Fortitude

Our children, our women, our girls and boys are nurtured by their mother until they’re 4 or 5 years old. Then the boys are given over to the men folk to learn the ways of the men. The women stay with the women to learn the ways of the women. So our children are groomed from the time they are born, and the boys are shown the skills to be a brave warrior. You don’t say, especially when you talk in our language, things that are untrue, or say things and then take back what you say. Therefore fortitude comes in. When you agree that you’re going to do something; you’re going to do it; nothing’s going to get in the way; you’re going to carry that mission out. And that’s what they did. They showed their skills, they showed bravery, fortitude. They probably thought about all our core values and that makes for a good Dakota woman or man, when you live according to those values.