Part 7 – Wówaunsila (Compassion): The Heart of Lakota Kinship

Compassion as a Sacred Responsibility

In Lakota thought, Wówaunsila represents the profound empathy and kindness that binds a community together. It is not a passive feeling of pity — it is an active responsibility to care for others, especially those in pain, need, or vulnerability. Wówaunsila teaches that true strength lies in one’s ability to feel, to help, and to heal.

The Root of Kinship

Lakota society is built on the idea of Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ — “We are all related.” Wówaunsila is the emotional and spiritual thread that makes this philosophy real. It is what compels one to feed a neighbor’s child, to sit with an elder, or to take in a relative who has no home. It is what has sustained the Lakota through generations of struggle.

In every Tióšpaye (extended family), compassion is practiced not through words but through quiet, meaningful actions — a blanket given without asking, a meal shared without judgment, a visit made without obligation.

Wówaunsila in Traditional Life

Historically, Wówaunsila was evident in how the community cared for its most vulnerable members — the sick, the orphaned, the elderly, and the grieving. There were no homeless Lakota, no neglected elders, no forgotten children. To allow suffering to go unseen was a breach of spiritual law.

Children were taught early to carry water for elders, to check on relatives, and to speak kindly to all beings — not just people, but animals and the land. This form of compassion extended beyond humanity to the natural world, reflecting the belief that all life is sacred and deserving of care.

Compassion Through Ceremony

Lakota ceremonies often center around healing, support, and sacrifice for others. The Yuwípi healing ceremony is not performed for the individual leading it — but for someone who is suffering. The Sun Dance is not danced for the self, but for those in need of help, clarity, or recovery. In this way, compassion is at the very core of spirituality.

Prayers are rarely spoken just for one’s own life — they are always inclusive of the wider circle: family, tribe, animals, spirits, and future generations.

Historical Wówaunsila in Action

During the harshest periods of colonization — when rations were scarce, languages banned, and ceremonies outlawed — compassion was what kept families and traditions alive. Lakota women risked punishment to prepare herbal medicines for the sick. Elders gave their own food to children. Families took in others who had been displaced or abused in boarding schools.

These were not extraordinary acts. They were expected. Wówaunsila was never meant to be rare — it was the norm.

Compassion Today: Healing the Wounds

Today, Lakota communities still face deep social and health challenges — the legacy of broken treaties, historical trauma, and modern neglect. Wówaunsila is still urgently needed:

• In youth suicide prevention efforts that affirm the value of every life
• In addiction recovery programs led by those who’ve walked the path of pain
• In community food drives, elder care visits, and language teaching circles

It is found in every parent choosing gentleness over punishment, every teacher who helps a student find pride in who they are, every healer who listens without judgment.

Teaching Wówaunsila

Children do not learn compassion from lectures — they learn it by witnessing it. A child who sees kindness modeled at home, at school, and in ceremony will understand that love is not weakness, but power.

Cultural camps, Lakota language programs, and storytelling events all help preserve Wówaunsila. When we speak of our ancestors with reverence, when we correct our young with patience, when we care for our animals and land — we pass the value of compassion to the next generation.

Conclusion: The Healing Virtue

Wówaunsila is perhaps the most needed virtue in today’s world. As society becomes more disconnected, competitive, and divided, the Lakota teaching of compassion offers a path back to balance. To be compassionate is to see another’s pain and to act. It is to value every life as sacred and to offer kindness, even when it is not returned.

In Lakota tradition, compassion is not a choice — it is a duty. And it is through that duty that we heal ourselves, our families, and our world.

External Resources

• StrongHearts Native Helpline – Support and Healing
• First Nations Development Institute – Community Resilience
• Lakota Children’s Enrichment – Youth Empowerment

Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ – We are all related.