The Book of Common Prayer
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    Niobrara Wocekiye Wowapi
The 1979 Book of Common Prayer in Lakota

 

Niobrara Wocekiye Wowapi
The Niobrara Prayer Book

 

Services for Trial Use in the Episcopal Church
June, 1991

 

 

Niobrara Cross

 

 

By and for the Niobrara Deanery
of the Diocese of South Dakota
 


 

A significant part of the Episcopal Church’s historically important presence among the Sioux people is the liturgical translation work represented by this publication. (Previous translations from 1865, 1870, 1889, 1891, 1895, 1900, 1962 are also available online.) This is the first such text to be identified as Lakota rather than Dakota; both are regional varieties of the Sioux language spoken in northern Nebraska, southern Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, northeastern Montana and southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

This book includes only the more commonly used services. Rite 1 Morning Prayer and Rite 2 Evening Prayer are only fragmentary. Other Rite 1 services are taken from the 1962 Book, which is a translation of the 1928 BCP. This book maintains the same orthography as in 1962, but with all diacritical marks omitted. It appears as 24:8 in David Griffiths' Bibliography of the Book of Common Prayer. There is also a 1995 "Gray Book" (this being the "Red Book") which has some of the services (Rites 1 & 2 Eucharist, and Baptism), but in English and Lakota on facing pages.

This text was digitized in 2010 by Richard Mammana from a copy provided by Thomas Rae, with kind permission of the Right Reverend John Tarrant, Bishop of South Dakota, and the Very Reverend Paul Sneve, Archdeacon of Niobrara.

Table of Contents

(Proposed) Niobrara Prayer Book

Book of Common Prayer
Preface

Niobrara Wocekiye Wowapi
Preface 2

The Daily Office  
Daily Morning Prayer: Rite One Anpetu Otoiyohi Hinhanna Cekiyapi Woecon Kin: Rite One 4
Daily Evening Prayer: Rite One Htayetu Cekiyapi Woecon Kin 9
Daily Morning Prayer: Rite Two Anpetu Otoiyohi Hinhanna Cekiyapi Woecon Kin: Rite Two 19
Noonday Prayer (NOT INCLUDED IN THIS BOOK)
Daily Evening Prayer: Rite Two (TO BE TRANSLATED)
Daily Devotions for Individuals and Families (TO BE TRANSLATED)
The Great Litany Litany Kin 23
The Collects (NOT INCLUDED IN THIS BOOK)
Holy Baptism Mni Awicakastanpi Wakan 30
The Holy Eucharist  
The Holy Eucharist: Rite One Wotapi Wakan Woecon Kin 46
The Holy Eucharist: Rite Two Wopila Wakan Woecun: Inunpa Kin 66
Pastoral Offices  
Burial of the Dead (NOT INCLUDED IN THIS BOOK)
Episcopal Services  
Ordination of a Priest Wosna Kaga Wecayusutapi Kin 80
Litany for Ordinations Litany for Ordinations 89

The Psalter, or Psalms of David
(to be taken from the 1919 ABS Dakota Translation of Scripture)

(NOT INCLUDED IN THIS BOOK)

PREFACE

“In the beginning was the Word... and the Word became flesh and lived among us...” The Gospel according to John reminds us that we are people of the Word, created by the Word and called to create through the Word. Without the Word and the Word Incarnate, Jesus, we would know neither God’s love or his care for us as revealed in the life, ministry and person of Jesus, the Christ.

In common prayer we remember and rehearse God’s love and care towards us. Through ritual and worship we converse with God. Such Godly conversation defines liturgy, the work and worship of God’s people. Such conversation and work needs to be understood by all those who participate as the family of God. This interpretation of portions of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer into Lakota and Dakota enables liturgy and conversation with God through the Lakota language. It is also hoped that this present volume will provide a means to learn the Lakota language through prayer for those who would know and maintain Lakota culture. Language carries and creates cultures. When the language dies so eventually dies the culture. It is therefore important that this Prayer Book be a means of strengthening a culture and a people in their worship of Wakan Tanka, God, the Spirit of us all.

Many persons contributed to the compilation and creation of this Niobrara Service Book. The Translation Committee of the Dakota/Lakota Commission on Language, History, and Culture included: the Reverend Norman Blue Coat, Albert Thomas, John Estes, the Venerable Noah Brokenleg, the Very Reverend Wilbur Bear’s Heart, the Reverend Ron Campbell, the Reverend Les Campbell, the Reverend Webster Two Hawk, Dan Campbell, Francis Cutt, Barbara LeBeau, the Reverend Robert Two Bulls, Delores Two Bulls, Hazel Jenesse and Sister Margaret Hawk, C.A. Project manager was the Reverend Canon Patrick E. Genereux, and special assistance was provided by the South Dakota Episcopal Foundation.

Funding for this prayer book was made possible through the efforts of the Reverend Richard Kew and the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge (SPCK/USA), as well as various gifts and grants from persons throughout the Anglican Communion for the translation and production of this Niobrara Service Book. It is with deepest gratitude that we acknowledge all those who made this translation and interpretation of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer possible and available for use in the Diocese of South Dakota and other dioceses with Lakota speakers throughout the Episcopal Church.

As a people of the Word, we recognize that language creates, sustains and carries our traditions, especially our understanding of our shared Christian tradition. We hope and pray that this Niobrara Service Book will allow for the continuation of the deep love and care for our Anglican heritage and Episcopal tradition as experienced for these past 120 years through the Lakota culture of the Diocese of South Dakota. To that end we ask God’s blessing as we offer our prayers...

The Right Reverend Craig B. Anderson, Ph.D.
VIII Bishop of South Dakota

 

 

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