his own land.

However, to the surprise of my dad, at the request of the U.S. Army, my dad was made a citizen of the United States. Can you believe this, whewwwwwww! When it was not even legal for a Lakota to be even considered for American citizenship.  Here was my dad, a U.S. citizen, one of the first of his kind, a rarity.

I will let you know this unheard gift was not without its surprises in the future.  One thing I will share with you is this, all the allotted land that was my dad’s as a Lakota was now subject to taxation as a citizen. 

With my dad not understanding all this new American citizen process, he eventually had sell most, if not all his land to pay the taxes.  What we have left in our Tiospaye is but a mere portion of what my Dad actually had before this whole incident of American citizenship.

I, Wakiyan Peta, watched my Lala TaSunke Sapa Tawa [His Black Horse], a.k.a., Lala Wilson Cook, who held this look on his face, which I earlier and wrongfully described as Ol’ timers disease.

We stood on one of his last remaining pieces of land, on which his newly owned 30 year old scatter site HUD home now stands. 

His gaze wandered over toward the west along the horizon, looking over what was once our land, and he asked, “Do you think we could get all my father’s land back, if we use the legal system?” 

I often think of this statement and with the little I know, there might be something to this. Wasn’t it an illegal act to be made a U.S. citizen when it was illegal for a Lakota to be a citizen?

As this story winds down, I have many stories to tell based on my relationship with maLala TaSunke Sapa Tawa [His Black Horse], my Lala Wilson Cook, when he would share something of his memory on his time, and not based on what I wanted and when I wanted it told.

In conclusion, with the Lakota Oyate history being of the oral tradition, all I have are the words in the form of stories from my *Lala Wilson Cook as my only point of reference.

TaSunke Sapa Tawa, le Anpetukile Lila kiksuyapo! [On this day, I have remembered a lot about my Grandfather Wilson Cook]

* TaSunke Sapa Tawa [His Black Horse] – Lala Wilson Cook

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