[October 21, 2015] Many times I’ve written about traits of successful leaders; those who have the ability to articulate a good cause and rally people to it. It has always been clear that many of those traits, although perhaps not all, are universal. A recent article at The Art of Manliness blog (see link here) got me to thinking about those similarities as they summarized how the American Indian culture helped turn a boy into a man.
I think that these virtues – characteristics or traits as we call them here – are really not that different from those that we admire in all of the best leaders. Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, the Sioux chiefs that defeated Lieutenant Colonel George Custer at the Battle of Little Big Horn, demonstrated a special kind of virtue.
“Not ‘to have,’ but ‘to be,’ was his national motto.” – Charles Eastman1
Sioux Indians were conscious of developing their boys into men. They were careful about their education on how to survive but were particular when it came to ensuring boys became men. Those virtues, as given to us by Charles Eastman (member of the Santee or the Eastern Dakota tribe) are:
- Silence: Sioux Indian etiquette required that men remain polite and silent on all but important matters. There is an unfailing respect for every other member of the family circle shown through habitual quiet, order, and decorum.
- Love: The Indian male took his identity from recognition by the community and the consciousness of unselfish service. Thus, love revolved around adherence to service and duty to his tribe, not around romantic sentimentality.
- Reverence: Religion was the basis of all training for manhood. All living things, it is taught, have a soul that is different than man but in a spirit created by the Maker. The splendor of life is not all solved or solvable except those things which it is good for his spirit to know.
- Generosity: The love of possessions is a weakness that must be overcome. Kindness and bigheartedness are valued more so as giving away all that one has, especially to the poor and aged.
- Courage: This is among the highest moral virtues but its meaning differs slightly from the modern connotation. To the Indian male it consists not so much in aggressive self-assertion as it is in absolute self-control. It means being master of oneself and being chivalrous, patriotic, and heroic.
- Chastity: To demonstrate one’s worth as a man it meant to honor women and to have complete control of one’s desires. It would not be considered acceptable to become a suitor until having won some distinction in war or hunt or to have been invited to a seat in the council before speaking to a girl or woman not his sister or mother.
There are many myths about the American Indian and negative stereotypes that persist to this day. The Indian was no noble savage – as we are lead to believe – but was taught the traits of silence, love, reverence, generosity, courage, and chastity. They displayed virtues that are similar to the great leaders of all time.
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- Detailed information can be found about Charles Eastman at this website: http://www.worldwisdom.com/public/authors/Charles-Eastman.aspx