WIND CAVE ORIGIN STORY

Wasun Wiconiya Wakan
Sacred Breath or Breath of Power Cave
(Wind Cave)
Lakota oral tradition tells us that the Lakota beginning on the surface of Unci Maka (Grandmother earth) began when Wasun Wiconiya Wakan provided the opening from which the Lakota emerged from their subterranean world to the surface of the world.
After the time of creation, the world was divided into regions; the sky, the earth and waters and the underworld. When Mahpiyato created humans, they were placed in the subterranean region. At this time the Lakota called themselves the Pte Oyate, Buffalo Nation. In Lakota philosophy Pte Oyate is a metaphor meaning born of woman, physically and spiritually.
Their chief in the underworld was Wazi and his wife was Wakanka. In time Wazi and Wakanka are dissatisfied with their positions. They became selfish and sought power through their beautiful daughter, Ite (Face) . Because of their selfishness and the wrong - doings they are banished to the edge of the world with their daughter Ite. Ite was punished because she neglected her family and ignored the Pte Oyate values. One side of Ite's face is made horribly ugly. From then on she is known as Anukite which means double face or two face.
The emergence story begins with Iktomi, the spirit trickster. Iktomi transforms himself into a wolf, goes to the entrance of Wasun Wiconiya Wakan (Wind Cave) that leads to the subterranean world and tricks the humans to come to the surface of the earth by offering them food and clothing.

The first human to follow the wolf is Tokahe - The First. Despite the warning not to follow the wolf, three other men follow Tokahe and the wolf to the surface. There Iktomi still disguised as the wolf and Anukite (double face woman), daughter of Wazi and Wakanka tell the visitors that buffalo meat would keep them young forever. Tokahe and the three men return to the underworld and tell others of the wondrous things they had seen on earth.
Tokahe takes his family and persuades six men and their families to leave their subterranean home and come to the surface of the earth. Once on earth they want to return to their home when they grow tired, cold and hungry. After searching for some time they could not find the entrance to their home because Iktomi had disguised and reduced the size of the entrance .
Wazi and Wakanka find them and teach them how to make clothing, tipi homes, how to hunt buffalo and prepare food so they could live on earth. From then on the Lakota lived on the earth. The first seven families who came onto the earth with Tokahe were the original ancestors of the Seven Council Fires and they represent each star in the Big Dipper.