We slept comfortably in Holy Elk’s wonderful house, which sits right inside of Rapid City, SD. We got a slow start, again beginning the day with pancakes. After a heroic struggle with and subsequent victory over the remote control, we caught the weather forecast, which predicted more snow for the next two days, with temperatures rising to 65 just as we plan to leave town. Hmmm….
At about 12:30, we rolled out with Holy Elk to the Journey Museum, a comprehensive heritage center in the heart of Rapid City. The tour began with a video about the area, featuring some lovely footage of wildlife, including eagles, hawks, owls, songbirds, prairie dogs, buffalo, elk, deer, snakes, and more. Many of these animals have been present all along our journey, and we have seen them in a variety of settings. For me, they have been a constant reminder that all communities in this region—be them Native American, cattle ranchers, buffalo ranchers, farmers, etc.—strongly depend on the resources natural to the area.
The exhibits were arranged in loose chronological order. After the film, the museum began in a dark room lit with star-like lights. A voice from overhead recounted creation stories of Native peoples and then told those taught by modern day scientists. We then entered the geology room, which explained the complicated extended history of the region, including the intrusion of the granite (which makes up the Black Hills), the formation of the striking features of the Badlands, and the discovery of abundant fossils in the area, including the legendary mammoth.
Next, the museum went on to tell its version of the human development of the region. It began with stories of the Lakota people, including wonderful displays of their clothing, hunting techniques and tools, a life-size tipi, and a talking hologram of an elder Lakota woman who explained the role of mothers in the community. An extensive collection of Native crafts included a detailed description of porcupine quill working techniques, which is used for decoration mostly, beading methods, painting, drawing styles, and more.
The exhibit then turned its focus on the westward expansion of the European-Americans into the region. Displays included sample clothing items, beautiful metal and porcelain crafts, photos of people like Calamity Jane, and descriptions of such renowned institutions as the saloon. Then came a detailed history of the ranching industry, including stories of the Depression and drought and tales of eventual successes, topped off with horse saddles to try out for comfort.
The museum winded down with an exhibit on the conflicts and interactions between the Natives and the homesteaders. This included the full text of some treaties and descriptions of boarding school conditions and conflicts such as the massacre at Wounded Knee. The last display was the current ecology of the area, with a large collection of stuffed wildlife and an explanation of various plant varieties in the region. Overall, the museum seemed to me to cover the history of the area fairly well, allowing for reflection upon the victories and failures of both of the dominant communities that have lived in the area for the last few thousand years.
After leaving the museum, we all went to pick up Brisa, Holy Elk’s daughter, from school. On the way, we discussed the serious problem of child sexual abuse that seems to be rampant among the Lakota people. Being a mother, Holy Elk was especially concerned, and she calmly explained steps that groups such as the Lakota Action Network are taking to curb this crime. As it is a crime that most do not want to admit even exists, the first step is awareness, and an ability to actually prosecute perpetrators. Currently, Holy Elk says, it is possible for a person to be reported for the crime and have no punishment whatsoever, because the government does not want to admit there is a problem. We picked up Brisa and headed back to the house, where we packed up our remaining belongings and said farewell.
Our plan, again, was to camp tonight, this time in the Badlands by Sage Creek. However, upon arrival in Wall, where the road leads south to the Badlands and north to Wall Drug, it was snowing, blowing, and cold out. We decided to explore our rooming options in the exciting town of Wall, which concluded victoriously with a warm, dry cabin at Ann’s Motel into which we squeezed all five of us for the night.