Interviewer: Robert Parrott
Interview Date: July 16, 1986
Location: Corvallis, Oregon
Duration: 1:34:51
In the interview, Laurie LaPointe recounts her childhood in Colorado, South Dakota, and Oregon. She begins by discussing her heritage as a member of the Lakota Sioux Tribe and describing the different groups of the Lakota, as well as Lakota Sioux traditions, culture, and religion. LaPointe also touches on the division of tasks by gender in Lakota culture.
She then recounts pieces of her personal history including her parents, her upbringing, and the family’s many moves, and describes what parts of Lakota Sioux culture her mother imparted upon her. She places particular emphasis on describing her mother’s life, beginning with her mother’s early years on the reservation and her subsequent work history and moves. She also shares some of the Lakotan words that she learned from her mother.
Next, LaPointe discusses the intersection of Lakotan and Western culture, and the struggle to uphold indigenous traditions while also participating in non-tribal society. She describes how she feels about Lakotan and Western philosophies, and what it means to her to be Lakotan. She moves on to explain her religious affiliations with the Catholic Church and Christianity, and how they compare to Lakotan philosophy. She continues by explaining the product of colonization of the Lakota people in the United States, and concludes by emphasizing the importance of continuing to fight for Lakotan culture and traditions.
Laurie LaPointe was born in Denver, Colorado in 1961, the youngest of four siblings. Within a year, her family moved to Silverton, Oregon, where her mother worked as a nurse. In 1979, she began attending Oregon State University, studying Zoology. Her family is strongly tied to the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota and she is a member of the Lakota Sioux nation.
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She then recounts pieces of her personal history including her parents, her upbringing, and the family’s many moves, and describes what parts of Lakota Sioux culture her mother imparted upon her. She places particular emphasis on describing her mother’s life, beginning with her mother’s early years on the reservation and her subsequent work history and moves. She also shares some of the Lakotan words that she learned from her mother.
Next, LaPointe discusses the intersection of Lakotan and Western culture, and the struggle to uphold indigenous traditions while also participating in non-tribal society. She describes how she feels about Lakotan and Western philosophies, and what it means to her to be Lakotan. She moves on to explain her religious affiliations with the Catholic Church and Christianity, and how they compare to Lakotan philosophy. She continues by explaining the product of colonization of the Lakota people in the United States, and concludes by emphasizing the importance of continuing to fight for Lakotan culture and traditions.
Laurie LaPointe was born in Denver, Colorado in 1961, the youngest of four siblings. Within a year, her family moved to Silverton, Oregon, where her mother worked as a nurse. In 1979, she began attending Oregon State University, studying Zoology. Her family is strongly tied to the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota and she is a member of the Lakota Sioux nation.