MITAKUYE OYASIN is a phrase from the Lakota language. It reflects the world view of interconnectedness held by the Lakota people of North America.
The phrase translates in English as “all my relatives”, “we are all related”, or “all my relations”
The concept supports the notion that, not only are we, as people, connected through our shared history, but also connected by the landscape – our rivers and lakes, our mountains and meadows, our prairies and pastures, our flora and fauna, our natural resources and native forests. It is founded in the Tribal understanding that we are all related to everyone and everything.
MT 250 has chosen Mitakuye Oyasin as our overarching theme to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We see this as an opportunity to reflect on the complicated history of our nation, build and strengthen relationships within our communities and make progress toward a better shared future.
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Our Ongoing American Experiment
Our nation was founded in 1776 with a bold statement of rights and the profession of a desire for an equal society. Yet, as we know, the “blessings of liberty” did not immediately attach to all inhabitants of the new nation. Even today, we recognize that we are not perfect as a nation or a state, but by learning about all parts of our shared history, we foster an understanding of where we have been to help guide where we can go in the future. The Commission plans to invest in programming that encourages and facilitates a robust, thorough, and honest examination of our collective history; highlights the transformational nature of the events of 1776 and the American Revolution, and why this unfinished revolution remains important to every citizen; and encourage civic education and participation among Montana’s youth, including promoting participation in the United States civics test.
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Power of Place
Montana citizens may not have played a direct role in the events of 1776, but as our nation expanded westward, immigrants and emigrants made their way to what would become Montana. With the influx of European settlers came their recognition of the undeniable beauty of the landscape and abundance of natural resources, which had already been long recognized by Native Americans living in the region. Today, our 56 counties, 8 Tribal reservations, and 12 sovereign nations, each possess distinct and unique cultural heritages that contribute to modern Montana. The Commission plans to invest in programming that considers not just the people of Montana, but the places, landscapes, resources, wildlife, flora, fauna, waterways, and structures that bind us together and give us common purpose. In this regard, Montana’s 250th celebration will be unlike any other state’s due to the uniqueness of our people and our lands.
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Doing History
Our understanding of history continues to evolve. To renew public engagement with history, the Commission plans to invite the public into the process of “doing history”—interpreting evidence and crafting narratives about the past. In addition, it plans to engage schools to increase youth proficiency in United States and Montana government and history and in understanding the distinct and unique heritage of American Indians through Indian Education for All (IEFA). The Commission hopes that engaging Montanans in an examination of who we are, where we have been, and how we have arrived at our current point, we can foster unity, promote productive conversations, and inspire civility and common purpose
