Elizabeth Cook-Lynn: Monument to Native scholars vandalized in South Dakota

Tuesday, July 2, 2019  

I am a writer and sometimes doing my work forces me into filling in the spaces. Sitting at my desk this morning, I find this to be one of those times.

As I drove down the boulevard a couple of days ago I read the message at the front yard of the Catholic Church: “Continuing the Work of Jesus.” I’ll admit, religion was not on my mind.  

Three blocks on down the street I passed the bronze busts of the First Nations Sculpture Garden and was shocked to see that the stem of Black Elk’s symbolic sacred pipe had been ripped from the old Oglala priest’s hands, taken away and replaced with a cigarette.  

I immediately thought of some of the things that were said at the beginning of the endeavor to develop this honoring of 20th century Native scholars. Not all of it was pleasant to hear. Indeed, some reflections from the community have revealed from time to time racial hatred by whites toward indigenous peoples, a clear denial of the Catholic saying.

The “two cents” column of the Rapid City Journal at the first notice of the sculpture plan in 2013, read: “The proposed Native American statues at Halley Park are not uplifting or uniting. They are a suffering memory for all of us and have no place in the center of our city; if healing is the objective, there must be a more positive way.” 

The denial of white supremacy and hatred by European settlers in the Midwest seems profound, and as long as that denial of history brings only silence or failure to acknowledge what the past means, the true motivations for acts of hatred toward one another will prevail.

Black Elk’s bronze statue is a reflection of one of the tribal men of the 20th century who contributed to a civilized world and is part of the development (2014-2017) of an on-going Art/History project. The history which accompanies this monument is tied to the setting and the Peace Treaty of 1868 as well as the stone building at 515 W. Blvd which housed the first Sioux Indian Museum in 1930. It was built with federal money.

That earliest museum was moved to the Journey Museum some years later, and the city’s Parks and Recreation Center now occupies its rooms. A Rose Garden and a Veteran’s monument share the garden space. Getting rid of any Indian history except warriors and Custer in this town is the way to go. To highlight the achievements of scholars seems not to be appreciated as much as a tourism venue might be.

It is true that Indians and Whites in this area share an ugly history which some say brought about today’s capitalistic US settler-colonized empire set in the middle of Indian Country and it has been hoped that racial matters here could be put aside as the Sioux were forcibly moved from the territory to nine “reserved” lands outside of the Black Hills.Thus, the development of Statehood began in 1889.

It seems sensible to say at this moment that the effort of Native people in this city and this country and this state to tell a true story of a place where Sioux Indians became unwelcome in their own lands is often an irritant to those who deny the effects of hidden or overt racism, reflected in the historical events of these honoree’s lives.  

Contact Elizabeth Cook-Lynn at ecooklynn@gmail.com

Copyright permission Native Sun News Today