“Unci” (unh-chee) and “Gaka” (gah-gah) are Lakota terms for grandmother and grandfather respectively. These terms are generally used as terms of affection in the traditional Lakota families, while those Lakota families who are more acculturated use the more common terms, “grandma and grandpa”. Hassrick (1964) states that historically the role of grandparents in the “Sioux” tiospaye (term for Lakota extended family) was tantamount to nearly that of the super-natural deities; e.g. appeals to the Creator often began with “grandfather” or “grandmother”. So the influence of the grandparents in child rearing was accepted, encouraged and valued. While it was customary for Lakota grandparents to raise grandchildren, it was more common when the children were orphaned due to the parents’ death (Hassrick, 1964). Today, many Lakota grandparents find themselves in the position of being the sole provider and care giver of their grandchildren even though the children’s parents are still living. The purpose of this paper is to examine the experiences of contemporary Lakota grandparents who are raising their grandchildren.”
