Lakota Language Activist Philomine Blacksmith Dies

 

Philomine Blacksmith Lakota has passed away,

Wíŋyaŋ waŋ Philomine Lakota ečíyapi čha makȟá-wičhóni ékignake kiŋ líla ičháŋteuŋšičape ló.

and we want to express our condolences to Philomine’s family.

Philomine tȟathíwahe kiŋ wókikčaŋpte ewíčhuŋkiyapi uŋčhíŋpi.

Philomine was a traditional Lakota woman beloved by her thiyóšpaye and respected in the community. Since the '90s she has been one of the pillars of the Pine Ridge cultural renaissance, helping to reintroduce the išnáthi rights, supporting her huŋká brother, Wilmer Mesteth, in reintroducing night dances and advocating for the revival of other traditions. She was also a great singer. Many remember her strong uŋgnáǧičala hotȟúŋpi during social and ceremonial events.

She was a leader in Lakȟótiyapi instruction in Pine Ridge. During her life she taught Lakota to hundreds of students; for many she was their first contact with the language. Her joy in teaching Lakota was infectious; she was an inspiration to her students. Though she was a traditional woman, she embraced new technologies and adopted new methods to improve her teaching.

In the early 2000’s she was a strong proponent of orthographic reform and was among the first fluent teachers to embrace it. She used the orthography consistently in her classes, her Lakota translations and writings, and social media.

She was an enthusiastic contributor to the New Lakota Dictionary, the Lakota Grammar Handbook, and the Lakota Summer Institutes, offering her stories and knowledge during consultations about word meanings and participating in discussions of Lakota grammar and pedagogy.

Philomine left an enormous legacy to her community. She was an inspiration and role model who demonstrated that one can live in both worlds—be both a traditional woman and an activist engaged in solving her community's problems. In her memory, we must continue maintaining and cherishing the language and traditions that she practiced all her life.