Was Cloud's decision to hunt and kill Iya foolish or brave? I believe you cannot have one without the other and that the difference comes in whether or not you can determine if you can or can't win. If Cloud would have traipsed into the situation with guns blazing, arrogant and childish, then it would have certainly been foolish. But Cloud used his better judgement to seriously assess the situation and he came out on top, confronted a giant, and won--I consider him brave. He was brave for going after his wife, even though I'm sure he could have found another one.
One thing I'm interested in is what was Iya? In the Plum and Cloud story he seems to be characterized as a tornado. With twigs in his hair and a big black mass that appears during a horrendous thunderstorm complete with hail and destruction, ripping women from their lodges and laying waste several homes in the process.
Iya is mentioned in "The Meaning of Eight Miles" as a darkness to "overwhelm me and make me feel insignificant and not equal to the task (p. 35)". This characterization reminds me of the darkness that is inside our souls, telling us we are not worth it, not good enough, not smart enough, not clever enough. That little voice that tells you that you are just inadequate. Iya is fear, hatred, destruction, sadness, self-loathing in this portion of the Perseverance Chapter. The point of Iya is to overcome him. It is to move past all of these negative things and come out on top and better than before, having cast aside all of these thoughts that were holding you back.
The Perseverance Chapter in The Lakota Way is about overcoming this darkness both as a story and in your life now and today.
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