Elders from the Lakota Tribe
Dave Swallow
My name is Dave Swallow Jr. That’s a Christian name. And my Lakota name is Wowitan Uha Mani, Walks With Pride. I’m a Lakota. And although the Bureau of Indian Affairs and all the way to Washington, the War Department into the White House, I’m known as U22981.
That’s me. And I live on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation [South Dakota].
I was born and raised there. Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is United States Prisoner of War Camp Number 344. That’s where I was born and raised.
And I had a woihanble [vision] a long time ago when I was young. A vision was shown to me when I was young. And I completed the quest seven years. And after that, I have visited many, many different cultures; many, many different people throughout the world; not only here in the United States, but throughout the world.
I pray with many, many different colors of people.
Nyla Mato Wiyan Helper
My first and only spiritual Lakota name is Mato Wiyan, (Bearwoman). I am full blood, 4/4, BIA # U-28841, from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. I am the daughter of Noah Helper and Mary Afraid of Hawk-Mexican, known as Mary Johnson.
On my mother’s side I am the granddaughter of the late Charlie Mexican and Dorothy Afraid of Hawk (she is still living). On my father’s side, I am the granddaughter of Jake Helper, son of Samuel Helper, who survived the infamous Wounded Knee Massacre (Samuel was nine years of age during that dark, sad day the Longknives took his entire family) and Evelyn Poor Thunder Helper (still living). Evelyn Poor Thunder Helper is daughter of John Poor Thunder and Carrie Comes Again.
I begin with the permission of my Grandmothers and Mother who seeked council advice from the oldest of our male family members. I am the wife of David Swallow, Jr. (Wowitan Yuha Mani). I consider myself no higher nor better than anyone. I believe that we are all the same, that we each all carry a gift from above and below, what’s on earth is in the heavens. I do as I was assigned with spiritual guidance to help whether it’s at home or at the ceremonies. I used to be quiet. I learned to be humble and do my very best to be obedient and honest to whatever I am doing.
As a woman we want our voices heard also in a good way. The people have been through too much suffering as it is. We are all survivors, one way or another. There are certain boundaries that we don’t cross when it comes to Medicine People. As I was growing up, I witnessed a lot of abuse and misuse, also neglect, from our people as well as others.
Ivan LookingHorse
Ivan Looking Horse is a Lakota spiritual leader and Medicine Man from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. He is widely recognized for his activism, cultural preservation efforts, and spiritual guidance within the Indigenous community.
Key Roles and Contributions
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Medicine Man and Elder: He serves as a traditional practitioner and spiritual elder, often leading ceremonies, songs, and prayers for the Lakota people.
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Environmental Activism: Ivan was a prominent "Water Protector" during the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests at Standing Rock. He provided spiritual support to demonstrators and advocated for the protection of "Grandmother Earth" and sacred water sources.
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Bison Restoration: He is actively involved in the spiritual aspects of returning bison to tribal lands. In October 2024, he performed a sacred blessing for a historic transfer of 74 bison from Ohio to the Cheyenne River Reservation, a project continuing to impact tribal food sovereignty in 2025 and 2026.
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Historical Commemoration: He organizes and leads significant cultural events, such as the 2018 ride marking the 150th anniversary of the Fort Laramie Treaty, which brought together hundreds of riders to honor their ancestors and land rights.
Steve McCullough
Steve McCullough (spiritually known as Iktomi Sha or "Red Spider") is a prominent spiritual leader, chief, and intercessor within the Lakota tradition. Based in Indiana, he has spent decades preserving and practicing Lakota ceremonies under the guidance of traditional elders. The following are the key aspects of his life and work as of 2025.
Leadership of the Salt Creek Sundance
He is the founder and head intercessor of the Salt Creek Sundance in Indiana.
Purpose: This annual ceremony is one of the few traditional Sun Dances held outside of South Dakota. It focuses on spiritual healing and global peace, following the Lakota principle of Mitakuye Oyasin ("All my relations").
Origin: The Sundance was established in the 1990s at the request of Lakota medicine man Elmer Running to provide a spiritual foundation for protecting ancestral burial sites in the Midwest.
Spiritual Background and Recognition
Adoption: Though not Lakota by birth, he was formally adopted into the Lakota culture. He was taken as a son by Gilbert Rattling Leaf (Rosebud Sioux) and the Chasing Horse family.
Naming: He received his spiritual name, Iktomi Sha, from medicine man Elmer Running in 1990.
Chief Status: In 1998, he was recognized as a chief and presented with a traditional eagle feather headdress by tribal elders, authorizing him to lead sacred ceremonies and carry the Chanupa (Sacred Pipe).
International Work and Teachings
Through 2024 and 2025, Chief Steve McCullough has continued his international outreach:
Ceremonies: He travels globally—frequently to the Netherlands and other parts of Europe—to conduct Lowanpi (Healing) ceremonies and sweat lodges.
Message: His teachings focus on the "Red Road" (a path of spiritual integrity), respect for the Earth, and the importance of prayer as a tool for personal and collective transformation.
Santee Luke Witt
Santee Luke Witt is a Lakota singer, songwriter, and educator from Allen, South Dakota, known for his work in preserving and evolving Indigenous music on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Musical Career
Genre & Style: His music is a fusion of Rock, Country, R&B, and traditional Lakota-style singing. He is an accomplished performer of powwow songs, handgame songs, and peyote songs.
Debut Album: In December 2023, he released his first official album, Star Struck, recorded at the Wicahpi Olowan Recording Studio in Kyle, South Dakota.
Key Tracks: Notable songs include "Into The Light," "Inila," and "Breathe In, Breathe Out".
Community & Education
Teaching Artist: Witt serves as a teaching artist for the Playing For Change Foundation through the Wicahpi Olowan Music Program.
Cultural Work: He hosts weekly drum circles at the Oglala Lakota Artspace to teach traditional Lakota songs and meanings to the community.