605MAGAZINE.COM (page 17)
Q&A
RAPID CITY PROJECT HONORS 20TH CENTURY NATIVE AMERICANS
Submitted Image.
BY DENISE DEPAOLO
This month, ground will be broken in Rapid City’s Halley Park on the First Nations Sculpture Garden. The project aims to honor 20th Century luminaries from the Lakota and Dakota Native American tribes. Those selected to be honored represent a largely untold history, according to FNSG, Inc. chairman Elizabeth Cook Lynn. The retired professor, scholar, and author of 14 books spoke with 605 about the project and what it means to her people. Who will be honored with statues in the sculpture garden? When it comes to our history, everyone knows Crazy Horse, Crazy Horse, Crazy Horse. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but what we wanted to say is 'we are more than warriors.' The war has been over a long time. So these are some people who we think deserve recognition. Charles Eastman was the first physician. He was at Wounded Knee. He was the only Indian doctor there. Vine Deloria has written something like 40 books about Indian law. He’s from Standing Rock. Oscar Howe is from the Reservation I’m from, which is Crow Creek. And Black Elk. Those are the four people we’re honoring. Why is it important to recognize these people? All we want is for our children to know that they belong here. We’re not just vanished people. We do a lot of good things. We’re in art, we’re in medicine, philosophy and religion, politics. Who will create the sculptures? Marilyn Wounded Head is the artist. She’s from Pine Ridge. She’s a former teacher. She taught art at a college in Colorado for years, but she’s retired now. What can you tell us about the groundbreaking? The groundbreaking is a very private thing. It’s going to be prayers and songs in order to disturb the site. I don’t want to give you the impression that this is a religious project, because it’s not. But, common sense just tells us that the spirits have to be recognized. It’s going to be a private, short prayer and recognition of the spirits, the place. But after that, our sign will be up. To read the full interview and to see renderings of the completed project, visit www.605magazine.com. To donate to the First Nations Sculpture Garden, visit www.facebook.com/Halleyparksculpture.org.
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