Personal sovereignty versus paternal order was examined by James Starkey Thursday night as part of the ongoing 32nd Annual Symposium on the American Indian.

The crowd of approximately 85 people was nearly silent as they listened to Starkey, an Itaziptco Lakota Indian who was born in Rapid City, S.D.

Starkey said the majority culture is not the only culture of value.

“This culture is not the end-all, be-all,” Starkey said. “We must continually be weighing in on our own to see how things will eventually weigh out — to me, this is personal sovereignty.”

Starkey said he found the affinity and relatedness of everything in life to be beautiful. He gave several examples of where this affinity could be found. “When birds fly, they take turns breaking the wind. And fish in a school can turn on a dime.”

Starkey said there are differences in values between cultures which are patriarchal and those which are matriarchal.

In a matriarchal culture, qualities including exercising responsibility, community, consensus, understanding and naturalness or commonalties to maintain a sense of affinity and relatedness with the people and world around one are emphasized.

Donica Wanatee, a resident from a settlement near Tama, said, “I thought he hit a good spot on the patriarchal order of things … like how men think they always have to be in charge, but nature always has her own way of keeping everything in balance.”

Wanatee said she heard about the event through her father. “He thought it would be a good idea if I came, and we always come for the symposium year after year anyway.”

Wesley White, an ISU staff member involved in all three of the student organizations involved in the event — United Native American Student Association, American Indian Rights Organization and American Indian Science and Engineering Society — said, “I think the educational part of it is really good. I really like seeing and being a part of people who come to see this kind of cultural event for the first time.”

A panel discussion, “Tribal Laws and Issues of Sovereignty,” will also feature Starkey, as well as several other American Indian speakers. The discussion will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday in the Gallery Room of the Memorial Union.