Abstract
The Dakota belief in wakunza or “supernatural retribution” is examined as an aspect of contemporary Sioux religion. Belief in this power is reported to be a significant mechanism in the maintenance of social control within Sioux communities on and off the reservation by insuring the chastisement of social deviants. Animistic spirits rather than individuals are attributed with possessing the power to administer justice and reprimand those committing transgressions of the Dakota moral order. Two alternative hypotheses regarding the uses of wakunza are proposed.
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