Aŋpétu Wašté A Té, Tȟaúŋka – Happy Father’s Day, Beloved Father!
On this sacred day, I honor you not only as my father, but as a Wíčhaša Wóksape, a man of wisdom, who walks the path of balance, dignity, and sacred responsibility. You are like the Táku Škáŋ Škáŋ—the Sacred Motion of Life—who moves not with domination, but with harmony, humility, and purpose.
You taught me that true strength is not in force, but in gentleness. That leadership is not about command, but about service. That honor was not earned through pride, but through respect—Wóohola—especially for the Sacred Feminine.
You showed me that a good father is one who recognizes the full spiritual equality of women and men, just as the Sacred Circle holds both the Sun and the Moon, both the Mountain and the River, in unity and harmony. You uplifted the women in your life, not only in words, but in action, in listening, in standing beside,not above, them. You live the truth that Wíŋyaŋ na Wíčhaša, woman and man, are two sacred halves of one whole, reflections of Wakan Tanka in balance.
In our Dakota way, you taught me to remember the sacred teaching of Ptehíŋčala Ska Wíŋ, the White Buffalo Calf Woman, who brought the Sacred Pipe not just to men, but to all our People, reminding us that the responsibilities of life, leadership, and love are shared. In your life, I saw this teaching alive: in how you treated my sister and me with equal care; in how you honored my beloved mother, and all our friends and relatives with great love and respect.
We thank you, Ate, for being the type of man who walks with the strength of a stallion and the softness of the deer, who holds the fire of the Sun and the reflection of the Moon. You are a builder of balance, a protector of peace, a cultivator of justice. You are and will be my father through all the infinite Spiritual Worlds of our Creator,
With Warm Log, a Big Spiritual Hug,
Your Son, Dugo ( A nickname my father gave me when I was a boy)
