Hoop dancing, drumming, and a scrip reading presented in the Lakota language highlight this year’s cultural demonstrations at Wind Cave National Park on October 13 in honor of Native Americans’ Day.
“The National Park Service and tribal artists extend an invitation to learn about the lives and the traditions of tribal members in our local area and experience native expressions through art,” said Acting Superintendent Rhonda Schier. “Cultural demonstrations that invite active participation will begin under the tent on the visitor center lawn at 11 a.m. and continue throughout the day.”
Indigenous actors at 11 a.m. will present a staged reading as written in the Lakota language with captions projected in English. The performance will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the actors and the Oglala Lakota storyteller and playwright Markie Bear Eagle whose spoken word poetry has been seen in short films and animation.
There will be a break for lunch from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Participants are encouraged to bring picnic lunches so they may stay on site and enjoy a bond with nature in the beautiful surroundings of the park. Picnic tables are available across from the visitor center and at the nearby picnic ground with its own parking area.
Activities will resume at 1:30 p.m. with cultural educators and world-renowned hoop dancers Starr Chief Eagle and Jasmine Bell who will teach the interpretations of their dances that tell stories about nature, humanity, and personal journeys. The dance is accompanied by Native American drumming which serves as a bridge between the earthly and the spiritual as heard at powwows and ceremonies.
Native American artists will provide demonstrations at tented areas, teach about traditional arts and Native American expression, and offer items for sale.
Throughout the day visitors are encouraged to view the new exhibits recently installed in the Wind Cave visitor center. These exhibits tell an inclusive story of the land and the people who have called the Black Hills home since time immemorial. The exhibits are a blend of traditional cultural knowledge and current scientific research, beginning with the Lakota origin story and ending with research supporting NASA’s search for life on other worlds.
A virtual cave tour is available daily in the visitor center auditorium to showcase the cave features and tour route while the elevators are being replaced. Completion is expected in December when cave tours will resume.
The Native Americans’ Day Celebration is free and appropriate for all ages. Funding for this event is provided by the Black Hills Parks and Forests Association, a non-profit partner with Wind Cave National Park.