Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Lakota Woman, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Activism and Resistance
Assimilation, Tradition, and Identity
Unity, Inclusion, and Equality
Racism and Sexism
Summary
Analysis
After the siege of Wounded Knee, Leonard knew that government agents would find a reason to imprison him. He had been sentenced to prison for 13 years because of his role in the Wounded Knee Occupation, but he was able to get out on probation. While he didn't understand why the government officials wanted so badly to imprison him—he saw himself as a religious leader, not a revolutionary—Mary knew then and knows now that, because the militant youth of AIM would listen to a medicine man, Leonard was a threat to the system. For example, when Leonard instructed the youth to never sell their lands—no matter what company offered to purchase it—the youth listened.
The book suggests that the government saw Leonard as a revolutionary because he was encouraging the younger generations of the indigenous community to resist complying with the government or white society—he not only helped lead a cultural revival for indigenous cultures, but he also urged people to not sell their land, which companies wanted for its natural resources. Because of his refusal to comply with white society—even if he attributed his stance to his religious beliefs and not to political beliefs—he was a threat to the capitalist and colonialist system.
Themes
Shortly after the Ghost Dance of 1974, the government seized their opportunity. On September 2, 1975, two drunk men named Beck and McClosky crashed their car in Leonard's yard. Their rowdy shouts—they were bragging about how they had attacked one of Leonard's young nephews—woke up several of the relatives who were staying on the Crow Dogs’ property. The drunk men and the relatives started fighting, during which someone broke McClosky's jaw.
At this point in the narration, the book implies that the government exploited the Beck and McClosky event to arrest Leonard, as they saw him as a revolutionary who preached resistance against capitalism.
Themes
Beck and McClosky pressed charges against Leonard, and, just a few days later, a team of nearly 185 agents and officers stormed the Crow Dogs’ property to arrest Leonard. These officers acted with excessive violence, throwing young Pedro against a wall and putting guns to Mary's head as they ransacked the house.
Beck and McClosky’s pressing charges in an incident that they instigated suggests that the government may have pressured them into it, so that they (the government) would have cause to arrest Leonard, whom they saw as a revolutionary. The officials were needlessly violent with Mary, Leonard, Pedro, and the rest of the family on the grounds, which indicates the racism of the acting officers—the implication is that they did not act calmly or respectfully because the Crow Dogs are Native American.
Themes
The agents took Leonard in for questioning, during which they repeatedly asked him where a man named Peltier was hiding, a question that had no connection to what he was being arrested for, which was McClosky's broken jaw (even though it had been one of Leonard's relatives, and not Leonard, who had broken the man's jaw). It was only years later that Mary and Leonard found out that the FBI had staged the Beck-McClosky incident with the goal of arresting Leonard.
Mary at last reveals that the Beck-McClosky incident was fabricated by the government, likely for two reasons: one, the book suggests that U.S. officials had long been looking for an opportunity to arrest Leonard Crow Dog to prevent him from encouraging young people to resist U.S. capitalism; and two, officials believed that, as the spiritual leader of AIM, he had connections to Leonard Peltier, whom they were trying to arrest.
Themes
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Mary interrupts her narrative to explain why the FBI had decided to frame Leonard. The reason is tied to a shoot-out between AIM activists and FBI agents that took place in 1975. The gunfight resulted in the death of one Native American and two FBI agents. The FBI relentlessly searched for the killer of the two agents.
In contrast to the FBI’s negligence regarding the many homicides occurring in Pine Ridge, the FBI diligently searched for the killer of the two FBI agents. This double-standard in the U.S. justice system is one of the many inequities that AIM activists fought against. Yet, as Leonard’s situation proves, resisting the government had dangerous consequences—because of his activism, the government saw Leonard as a threat and sought to imprison him.
Themes
The FBI eventually decided to charge a radical AIM leader named Leonard Peltier for the deaths of the two FBI agents. They threatened several "witnesses" into testifying, and so established their "case." Supposedly, someone gave the FBI a false tip that Peltier was staying with Leonard Crow Dog. So, the government agents staged the Beck-McClosky incident to have a reason to investigate the Crow Dog property and arrest Leonard Crow Dog.
Mary makes it clear that she believes the charges against Leonard Peltier were fabricated, suggesting that the government targeted him because he, too, was an AIM revolutionary that they possibly wanted to eliminate. Like Leonard Crow Dog, Leonard Peltier’s resistance made him a government target. Mary illustrates that both of the arrests of Leonard Peltier and Leonard Crow Dog were unjust.
Themes
Mary describes Leonard Crow Dog's trials as a complete "farce." The Native Americans often won cases when tried outside of South Dakota and had an unbiased jury, which is why, Mary suspects, the government set the trial in South Dakota, a notoriously anti-Native American state. Sure enough, Leonard was found guilty and sentenced to 23 years.
The injustice regarding Leonard Crow Dog’s case continued with the setting of the trial. Mary believes that the government deliberately placed Leonard’s trial in South Dakota because a Lakota man would be unlikely to receive a fair trial there.
Themes
Mary was broken-hearted and at a complete loss when Leonard was imprisoned. Leonard had been so important for his community—from healing others to leading ceremonies—that Mary knew she could never fill the void he left behind.
Mary’s love and respect for Leonard are very clear in this passage. She not only misses him as her husband, but also as the religious leader of AIM. Leonard’s uniquely extensive knowledge of Lakota—and other indigenous cultures’—religion and cultural traditions made him an invaluable resource in a world where Lakota and indigenous cultures were threatened by forced assimilation, genocide, and white society. Mary also expresses how many people valued his role as a spiritual leader, which speaks to how many indigenous people relied on him when trying to reconnect to their indigenous heritage, regardless of whether they were Lakota.
Themes
From the moment that Leonard went to jail, the friends and activists of AIM rallied and raised money to set him free. Over the two-year struggle to free Leonard, Mary learned about the corruption of the justice system. Money, she says, is more important than guilt or innocence; if one has enough money to spend on good lawyers, one's chances at winning are infinitely better. With the help of fundraising and donations, Leonard was able to get a good team of lawyers and organizers. Among them were Bill Kunstler, Sandy Rosen, and Richard and Jean Erdoes.
Mary shows that freeing Leonard was a team effort. Many friends, family members, and donors joined together to raise the awareness and money necessary to give Leonard a good chance at winning his case. The implication is that, without the unified efforts of various people, Leonard may not have won.
Themes
Leonard was mistreated horribly in prison. Before describing the treatment he faced, Mary interjects to say that imprisonment is excruciatingly difficult for a man as connected with nature as Leonard is. When he arrived in prison, they confined Leonard to an isolation cell, where he became disoriented. In an effort to keep his sanity, Leonard sang, even making up his own peyote songs.
Mary has already noted how indigenous peoples’ land is sacred to them. For Leonard, being separated from the land of his people was painful, as the land was religiously important to him. To maintain his sanity, Leonard continued to practice his religion, which illustrates that engaging with his Lakota and indigenous identity was grounding for him and good for his mental health.
Themes
The prison guards (Mary calls them “hacks”) did their best to humiliate Leonard Crow Dog. They sexually harassed him, tried to cut his braids, and taunted him, telling him to become a bird “if [he was] such a big-shot medicine man.”
The prison guards targeted Leonard because of his race—they mocked his religion and threatened to violate his beliefs by cutting off his hair. The implication is that they would not have used these forms of harassment with a white man. Their harassment stands as yet another example of white society’s animosity toward indigenous cultures.
Themes
At one point, Leonard asked the warden for permission to obtain his pipe. He argued that since Jewish prisoners had a right to the Talmud, and Catholic priests could keep their Bibles, he—and all members of the Native American Religion—should be able to have access to his pipe. After a legal struggle (in which the Native American Religion was recognized), the warden granted Leonard the right to his pipe, although he refused to allow him access to tobacco. When it became clear that the warden would not relent on this point, Leonard gave him back his pipe, saying that, without the tobacco, his pipe was useless.
In this anecdote, Leonard’s resistance and persistence results in a partial victory. By pressing his case, he (and his lawyers) succeeded in gaining recognition of the Native American Religion and winning the right to the pipe for all adherents of the Native American Religion. This victory illustrates that activism and resistance can lead to meaningful change. Even though it wasn’t a true victory for Leonard—he was still denied access to his tobacco—his persistence nevertheless resulted in legal recognition of the Native American Religion. Leonard’s activism also indicates how central his religion is to his identity.
Themes
Several psychiatrists visited Leonard, but almost all of them were useless. One gave up after Leonard explained that the only irritation he suffered from was the many broken promises of the U.S. government. Another one tried to put Leonard on Valium. There was, however, one psychiatrist who helped Leonard. After recognizing that Leonard didn’t need psychiatric help, he wrote favorable reports for him and supported Leonard in his attempt to regain freedom.
The fact that Leonard found that the psychiatrists were unhelpful emphasizes that Leonard was mentally very healthy and did not need a psychiatrist—he was a sane man who was falsely imprisoned. The one psychiatrist that Leonard found useful was one who—recognizing Leonard’s mental health—began to work with Leonard to ensure his release, thus joining in the fight for justice.
Themes
Leonard suffered only two mental breakdowns during his time in prison. The first happened when another man in prison told Leonard (whom he called “Chief”) that he was going to get lobotomized, like the uncooperative man in the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Leonard panicked—he knew too well that, should the prison officials want to lobotomize him, he would have no power to stop them. Leonard called Mary and Richard and Jean Erdoes to inform them. Mary, Richard, and Jean spent the night trying to talk to lawyers to stop the lobotomy, only for them to discover that the man had been playing a cruel joke on Leonard.
This anecdote reveals the racism and power imbalance within U.S. prisons. In this instance, another man in prison gives him the racist epithet of “Chief” and scares him with the very possible threat of a lobotomy, a surgery once used as a treatment for mental disorders that actually often left patients in a vegetative state. Leonard is aware that the prison officials had him in their power—they could do what they wished with him while he was in prison. The injustice of this situation terrified Leonard, particularly as he knew that his resistance had already made him a government target. Luckily, thanks to the collective work of Mary, Richard, and Jean, Leonard discovered that the lobotomy rumor had been a lie.
Themes
Leonard’s second breakdown took place after his home, the old Crow Dog home, burned to the ground under suspicious circumstances. The fire consumed all the cultural relics and sacred items in the house. Leonard was heartbroken and yearned to be reunited with his people and his land.
The book suggests that it was the loss of cultural artifacts that so distressed Leonard. His distress speaks to how important Lakota cultural traditions are to him—their loss is devastating to him.
Themes
Leonard’s imprisonment took a toll on Mary as well. She missed him, and it was difficult to see him frequently—the officials in charge moved him a couple times, usually far from where Mary was living, which made visiting an expensive inconvenience. But as various civil and religious rights groups began advocating for Leonard and rallying for his freedom, Mary made many friends and acquaintances with other political leaders, artists, and attorneys.
The book suggests that the government officials deliberately moved Leonard so that Mary could not visit him. This callousness indicates that they did not respect the grief of an indigenous woman and wife. Mary does reveal that she didn’t always feel alone, as she developed a support network of other activists who took an interest in Leonard’s case. This diverse group of organizations and individuals helped Mary in fighting for Leonard’s release, which illustrates how the fight for equal rights is an inclusive one—everyone, regardless of religion or race, can participate and make a difference.
Themes
Leonard credits his spiritual power with helping him endure his imprisonment. Even when in isolation, he felt the presence of spirits and communicated with the Great Spirit.
Again, the book stresses how much Leonard valued his religion. It was by practicing his religion that he maintained a stable mental state, which speaks to the importance of remaining connected to one’s cultural identity.
Themes
Generally, the other inmates greatly respected and appreciated Leonard. He made friends with inmates of all races, and he especially bonded with those who were imprisoned for life. He felt a great deal of empathy for them—he understood that living life eternally isolated from loved ones and the world outside was a type of living death.
Leonard’s friendships with the other inmates reveal his sense of inclusivity. He was kind and welcoming to people regardless of race, and he recognized the humanity of the life-long inmates, whom he befriended rather than ostracized. His empathy towards them shows his concern for the human rights of all people—he didn’t see them as inferior beings because of their sentence.
Themes
In the spring of 1976, Leonard was released for three months pending appeal. Along with several friends, Mary picked up Leonard. Although the prison guards added petty requests to delay Leonard’s release by a few hours, Mary was able to at last greet Leonard outside the prison. That evening they had a big feast with friends, but Leonard wasn’t able to relax that night. As he told Mary, “mentally [he was] still in prison.”
In contrast to the many supporters who played a role in getting Leonard out of prison, there were prison guards who used their energy to keep him in prison for as long as possible. The implication is that everyone has the choice to either join in the fight for justice or use their influence to perpetuate inequalities. In the case of the prison guards, they pettily delayed Leonard’s release, presumably so that they could feel powerful over someone else. The actions only resulted in pain and stress for Leonard and his friends and family.
Themes
Leonard and Mary at last returned to Rosebud, only for them to receive a notice that Leonard’s appeal had been denied, so he had to return to prison. To echo history, Leonard gave himself up in Deadwood at the same courthouse that his great-grandfather, the first Crow Dog, had surrendered himself.
Leonard followed his ancestor’s footsteps when he turned himself in. This decision reflects the first Crow Dog’s legacy and cultural impact on his descendants. Mary has already shown how the Crow Dog clan adheres to the precedent of resistance and traditionalism that the first Crow Dog set. In this instance, it was the first Crow Dog’s compliance with U.S. law that Leonard reenacted. While this compliance appears to go against the first Crow Dog’s typical resistance, it reveals how Crow Dog conceded when he felt he had no other option. Additionally, Leonard would still be fighting his case, so his decision to give himself up at the courthouse also indicates his resolution to keep fighting the legal battle to have official release from his crimes, which would force the U.S. government to officially recognize their fault in falsely accusing a Native American man. Leonard’s decision to follow the first Crow Dog’s footsteps also suggests that he (Leonard) took comfort in echoing the historic actions of his ancestors.
Themes
So, Mary and Leonard’s team of lawyers appealed once again. They appealed to the case’s judge, a Judge Robert Merhige, whom they despised for having sentenced Leonard to prison time in the farcical assault-and-battery charges. But the international outpouring of support for Leonard began to change his mind. Judge Merhige received thousands of letters from people all over the world—Richard Erdoes even met with Merhige’s bishop and successfully persuaded him to write the judge a letter in support of Leonard’s release. So, at last, the judge ordered Crow Dog’s immediate release.
The book suggests that it was the collective international support for Leonard that persuaded the judge to change his mind. The implication is that it was thanks to countless people around the world that Leonard was released: from the people who fundraised and raised awareness to those who wrote pro-Leonard letters to the judge, it was because of the combined efforts of many organizations and individuals that Leonard was at last released, as was just. The legal victory also shows how activism and resistance sometimes does lead to meaningful change. Had Leonard and his supporters (including Mary) not fought back, it’s likely that Leonard would not have been released.
Themes
Unfortunately, all the additional paperwork delayed Leonard’s release for another three months. When Leonard at last returned home, a huge crowd of medicine men, tribal members, tribal leaders, and even missionary priests gathered to welcome him. They also honored Mary, whom they gave the name Ohitika Win, or Brave Woman.
Just as many people worked together to secure Leonard’s release from prison, so did many people unite to welcome him home. Even missionary priests gathered to welcome Leonard, which shows how, regardless of one’s religious beliefs, one can always join the fight for equal rights, even if the person whose rights are threatened is an adherent of a different religion. It is significant that these missionary priests advocated for Leonard, particularly given the Catholic Church’s history of wrongs against indigenous people. Although Mary doesn’t give many details about these priests, it’s possible that these particular priests recognized the evils inflicted by their institution and therefore invested their energy in fighting to undo the inequalities that their Church had a direct hand in creating.
Themes
Mary pauses the narrative to add that a film was made about Leonard’s imprisonment and legal battles. In it, Bill Kunstler makes a speech in which he argues that many white people and U.S. government officials persecute Native Americans and “hate them because their claims are totally justified—and [they] know it.” Mary adds that while she recognizes that it was a good speech, she was too exhausted at the time for any more speeches. All she craved was her private life with Leonard and their children.
Bill Kunstler’s speech argues that white people know that Native Americans are justified in their resistance against the U.S. government and white society—after all, white America is to blame for the impoverished conditions and the cultural genocide that indigenous Americans suffer from. The implication of Kunstler’s speech is that white peoples’ persecution of Native Americans is driven by feelings of guilt—white society knows that their actions are wrong, so they persecute the people who fight against them and force them to confront their history of oppressing indigenous people. While Mary recognizes the value of Kunstler’s speech, she makes the reader see the humanity of the situation—while Leonard’s legal battle was an inspiring and historic act, it was also exhausting and, in the end, she just wanted a simple, happy life for her, her husband, and their family.
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