Global Peace Train

David Swallow Jr. is a Teton Lakota living in Porcupine South Dakota on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. David and his Grandfathers are from the Band of Crazy Horse. He is known as a spiritual interpreter, Sundance Chief and one of the Heads man for the Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota Nations. He is one of the last fluent Lakota language speakers, both the old language and today’s Lakota language. On his father’s side, he descends from Chief Standing Buffalo and from his mother’s lineage Chief Red Shirt.

David’s Lakota name is Wowita Uha Muni, which translates as Walks With Pride. His wife, Nyla Helper’s Lakota name is Mato Wi which translates as Bear Woman. She crafts traditional Lakota medicine for the people.

“Our culture is slowly fading away. When the Lakota language is gone, so is our way of life too, and all our ceremonies.” ~David Swallow

Ghost Dance is an interactive educational program designed for film festivals, schools, universities, and museums. The world is at risk of losing the connection to precious Indigenous wisdom as tribal elders leave us. Global Peace Train and Tribal Traditions are positioned to help build a digital library of such content before it is too late.

The content for Ghost Dance was imagined by Dave and two of his Lakota friends 15 years ago. Now the only elder among the trio of three still alive, Dave’s dream is becoming manifest and every aspect of the project is determined and driven by Dave.