David Swallow Jr., Lakota Sun Dance Chief: February 4, 2022

The Poetry Center presents David Swallow Jr., Lakota spiritual teacher and veteran AIM (American Indian Movement) activist. He joins us from near his home in the Porcupine District of the Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota, for this remote-access event. Swallow is introduced and engaged in conversation by Hafez Modirzadeh, musician, composer, and teacher of music and musical cultures in the School of Music, San Francisco State University. David Swallow Jr. is a Teton Lakota wicasa wakan ("holy man" or, as some would say, "medicine man") who was born and raised on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The Teton Lakota Nation is the band of Crazy Horse. Swallow was taught the ancient Lakota ways by his grandparents and is recognized by his own people, both on and off the reservation, as a spiritual leader and sun dance intercessor. Modirzadeh voices multiple questions, from himself and from the audience, as Swallow responds at length, drawing on the breadth of his personal, collective, and historic knowledge.

The program was co-sponsored by American Indian Studies at SF State, with thanks to scholar and chair Joanne Barker.

Publisher
DocFilm Institute
Location
The Poetry Center, SFSU (Remote Access Event)
Date
2022-02-04
Event Run Time
01:20:27
Contributors
Hafez Modirzadeh
Steve Dickison
Chris Jones
Rights

©© American Poetry Archives. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. For all other uses please email poetry@sfsu.edu.

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David Swallow Jr. with Hafez Modirzadeh (01:13:20)

David Swallow Jr. speaks on spiritual, historical, and political subjects, in conversation with moderator Hafez Modirzadeh and in response to questions from the audience. Modirzadeh begins by asking Swallow about his trip to Washington D.C. Swallow talks about treaty territory and Oceti Sakowin land, the meaning of the word "reservation" and contested legitimacy of "tribal councils." He speaks of renouncing his American citizenship and belonging to the Lakota nation; of  demands and efforts for indigenous land restoration; of Wounded Knee and the spiritual aspect of AIM (American Indian Movement); of younger generations and what he calls the "indigenous heart"; groundings in oral tradition and native education; and the Lakota language. Modirzadeh shares a poem by classic Persian poet Saadi, in relation to the phrase "Mitakuye Oyasin," and in conclusion they discuss the idea of the "Red Road," in reference to the song recorded by David Swallow Jr. that played before the start of the event.

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