Mitakuye Oyasin

[MavrikManna]

The phrase is **“Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ”** often spelled **Mitakuye Oyasin**.

* **Language:** Lakota (Sioux)
* **Meaning:** *“All my relations”* or *“We are all related”*

It’s a deeply spiritual phrase, not just about human family, but about **relationship with all beings**—people, animals, plants, the Earth, the elements, and the cosmos. It expresses interconnection, respect, and responsibility.

A couple of important notes:

* This phrase is **specific to Lakota/Dakota/Nakota traditions**, not a pan–Native American phrase.
* Many tribes have **their own languages and expressions** that convey similar ideas, but the words are different.
* It’s traditionally used in prayer or ceremony, often at the **end of a teaching or invocation**.