Replicas of ancient weaponry created by Melvin Miner Jr. is part of the permanent collection of his work on display at the Sioux Indian Museum. Photo by Ernestine Chasing Hawk.
RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA –– Friends and family gathered at the Sioux Indian Museum on Monday Aug. 1 to pay tribute to Melvin Vincent Miner Jr., the one they called the “Legend.” For 13 years Miner worked as a museum aide for the Sioux Indian collection which is located inside the Journey Museum. Miner also spoke at many area schools and educated students about Sioux Indians. Part of his presentation was the Buffalo Box donated to the museum by the Intertribal Bison Cooperative. The Buffalo Box, a raw hide container with the hair on the outside, allows the students to physically touch, see and smell items made from the buffalo. It contains items such as the hooves, bladder bag, quill pouch, bone toys, painting tools, brain tanned hide remnants and a bone awl. Miner passed away unexpectedly last December. A friend from Liverpool who never met Miner said it was a great honor to present to the Sioux Museum a homemade plaque of “The Legend.” “Today I honor a friend. I don’t know what he did but from the first minute I spoke to him he was a friend. It sat heavy on my heart that he passed; it was a sad and heavy day. I will always thank him as a friend I never met. I am also honored to be here today not only to continue the work Melvin and I wanted to do but also to bring the hand of friendship from across the pond,” John Harrison said. Harrison said he only got to know Miner through phone calls and emails but he and Miner became close friends. Sioux Museum curator Paulette Montileaux found a transcript written by Miner about his work that now hangs above a collection of Miners artwork that is on display in the Sioux Museum. It reads: “I’m one of few artists who create weaponry amongst my Lakota people. The weapons are a symbol of protection for oneself and one’s family. The bow/arrow, war club and lance were the warrior and hunters lifeline. The ability and skill in using these weapons usually determined the success or survival of their tribe. I want to pass on this history with the items I create.” It continues: “I would also like to project to our young people that in today’s world we must not use any weapons against each other. We must find other weapons and tools to protect ourselves. We must encourage our youth in urban cities to learn their culture and tradition. The new enemies facing our people are drugs, alcohol, discrimination and lack of self-worth.” Concluding: “Being a Lakota man I feel comfortable in approaching our young Lakota men with this observation and challenging them to accept a better way of life with traditional teaching of their culture.”
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