AGENCY VILLAGE, SOUTH DAKOTA –– At the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate’s recent Summer Bash, artist and tribal member Fred Kohl displayed his 930-pound steel-plate sculpture, depicting a white buffalo on one side and a snarling bear on the other. Kohl, who also creates chain-saw and rock-and-concrete STATUARY, intends to create more steel sculptures in a variety of sizes. “Future works will not necessarily require a forklift to move!” he said. Kohl also recalled a living bear’s reaction to the buffalo-bear statue. “It came walking up, took one look at the snarling bear head, snorted, shook itself, and ran off,” he said. Held on the grounds of what was the notorious Tekakwitha Orphanage (now demolished), the Sisseton Wahpeton Summer Bash featured games, door prizes, food, health booths, music deejayed by Tom Wilson of SWO’s station KXSW, and a table for the Tribal Historic Preservation Office, where Tamara St. John helped children with culture-oriented activities. The day-long event delivered on its promise of “fun in the sun” for hundreds of attendees, including lots of happy children. Said St. John, “The festival is a way to show our children what good care of them we take today and how much their community supports them.” (Contact Stephanie Woodard at (718) 986-3571, swoodard2@gmail.com. Or visit www.huffingtonpost.com/stephanie-woodard)
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