North America: A Lakota Perspective

This map shows Lakota Territory as defined by the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie between the United States government and the Lakota in relation to the rest of North America, or Khéya Wíta, meaning “Turtle Island” in Lakota.

Khéya Wíta – North America (Turtle Island)
Osní Makȟóčhe – Alaska (Cold Land)
Uŋčíyapi Makȟóčhe – Canada (Grandmother’s [Queen Victoria’s] Land)
Lakȟóta Makȟóčhe – Lakota Country (Lakota’s Land)
Mílahaŋska Tȟamákȟočhe‎ – The United States of America (Long Knives’ Land)
Spaóla Makȟóčhe‎ – Mexico (Mexican’s Land)
Tȟuŋkášila Othí – Washington DC (Grandfather [The President] Dwelling)
Spaóla Otȟúŋwahe – Mexico City (Mexican’s City)

* Note on the compass – South is oriented at the top, a Lakota custom according to Dakȟóta Tȟaté from the Standing Rock Reservation. In this medicine wheel, North is represented as white. This is how Darrell Red Cloud, an Oglala Lakota friend of mine, designates the colors on the wheel, but he says that other medicine men may do it differently.

Map: Jordan Engel. As always, the Decolonial Atlas’ original media can be reused under the Decolonial Media License 0.1.