5th Episode: Holistic Health with Lakota Educator Ben Good Buffalo

Ben Good Buffalo Embraces Lakota Culture in Education from his traditional upbringing to his military service, he sees the value of ensuring language and culture is embedded into the school curriculum. “There is a positive correlation between better grades and teaching language and culture [to our youth].” On the day of PWNA’s visit, Ben helped out with the morning songs at the school.

Ben talks about teaching his own daughters to give and be generous, another Lakota value. “I took Rubi and Victoria one summer to the Yakama Tribe in Washington to visit my sister. They attended classes in marketing and telemarketing, then returned home and started selling pop, ice cream, and water. I told them... ‘water is free—grandmother earth will be mad at you’ ...so they offered the water for free and sold the soda and ice cream.” Even though each item was priced, Ben told them, “take whatever is offered and don’t turn anyone away if they don’t have enough. If someone is hurting, you help them. Have people in your heart — help that person. For me, I tell them the positive side –be yourself.”