Veterans Songs

by Lakota Thunder

Warriors have always held an esteemed position within the Lakota culture. These songs honor warriors from the past to the present. Included are songs of Sitting Bull, the Battle of the Little Bighorn, continuing through the World Wars, Korea and Vietnam.

Veterans songs are used at the opening and closing of celebrations and ceremonies, from small gatherings to inter-tribal powwows. The sound of the drum echoes the heartbeat of the Lakota Nation.

Lakota Thunder is composed of Lakota drummers and singers from the Standing Rock Reservation bordering North and South Dakota. Lead members, Courtney Yellow Fat and Dana Yellow Fat, teach culture and language at Standing Rock Community High School and have been singing powwow and ceremonial songs since they were very young. They also host their own radio program on KLND in Little Eagle, South Dakota.

"We remember the words of Tatanka Iyotaka, Sitting Bull, who said, "I was never the aggressor. I only fought to protract the children."

— ©2000