The Story Of 'Hakadah'

Submitted By madau002
Words: 497
Pages: 2

The first thing that truly surprised me was that the young boy was named “Hakadah” which means “the pitiful last.” I had no idea that any Native Americans were born with such an embarrassing name. Although it does seem like great motivation to be successful and to earn a more honorable name in the future. I find it very interesting that it was instilled into this child to be silent and reticent. I say this because most young boys nowadays are exactly the opposite. It seems very virtuous of the this family to instill this into him since it will serve him well in so many ways in the short and long-term. I find it very intriguing that the boy’s grandmother identified a single footprint from a different tribe by the shape of the moccasin print. It’s amazing that this boy lived through an attack on his teepee thanks to his very elderly grandmother. It’s nearly impossible to fathom that a lady that old can do some of the things that she is explained to have done in this story. Even with her incredible bravery and strength, she still kept peace with other tribes which is astounding to believe because it seems as if the other tribes did not like her or her family to begin with. I don’t believe I could do what Hakadah did to his dog. He loved his dog so much but sacrificed it because he wanted to follow in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps of becoming a true man and warrior. However, I couldn’t believe that his family forced this upon him. It seems like a completely unnecessary thing to do. Of course, I have never lived in the Indian culture. If anything, I think that he gained much respect from his elders since he was willing to give up so much to become a man. In “Legend of Devil’s Lake” I was astounded how strategic the Dakota were when