In the Lakota creation story, we are taught that both man and woman are equally important and both essential to creation. Man and woman were instructed with specific and unique roles and responsibilities towards the health and well being of all creation. Lakota utilizes gender endings to remind us of these different, unique and essential roles and responsibilities instructed to both man and woman.

Here are the different Gender Endings for males.

Statement singular: yeló

Líla wašté yeló. (very good/well.)

Statement plural: peló

Hená wašté peló. (They are good.)

Question: hwo

Singular

Nígluštaƞ hwo? (Are you finished?)

Plural (add pi)

Hená waštépi hwo? (Are they good?)

Command singular: yo

Anáǧoptaƞ yo! (Listen!)

Command plural: po

Anáǧoptaƞ po! (You all listen!)

If a verb ends in u, o, or uƞ, the gender endings yo and yelo become wo and welo

Ečhúƞ wo! (Do it!)

Makípazo wo! (Show me!)

Ú wo! (Come here!)

Ú welo. (He/she is coming)

By Wakinyan Waanatan (Matt Remle)