WOPILA is a Lakota word to express much gratitude for all creation and existence.
“THE GREAT RACE” I have heard this story told in a few different ways but I’m going to share the first version that I heard which is playing out on this design above the words WOPILA.
In the early days of the world, there was no order between the animals and the humans. To decide who would be the leaders and who would be the hunted, the Great Spirit called for a massive race around the Black Hills of South Dakota. In those early days of the world, the birds and animals had no color. But, for the race, they all painted themselves carefully, each creature according to its own medicine, its own vision.
For example, the skunk painted a white stripe on its back. The black-tailed deer painted its tail black. The antelope took some red-brown earth, mixed it with water, and painted its whole hide. To this day, all creatures have looked the same since they painted themselves for this great race.
The teams were split: the four-legged animals stood on one side, and the two-legged creatures—humans and birds—stood on the other. The Buffalo was the fastest and strongest, and as the race began, he quickly took the lead, leaving the humans far behind in the dust.
However, the Magpie was clever. He knew he didn't have the stamina to fly the whole distance, so he quietly landed on the Buffalo’s back. The Buffalo was so focused on winning that he never even noticed the small bird hitching a ride.
The race went on for a long time, circling the hills until the ground turned red from the effort of the runners. As they approached the finish line, the Buffalo was exhausted but certain he had won. Just feet from the end, the Magpie suddenly took flight, chirping loudly as he fluttered over the Buffalo’s head to cross the line first.
Because the Magpie was a two-legged creature, the humans and birds were declared the winners. This victory established the balance of life, where the Buffalo would sustain the People and help us develop our Star Knowledge.
To this day, the Lakota respect the Magpie as a clever relative who used his wits to save the two-legged.
The design is also a tribute to the great Wu-Tang Clan logo.