This week, Iolo goes to see the Lakota and the Dakota tribes. They live in North and South Dakota. The buffalo is very important to the Lakota and the Dakota. 200 years ago there were 60 million buffalos in North America, today there are not many left.
Iolo speaks with Mike Lawrence, the Lakota and the Dakota’s buffalo warden. The buffalo gave food, clothes and tools to the tribe. If the buffalo moved to look for food, the people would go with them. The white man killed thousands of buffalos when they came here.
Iolo goes to KLND Little Eagle radio station. He speaks with Virgil Taken Alive, one of the radio presenters. From Monday to Friday, Virgil broadcasts in the language of the Lakota for one hour and in English for one hour.
Alcohol and drugs are a big problem in Fort Yates. Iolo sees a police car on every street. Every month they need police help from outside the town.
Iolo sees a snake – a rattle snake, on the floor. He moves the snake back in to the grass. After 10 minutes the snake is back again and Iolo has to catch the snake with the help of local people. He takes the snake out to the countryside.
Iolo goes to see Delyle Lefthand. He was an alcoholic, but he wanted a new life. He started to speak the old language again and he went to live in the countryside. Iolo sees Delyle tame a wild horse.
Iolo goes to see Casper and his son Aaron. Casper takes people around the area to hunt. People pay around 400 dollars to go out with Casper. People have to pay if they want to kill an animal as well; the antelope is 250 dollars, the deer is 500 dollars and the buffalo can cost 5000 dollars.
Casper and his son take Iolo out to hunt. They teach Iolo how to shoot. Iolo shoots at the target and he scores a “hit”, so they give Iolo the name ‘Wataia’
Iolo goes to see Virgil's family; he eats an American breakfast with them before going out to look for the prairie turnip.
At the end of the day, Iolo speaks and eats with the family. The old people speak the old language with each other.
Iolo goes to see John Buckley. Today the tribe want to kill a buffalo. Because the buffalo is holy, they perform a special ceremony. This ceremony releases the animal’s soul. Curtis, the local teacher is performing the ceremony today.
