Monday, June 23

Our time at Pine Ridge Reservation was not spent entirely at Oglala Lakota College.  We have the opportunity to briefly visit Little Wound School in Kyle, SD, as well as the Heritage Center at Red Cloud School just north of the town of Pine Ridge, SD.  The Heritage Center’s Art Show is the largest and longest running Native American art show of its kind in the U.S., and one of only a few held on a reservation.  Very near Red Cloud School is a small cemetery where Red Cloud, the man, is buried.  We pay a visit and our respects to this Oglala leader.

Wounded Knee is a place we have been hearing about all along our way.  What happened here, how those events have been interpreted over time by multiple stakeholders, and how the site itself is preserved and presented is of interest to our group.  Our stop here is solemn and informative.  Now that the tribe has a director of tribal historic preservation, it will be interesting to return in a few years to see what impact the vision and hard work of Michael Catches Enemy has on the site.