Friday, Mar 14, 2008
Mount Rushmore National Memorial was proud to host the first-ever American Indian Elders’ Summit in the park on February 21st and 22nd. American Indian elders from South Dakota tribes shared with the National Park Service their views and ideas on what information about their history, culture, and language could be presented at Mount Rushmore. The Black Hills is a sacred site to many American Indian tribes.
The summit was one of several historic meetings between South Dakota tribal administrators and elders and the National Park Service over the last couple years. Mount Rushmore began working with American Indian elders from South Dakota tribes in the winter of 2006 to provide a forum for the elders to express their thoughts on the interpretive programs at the park. Through conferences held on the Indian reservations, these initial meetings produced many ideas that were implemented in the park’s educational programs in the summers of 2006 and 2007.
Smaller meetings were held at Mount Rushmore with the elders in the summer of 2007 that led to the planning of the February 2008 summit. These meetings opened the door to new partnership opportunities with the tribes and consideration of how their culture, history, and language will be interpreted at Mount Rushmore. This new partnership is a welcomed change from the troubled relations that have historically existed between American Indians and the Federal government.
The 2008 summit provided an opportunity for Lakota tribal elders to discuss topics that would help the National Park Service to develop and present American Indian programs and information that would enhance the Mount Rushmore story. Members from various tribes discussed their vision for park educational programs and interpretation. Some of the ideas presented included integrating American Indian language in different public areas of the park, having American Indian college students help the park collect oral histories from tribal elders, and creating pamphlets on Lakota culture to hand out to visitors. As a result of this meeting, a request was made from the elders group to host a second meeting with spiritual leaders that would address topics like the interpretation of sacred geography and other subjects in spirituality.
National Park Service staff from around the area, Oglala Lakota College representatives, staff from the offices of Senator John Thune, Senator Tim Johnson, Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, and Governor Mike Rounds, and representatives from Crazy Horse Memorial were on hand to listen and learn from the participating elders. Through open dialogue regarding the current situation of tribal communities and the presentation of American history, all participating agencies discovered how they could play a role in fostering positive relationships and improving communication.
“The comments and discussions that came out of the summit were invaluable for the future of park planning,” said superintendent Gerard Baker. “This was a momentous occasion and we will continue our dialogue in future summits and planning sessions.”
The American Indian Elders’ Summit was made possible through the support and assistance from the Oglala Sioux and Rosebud Sioux tribes, the Sicangu Elder Treaty Council, the Mni Wiconi Elder Advisory Council, the Akicita Warrior Society, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial Society, Xanterra Parks and Resorts, and the K Bar S Lodge.
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