She Elk Voice Walking
Lakota Patriarch, Treaty Signer, and Ancestor to the Spotted Elk Tiospaye
Who Was She Elk Voice Walking?
She Elk Voice Walking was a respected Lakota man, despite the feminine nature of the name. In Lakota tradition, names like She Elk Voice Walking or Spotted Elk (Upan Glešká) often draw on the qualities of the elk—an animal held sacred for its power, grace, and spiritual importance—regardless of gender. He was among the signers of the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie alongside Chief One Horn and other Lakota leaders—marking him not just as a witness to history, but a participant in the defense of Lakota sovereignty and lifeways.
His name—She Elk Voice Walking—carries spiritual and cultural significance, speaking to his role as one who moved through the world with the voice and grace of the elk, a sacred and powerful being in Lakota thought. He represents the quiet strength and spiritual insight passed down through generations of Lakota leadership, often overlooked in colonial narratives yet central to the survival of the people.
His Role in Treaty History
In 1868, the U.S. government signed the Treaty of Fort Laramie with multiple Lakota bands, including the Minneconjou. This treaty guaranteed Lakota ownership of the Black Hills and hunting rights on surrounding lands. She Elk Voice Walking was mistakenly believed by some historians to be a woman due to the nature of the name, but was in fact a man. His role as a treaty signer reminds us that Lakota leadership included those whose names drew on sacred imagery and meanings beyond colonial gender assumptions.
His signature is not simply a historical curiosity—it is a declaration of presence, of voice, and of generational responsibility.
A Legacy of Lineage and Responsibility
She Elk Voice Walking is a direct ancestor to the Spotted Elk Tiospaye. His strength and legacy live on in his descendants, who continue to work to protect their history, language, and cultural identity. His inclusion in treaty negotiations reminds us that Lakota governance and diplomacy were shaped by individuals whose roles were rooted in community knowledge, sacred duty, and ancestral responsibility.
His name is spoken with reverence because he represents an unbroken thread of wisdom and leadership that carried the people through generations of resistance and survival.
Why He Matters
The stories of leaders like She Elk Voice Walking are often overlooked in history books, especially when misunderstood through a Western lens. But we remember. And we honor him by continuing the work he stood for: protecting our truths, defending our homelands, and lifting up the voices of future generations.
To know his name is to carry a piece of our living history. To speak it is to honor all those who walked before us with dignity, courage, and purpose.
She Elk Voice Walking. Treaty signer. Leader. Guide. His voice still walks with us.
You will find his name was frequenty translated to Elk Voice Walking, Voice, Whistling Elk, Elk that BellowsWalking and more. He is mentioned in several Lakota Winter Counts and is in the photograph at Fort Laramie with Lone Horn and other treaty signers.
back to 7 Generations