The core of Lakota life is deeply connected to the Earth and to the understanding that we are all related. They say “Mitakuye Oyasin” which translates into we are all related as people, to the air we breathe, the water we drink. These gifts given to us from Earth and Creator need to be respected. The spiritual traditions are very humanistic and understand the necessity of cultivating humility, gratitude, patience, compassion, generosity and respect. Our lives our forever transformed thanks to wisdom and open-hearted spirit of the Lakota. It is through our experiences at Pine Ridge that we began initiating this effort to give back to the Lakota people.