A visit to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West
There's so much to see here. This post focuses on some of the clothing made by Native American artisans. These pictures fail to capture the intricacy and artistry required to maake such exquisite clothing!
Hunkayapi celebrates the Lakota naming ceremony
This statue is found outside of the Prairie Edge store in Rapid City, South Dakota. I commemorates one of the sacred ceremonies for indiginous Lakota people. I am not of Native American heritage but when I did a bit of research it seems that this ceremony is a way of passing down Lakota heritage to the next generation. As I understand it, it seems that the older woman holds a position somewhat like a godparent toward the young girl in the ceremony. If you are Lakota, please feel free to leave a comment explaining this to those of us who would like to learn more about Hunkayapi.
A visit to Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore was a surprise to me - I didn't expect to be so moved to see the monument. It's one of the most powerful patriotic experiences I've had. We had the opportunity to walk the trail at the base of the mountain, which gave us some different perspectives on the faces of these great men from our history.
The Mammoth Site
A developer had begun digging in anticipation of building a new neighborhood in Hot Springs, South Dakota when he realized that he had uncovered an area of possible interest to archeologists. And thus ensued a fascinating look into the remote past.
It turns out that a sinkhole formed in the Pleistocene era, and animals would come there to drink. The sides were sloped and slippery, and the animals would slide in and be unable to extricate themselves. To date, the remains of over 60 mammoths have been uncovered there. According to a Wikipedia article about the site, "Findings at the site include the remains of megafauna such as giant short-faced bears along with those of shrub oxen, American camel, llama, wolves, coyotes, birds, minks, ferrets, prairie dogs, voles, and moles. Invertebrate discoveries include several species of clams, snails, and slugs."
It's a fascinating site if you have the opportunity to visit!
A glimpse back
The Buffalo Bill Dam, just outside of Cody, Wyoming
The Buffalo Bill Dam was the tallest dam in the world when completed in 1910. Today it is a National Civil Engineering Landmark. There's a walkway along the top of the dam, and visitors can look down 280 feet to the Shoshone River below.
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Welcome to the Badlands
Badlands National Park is a 242,756 acre national park in southwestern South Dakota, known for its rugged and inhospitable terrain and stark, austere beauty.
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