Wakíŋyaŋ is a Lakota word for "thunder". It also may be a portmanteau which associates "wahka" ("sacred") and "kinyan" ("wings").
The word is usually translated as "Thunder Spirits", "Thunder Beings," or "Thunder Birds". Heyokas, that is contrarians, dream of Wakinyan and can burn cedar (Juniperus scopulorum) to protect themselves from thunder and lightning, since Wakinyan respect trees and will not harm them.
Filmmaker and storm chaser Martin Lisius produced a short film in 2016 titled, "Wakíŋyaŋ" which honors the Lakota "thunder spirit" Wakíŋyaŋ.
References
- Legendary Native American Figures: Thunderer (Wakinyan)
- Tyon, Thomas (1991). Walker, James R. (ed.). Lakota Belief and Ritual. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. p. 155.
- Lisius, Martin (2016-08-09), Wakinyan (4K), retrieved 2023-12-05
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