á ŋ ▁T <0xC8> <0x9F> á ŋ ka ▁can ▁be ▁interpreted ▁as ▁the ▁power ▁or ▁the ▁sacred ness ▁that ▁res ides ▁in ▁everything , ▁res emb ling ▁some ▁anim istic ▁and ▁p ant he istic ▁belief s . ▁This ▁term ▁describes ▁every ▁creature ▁and ▁object ▁as ▁w ak <0xC8> <0x9F> á ŋ ▁(" hol y ") ▁or ▁having ▁aspects ▁that ▁are ▁w ak <0xC8> <0x9F> á ŋ . ▁The ▁element ▁T anka ▁or ▁T <0xC8> <0x9F> á ŋ ka ▁corresponds ▁to ▁" Gre at " ▁or ▁" large ". ▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁Christian ization ▁of ▁ind igen ous ▁Americans ▁by ▁European ▁sett lers ▁and ▁mission aries , ▁the ▁Lak ota ▁used ▁W ak <0xC8> <0x9F> á ŋ ▁T <0xC8> <0x9F> á ŋ ka ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁an ▁organization ▁or ▁group ▁of ▁sacred ▁entities ▁whose ▁ways ▁were ▁considered ▁myster ious ▁and ▁beyond ▁human ▁understanding . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁elabor ation ▁on ▁these ▁belief s ▁that ▁prompt ed ▁scholar ly ▁debate ▁suggesting ▁that ▁the ▁term ▁" Gre at ▁Myst ery " ▁could ▁be ▁a ▁more ▁accurate ▁translation ▁of ▁such ▁a ▁concept ▁than ▁" Gre at ▁Spirit ". ▁Activ ist ▁Russell ▁Me ans ▁also ▁promoted ▁the ▁translation ▁" Gre at ▁Myst ery " ▁and ▁the ▁view ▁that ▁Lak ota ▁spiritual ity ▁is ▁not ▁originally ▁mon othe istic . ▁ ▁Chief ▁Luther ▁Stand ing ▁Bear ▁( 1 8 6 8 - 1 9 3 9 ) ▁of ▁the ▁Lak ota ▁Nation ▁put ▁it ▁thus ly : ▁From ▁W ak an ▁T anka , ▁the ▁Great ▁Spirit