9/22/2007

September 18, 2007 – Tatanka, The Story of the Bison

Today we visited the place called Tatanka, The Story of the Bison. This was Kevin Costner’s dream and funded by him. The museum told the story of the bison and its relationship to the Plains Indians. It was wonderful.

We first saw the video on the making of Tatanka and why/how Kevin Costner did it. Then we went to a presentation by a Lakota woman on the customs of the Lakota people as it pertained to the bison.

Many of the items in the museum were replicas so we were allowed to touch them. It was amazing how each part of the bison was used.

Outside, there was a path to a replica of a bison jump. Here are some pictures:



The detail was incredible.

There were also replicas of a typical tipi with items inside:

There are many educational programs held here during the summer season and I am sorry we missed them.

This museum as well as Head Smashed-In in Alberta makes me want to know a lot more about the Plains Indians. Any recommendations on books please email me or leave a comment on the blog.

Some pictures from Tatanka of the Black Hills.


As you can see by the photos, today was a dreary day – on and off rain. But we were blessed that for everything we wanted to do outside, the rain held off.

Late afternoon, we took a walk around the campground, the closed loops, and the lake. We did see a number of white tail deer not only in our loop but the other areas as well. Here are some pictures of the lake:




The pictures were taken with my back up camera – not too bad although some are a little too dark. (Will have to work on that!)

Tomorrow we will be heading out of the Black Hills towards the Badlands. I really love this place and maybe one day, will do some work camping here.

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