Quiet by Nature

I photographed these Lakota Indians during a public event at Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

    American Indians don’t talk all that much to strangers. I learned this fact during a visit to the Lakota (Sioux) Reservation in South Dakota.
    A local family was hitchhiking. I pulled over my car, they climbed in, and we traveled eighteen miles. I tried to initiate conversations. They had little to say. I felt awkward.
    Later, while on the reservation, someone explained to me that Lakotas are quiet by nature. Chances were, that family didn’t feel awkward inside my car, even though I did. They were just being themselves.
    Later, I read that American Indians by and large aren’t talkative. They appreciate silence.  So do I.
    Silence triggers introspection, and introspection helps us navigate through life.