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NATIVE AMERICAN NATIONAL AND STATE SCENIC BYWAY MILES 450 total | 180 as presented here ROUTE Lower byway between Eagle Butte and Chamberlain H.V. JOHNSTON LAKOTA CULTURAL CENTER At this Eagle Butte museum, view Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe artifacts, murals, photographs, beadwork and paintings. You can also purchase art supplies and authentic, locally made artwork in the center’s gift shop. SOUTH DAKOTA CULTURAL HERITAGE CENTER This Smithsonian Affiliate in Pierre illuminates the history and values of the Dakota, Lakota and Nakota tribes in an exhibit called The Ways of the People. Among the center’s 33,000 artifacts, look for unique objects including colorful headdresses. AKTA LAKOTA MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER “To honor the [Lakota] people,” as its name implies, fully explore this Chamberlain site. A 36-foot diorama depicting prairie life, a traditional medicine wheel garden and contemporary art create a robust picture of the Lakota. DIGNITY Chamberlain’s 50-foot-tall sculpture of a Native American woman casts her gaze across the prairie framland. By day, note how the sun and wind play with the colored shapes of her star quilt; by night, watch as LED lights cause those shapes to glow. OYATE TRAIL MILES 388 total | 350 as presented here ROUTE Easternmost byway between Pine Ridge and Vermillion HERITAGE CENTER AT RED CLOUD INDIAN SCHOOL View 10,000 pieces of historic and contemporary fine art by Native Americans. This center on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Pine Ridge is also known for summer’s Red Cloud Indian Art Show. WOUNDED KNEE MASSACRE SITE Reflect on the final engagement of the American Indian Wars at this site on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. A museum, memorial and markers interpret the 1890 day when U.S. Army soldiers massacred Lakota Indians. SICANGU HERITAGE CENTER At this small museum on the Rosebud Indian Reservation near Mission, learn about the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. The center is housed at Sinte Gleska University, where education honors Lakota language and culture. DAKOTA TERRITORIAL MUSEUM Visit this Yankton institution in its new home at the Mead Cultural Education Center. Exhibits will continue to tell of the region’s early days. Historic outbuildings— including a blacksmith shop—will reopen at the new site in summer 2019. SPIRIT MOUND HISTORIC PRAIRIE Lewis and Clark heard tribal lore about this isolated geological formation near Vermillion. Nonetheless, they continued their journey and were struck by the beauty of Spirit Mound. As you follow their footsteps with a short hike up Summit Trail, think of the tribal legends surrounding the area. Plan for a Powwow A powwow or wacipi (Dakota, Lakota and Nakota for “dance” and pronounced “wa-CHEE-pee”) is a social and competitive gathering of tribes that’s open to spectators. Each tribe usually hosts its annual gathering at a different time of year, so the chances are good that you’ll be able to find one to attend during your visit. These multi-day gatherings sometimes include additional events (like the Rosebud Fair, Wacipi and Rodeo on the Rosebud Reservation near Mission). Elsewhere, watch for the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Wacipi—the state’s oldest event—in Agency Village, the Yankton Sioux Tribe’s Fort Randall Casino Powwow in Pickstown, the Black Hills Powwow in Rapid City, and the more than 500 tribes featured at the Sioux Empire Wacipi in Sioux Falls. Whatever gathering you choose to attend, don’t miss the Grand Entry!
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