Latest revision as of 20:55, 3 September 2026

Wak'q

Wak'q (often rendered wakan) is "the animating force of the universe," "the creative universal force," an "invisible energy or life-force." It is the power that makes things holy, powerful, or beyond ordinary understanding. When the Sioux encountered something difficult to explain—a natural mystery, a vision, a potent medicine, or even a poisonous plant—they called it wakanis. the Lakota name for The Fabric of Consciousness

Concept Map

Sioux

Wak'q

Syncretic Terms

Fabric of Consciousness >

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Notes

We Are Wakan" / "You Are Wakan"

Because wakʽą flows through the cosmos and animates all things, Lakota philosophy holds that all beings share the same sacred essence. In this view, objects or people imbued with wakʽą force can themselves be termed wakʽą. To say "we are wakan" or "you are wakan" is to recognize that:

Every person carries within them this sacred, mysterious life-force.
There is no fundamental separation between the divine and the human; the same power that moves the sun, the wind, and the buffalo also moves within us
Every being is a manifestation of Wakʽą Tʽąką (Wakan Tanka), the "Great Mystery" or unified totality of all sacred power.

As one early Lakota source put it, "Every object in the world has a spirit and that spirit is wakan." This includes human beings.

"We Walk as Wakan"

To walk as wakan is to live in conscious alignment with this truth. It means:

Moving through the world with the awareness that all is sacred. Because wakʽą unifies all life, the Lakota express their worldview with mitákuye oyás'į—"all my relations"—a recognition of kinship with every person, animal, plant, stone, and spirit.
Embodying respect and reciprocity. If everything is wakan, then every interaction is an encounter with the sacred. This informs the Lakota emphasis on respect (waóhola) for all life and the understanding that "everything is one."
Recognizing the mystery in oneself and others. To walk as wakan is to carry oneself with the humility and reverence due to a being who is, in essence, a fragment of the Great Mystery—not superior to nature, but kin to it.

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Footnotes

References

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 ==Notes==
+=== We Are Wakan" / "You Are Wakan" ===
+Because ''wakʽą'' flows through the cosmos and animates all things, Lakota philosophy holds that all beings share the same sacred essence.
+In this view, objects or people imbued with ''wakʽą'' force can themselves be termed ''wakʽą''. To say '''"we are wakan"''' or '''"you are wakan"''' is to recognize that:
+* Every person carries within them this sacred, mysterious life-force.
+* There is no fundamental separation between the divine and the human; the same power that moves the sun, the wind, and the buffalo also moves within us
+* Every being is a manifestation of ''Wakʽą Tʽąką'' (Wakan Tanka), the "Great Mystery" or unified totality of all sacred power.
+As one early Lakota source put it, "Every object in the world has a spirit and that spirit is wakan." This includes human beings.
+=== "We Walk as Wakan" ===
+To '''walk as wakan''' is to live in conscious [[alignment]] with this truth. It means:
+* '''Moving through the world with the awareness that all is sacred.''' Because ''wakʽą'' unifies all life, the Lakota express their worldview with ''mitákuye oyás'į''—"all my relations"—a recognition of kinship with every person, animal, plant, stone, and spirit.
+* '''Embodying respect and reciprocity.''' If everything is ''wakan'', then every interaction is an encounter with the sacred. This informs the Lakota emphasis on respect (''waóhola'') for all life and the understanding that "everything is one."
+* '''Recognizing the mystery in oneself and others.''' To walk as wakan is to carry oneself with the humility and reverence due to a being who is, in essence, a fragment of the Great Mystery—not superior to nature, but kin to it.
 {{endstuff}}

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