Question: Would The Lakota (Sioux Indian) Concept Of Wowasakeikcupi (Taking Back The Way) Be Good For The PWD Community?
I am of Tsalagi (Cherokee) and Chahta (Choctaw) heritage and I was honored in a Gourd Dancing session at an American Indian Pow-Wow on Saturday, April 2, 2005.

*** WOWASAKEIKCUPI ***

The word “Wowasakeikcupi” translates into “Taking Back The Way” and is from the Lakota (Sioux Indian) language.

The Lakota (Sioux Indian) concept of “Wowasakeikcupi” (Taking Back The Way) has nothing to do on how PWDs used to be treated decades or centuries ago.

I feel like that the Lakota (Sioux Indian) concept of “Wowasakeikcupi” (Taking Back The Way) is a good thing for the PWD Community.

The PWD Community needs to “Take Back The Way” in various ways within the PWD Community.

Examples:

1. The entire PWD Community needs to be united as one. (The PWD Community is not united as one due to various fractures within the PWD Community and needs to “Take Back The Way” in the entire PWD Community uniting as one.)

2. All PWDs need to be treated with dignity and respect. (The PWD Community needs to “Take Back The Way” in terms of being treated with respect and dignity.)

3. The PWD Community will always be fighting for various Disability Rights in one way or another. (The PWD Community needs to “Take Back The Way” in terms of obtaining and keeping various PWD Rights.)

4. In all various current PWD issues that the PWD Community faces (Example: PWDs being forced into “Crip Ghettos” (Nursing Homes) against their wills, and other various PWD issues. (The PWD Community needs to “Take Back The Way” in terms of preventing PWDs being forced into “Crip Ghettos” (Nursing Homes) against their wills, and other various PWD issues.)

5. The PWD Community needs to have more “Closed PWD Only Support Groups”. (The PWD Community needs to “Take Back The Way” in terms of all PWD organizations/associations in having and supporting “Closed PWD Only Support Groups” in addition of having “Opened PWD Support Groups”.)

The 2 questions that I want to ask are these:

1. Would the Lakota (Sioux Indian) concept of “Wowasakeikcupi” (Taking Back The Way) be good for the PWD Community?

2. Why or Why Not?

Thank You.
*Both me and my only child are SSA Registered-Certified Disabled PWDs.* I am also a Registered Member of the Ectodermal Dysplasias International Registry.*

*Wowasakeikcupi!* – *PWDRHIP*
To fodaddy19: Yes, I do understand the point that you are making about
“Wowasakeikcupi (Taking Back The Way) in terms of the “old ways”. But I am
not talking about the “old ways” when it comes to the PWD Community.
“Wowasakeikcupi (Taking Back The Way) should be used in changing current
situations or upcoming situations within the PWD Community. The examples that I posted is to illustrate the usage of
“Wowasakeikcupi (Taking Back The Way) within the PWD Community.
To L.K.: I disagree with you about that it would be better for the PWD Community to come up with their own way due to the fact that “Wowassakeikcupi” is able to transcend all culture groups including the PWD community. “Wowassakeikcupi would not cause a division within the PWD Community once PWDs understand the concept of “Wowassakeikcupi” (Taking Back The Way).

Answer:

Answer by fodaddy19
I think the term is sort of a misnomer. You’re talking about taking something back, when in reality you never had anything desirable that anyone would want to bring back in the first place. I know you’re not talking about about bringing back asylums or euthanization. But apparently the term translates into something that can easily be construed as the desire to bringing back the old way, when it would seem that changing the current or upcoming situation would be more advantageous.

Anyway to address your points;

1. It’s a nice thought but it’ll never happen. Reminds me in principle of a bumper sticker I once saw, it read “Forget world peace, envision using your turn signal”. Often you have to make due with smaller, but attainable victories, when the thing you really want is completely out of reach.

2. Dignity and respect are earned, they are not rights. Disability status has nothing to do with it

3. Yes, and there lies the problem, people shout “equality” to the heavens. However accommodations and perks aren’t exactly equal. If you need them that’s fine, there’s nothing wrong with that, but at the same time don’t try complain about equality, because if you really wanted to go by the textbook definition of equality you wouldn’t be receiving *any* accommodations. This is a pet peeve of mine.

4. Sometimes you have to do what’s in the person’s and society’s best interest. It’s like taking the keys away from the elderly even though they think they can still drive. We had to go through with this with my grandmother. She wasn’t happy about it 7 years ago and she’s still not happy about it now. But when you’re in two accidents in a week, it’s in everyone’s best interest that you make concessions, even if it’s not what you want to do.

5. It’ll just drive the various apparent divisions in the PWD community further apart. It would just be one more thing for people to squabble over.