A public meeting was held in Rapid City over the weekend to discuss plans for a First Nations Sculpture Garden.
Busts of eight significant 20th century Native Americans would be put on display in the heart of the Black Hills town.
Coordinators of the privately funded project have chosen Halley Park as the location to erect sculptures honoring Native Americans.
Spokesperson Elizabeth Cook-Lynn says part of the goal is to offer a more realistic view of Native Americans in the 20th century – and today.
“We’re not just warriors shot out of the saddle,” Cook-Lynn explains. “We’re not just victims of massacres. We’re not just drinks on the street. We are people who are very accomplished. We teach in colleges. We have developed Native American studies as an academic discipline. We write. We’re rodeo riders, we’re farmers, we’re a bunch of people.”
Cook-Lynn says people visiting South Dakota – and local residents – need a broader understanding of who Native Americans really are.
Halley Park is the only site the Sculpture Garden coordinators will accept for the project, adds Cook-Lynn, since it’s actually Native American trust land. A Rapid City Parks and Recreation office currently occupies the property.