Lakota experiences of (in)security: cosmology and ontological security

The security experiences and understandings of Native Americans can greatly impact the study of security in field of International Relations (IR). This article analyzes experiences of the Lakota Sioux in order to provide new insights into the conceptualization of security in IR, particularly around the notion of ontological security. It does so by unpacking various aspects of Lakota cosmology and then ethnographically exploring Lakota lived-experiences of (in)security. Lakota understandings offer glimpses into new constellations of being, premised on relations, purpose, balance and unity. This work represents multi-year interpretivist research on a Lakota reservation in the Great Plains, United States, and finds that Lakota cosmology provides significant insight to how traditions, culture and spirituality establishes a sense of security.