2017-01-14 04:37:38
A PROUD NORTHERN PLAINS HERITAGE Lakota dancer Perhaps more than any other group, the great Lakota Sioux Nation have become the international symbol of America’s native people. The Lakota Sioux Indian culture is influential throughout South Dakota. You’ll see it in our citizens, art, music, media, fashions, jewelry, architecture and interior design. In fact, that’s how our state got its name. “Dakota” means “alliance of friends.” Powwows – also known as “wacipi” or “people’s dance” – are a good way to get to know the Lakota people. Nearly every reservation community holds a powwow during the summer. For many visitors, a purchase of Indian goods is a practical vacation memento. Sioux beadwork and quill-work is the epitome of the art. Other popular products include traditional and silver jewelry, museum quality artifact reproductions, handmade pottery, recorded music, books, paintings and sculptures. Sioux Pottery, located in Rapid City, is a large supplier of decorative Indian ceramics. Their lines include molded, “jiggered” and hand thrown pottery — all with Indian motifs of the western plains. The distinctive rainbow coloring and decorative markings on the pottery are added by hand after curing. Prairie Edge Trading Co. & Galleries is another noted gallery in Rapid City where visitors will find crafts and artwork from some of the area’s best artisans. A beautiful one-hour drive from Hot Springs, The Heritage Center at Red Cloud Indian School is open year-round and offers free admission to one of the most impressive collections of historic and contemporary Native American art in the country. The on-site gift shop, which buys directly from and works to support local artisans, offers a tremendous variety of authentic Native American art. Also, be sure to visit The Heritage Center during their world-renowned art show, available each summer, June - August. To learn more, call (605) 867-5491. Probably the most notable historic site in all of South Dakota, the Wounded Knee Massacre Site and Cemetery, is located northeast of Pine Ridge.
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Sioux Culture
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