Makhá (mah Khah) is Earth

The term means who we are, were and will be. The element of Earth is the ancestors’ memory. This includes the memory of the Oyate Sakowin - the Seven Councils that make up the Lakota. 

We use the term Uŋčí Makȟá, “Grandmother Earth”, in ceremonial contexts. Among the Lakota there is little to no competition over wealth of knowledge, although some individuals are generally acknowledged as more knowledgeable than others.