By Geraldine Goes In Center

RAPID CITY, South Dakota -- Ca?té waSté napé ciyúzapi, (I am greeting you with a good heart and a handshake). Háu, Spuka Sni Winyan emachiyapi, (Greetings, my Tetuwan Lakota name is Ambition Woman.”) I I am I am come from the Púta TióSpaye, Wanblee, South Dakota My name is Geraldine Goes In Center and around town, I am know as “Geri” or the Wasna Winyan. I grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation and my parents are Nathaniel and Eva Witt. I served in the U.S. Army for 8 years and was a stay at home mother for about 15 years with four daughters.

Today, I am an entrepreneur and have a small business making and marketing Buffalo wasna, a traditonal food of our Lakota ancestors. I am very passionate about this venture and have a very strong belief in my product. Also I am an unci, grandmother of my four (tópa) grandchildren (takojas).

For a while I was a single mother, worked various jobs and I lived with my parents on the reservation. While working different jobs along with my own people, I rediscovered how funny they were and really enjoyed the jokes they told. Being forgetful, I started a running sheet of these jokes and would refer to it when I wanted to be funny. Soon I was making copies of these jokes and giving them out to people.

As I expressed in the introduction of my Joke book, “Growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation, ‘Indian Humor’ has always been a big part of my life. Being around Indian people, no matter how depressing the times become, we always make time to laugh. Telling jokes and sharing funny stories are always included at every function. I’ve heard the funniest stories from the Eyapahas (announcers) at Wacipis (Pow-wows). Even today, I look forward to the humor told at native gatherings.”

(Read more in the Summer 2008 issue…)