Dignity of Earth and Sky

 Tuesday, April 24, 2023

Our trip to South Dakota was not exclusively to see this statue called Dignity of Earth and Sky but when we realized it was a trip we were going to need to take stopping here became a priority. My sister's mother-in-law had told her about this statue and told her to let me know about it or maybe she had asked if we had seen it, it has been awhile and my memory is not real clear on the details. Regardless, after hearing about it and doing some research I told Tom the next time we are in South Dakota we need to make it part of our travel plans to stop here. 

We always say things happen for a reason well in March things happened. First we started having major problems with the Jeep and as a result we knew making any long rides to explore the area we are stopped in was not going to be possible. So we regrouped and made another plan. Then March turned into April and after some checking on the South Dakota DMV site Tom found out we could not renew our Driver's License online. As fulltime RVer's who use a Mail Forwarding Service we needed to renew our license in person. Again we regrouped and made another plan. So I am pretty sure this trip was plan C or it may have been D. It does not really matter what matters is the final result. Our decision to make our way to US-83 and take it North until we reached I-90 in South Dakota was overall a wonderful one. I am going to be honest and say there were some moments along the way when the scenery never changed, especially in the beginning, and it was a little boring but then Tom or I would spot something in the distance and that over took any feelings of boredom that we could have let in. Amazingly the time and miles just flew by. Warmer weather and less wind would have been nice but it is what it is and if you are going to travel in your home on wheels you learn to make adjustments and enjoy the journey. That in fact is what we did, we enjoyed the journey. 

The real bonus in all of this for me was we now had the opportunity to stop and see the Dignity of Earth and Sky Statue. What a beautiful work of art she is. The only disappointment was that the Lewis and Clark Welcome Center was closed for renovations. 

I have included information below that I found online other then that there is not much I can add; the pictures speak for themselves. I was thrilled that we had a lovely blue sky as a backdrop for the pictures.

Dignity of Earth and Sky (shortened to Dignity for brevity) is a sculpture on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River near Chamberlain, South Dakota. The 50-foot (15.24 meter) high stainless steel statue by South Dakota artist laureate Dale Claude Lamphere depicts an Indigenous woman in Plains-style dress receiving a star quilt. According to Lamphere, the sculpture honors the culture of the Lakota and Dakota peoples who are indigenous to South Dakota. Assisting Lamphere were sculptors Tom Trople, Jim Maher, Andy Roltgen, and Grant Standard. Automotive paint expert Brook Loobey assisted with the colors for the quilt, and Albertson Engineering of Rapid City, South Dakota, ensured the sculpture would endure the strong winds common in the area.

Norm and Eunabel McKie of Rapid City, South Dakota, announced their gift of Dignity to the State of South Dakota in 2014, in honor of the 125th anniversary of South Dakota statehood. The statue was erected in September 2016 at a site near Interstate 90, where it overlooks the river. It is situated in the Chamberlain Interstate Welcome Center located at mile post 264 and is accessible by both directions of travel.

The statue measures 50 feet (15 m) high, 16 feet (4.9 m) deep and 32 feet (9.8 m) wide. The star quilt held by the woman has more than 100 blue diamond shapes that move in the wind "like an Aspen leaf".

Three Native American women from Rapid City, SD served as the models for the sculpture. The artist began by first drawing the form and then sculpting a one-eighth-scale model. The sculpture was created in an isolated area near the Cheyenne River, east of Rapid City, SD, and later moved to the installation site. The statue boldly proclaims that South Dakota's Native cultures are alive, standing with dignity.

These were at the start of the trail to the scenic view
point. We did take the walk down the path. I took the
picture below and the one of
the Lewis and Clark Memorial Bridge along hear.

Chamberlain-Oacoma Bridge

Located in both Chamberlain and Oacoma (hence the name!), the Chamberlain-Oacoma is a nearly one-mile-long man-made marvel, dedicated in 1925, that connects the two towns via sturdy steel. Today, this National Register of Historic Places attraction can still be visited and offers one of the most scenic and unique drives in all South Dakota!

I took this as we were coming back up the path.

We even remembered to take a selfie.

“Whitwam’s Wigwams"

The Lewis and Clark Memorial Bridge

These two sets of panels

were outside the welcome center.

This was inside near the bathrooms.
We could see the workers inside through here.

In a 2017 column published in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, Susan Claussen Bunger, instructor of Native American social systems, wrote:

As is evident through history, humans will ultimately disillusion and betray. As is such, I have a new role model who is solid and sturdy. She literally owns a spine of steel and reminds me of the injustice in the world, but also of strength, perseverance and survival. She signifies people who have prevailed through the centuries. She represents all who resist and strive forward. She portrays a rallying cry for those who wish to be heard and valued. She stands strong and proud, meeting the morning sun and bracing against the nighttime cold. She contemplates the world through a poise of conviction and fearlessness. 

Her name is "Dignity".

We are glad you stopped by!

If you have time to leave a comment we would enjoy hearing from you.

Day Six and We Put 206 Miles Behind Us.

 Monday, April 24, 2023

Yes, I have fallen behind again but the next couple of days I will be making an attempt at catching up. We moved out of the Rosebud Casino Parking Area at 9:30AM and drove over to the Fuel Plaza across the way to top off our diesel tank. About 20 minutes later we once again pointed the nose of the Stinger "B" North on US-83. The temperature was 42 degrees and the there was just a whisper of wind as we started today's trek that would bring us to I-90 were we would turn East.  

The sign to the right of the Jeep is the Welcome to South Dakota
sign. We may have still been in Nebraska last night..😊.

I just loved the look of the colors on the hills.

Going through Mission, South Dakota

and this is the road ahead.

Every once and awhile we saw patches of snow..

As we approached this water ahead I could see white dots.

As we got closer I could see what I believe are Pelicans and ducks.

As we were going by, what I later found out was the Sicangu Akicita Owicahe Tribal Veterans Cemetery, I was able to snap these first two pictures below and part of a sign. Using what I could see of the name on the sign and a little research I was able to find out what we went by. The 3rd and 4th pictures I copied from the internet along with the information I included below.

This veterans cemetery, which opened on Memorial Day 2013, is the first National Native American Cemetery. It was made possible by a seven million dollar grant obtained by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Veterans Affairs; it was the first grant of its kind to be awarded to a sovereign tribal nation.

The name Sicangu Akicita Owicahe is Lakota for Rosebud Tribal Veteran. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe has more than 4,000 US military veterans, the highest per capita of any ethnic group, and the cemetery serves to honor them as both US veterans and Lakota warriors.

The cemetery was designed in the shape of a turtle, which is one of the most important symbols in Lakota culture as it represents life, longevity and fortitude. At the time of completion, the cemetery had 32 columbaria and over 600 crypts.

 It is located on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation and managed by the tribe.(Information found online)

The countryside, 

in my opinion, was beautiful along here.

We did go down every once and awhile.

Going up and over

then up some more.

In front of a school, "Go Tigers", I just thought he was cute.

Going up yet again

and then up some more.

Still going up.

Tom is pretty sure we would get good gas millage going South.

It may look like it is flat but we good still feel the engine 
pushing us up.

A little downward

and we passed a farmer working in his fields.

Another farmer I would guess headed to one of his fields.

Yes, the Stinger "B" is about to push us up again.

Then after 68 miles we merged onto I-90

in time to go up.

We saw these markers, the white ones on the shoulders,
when we went through construction zones today.
We had never seen anything like that before.
Not sure what their purpose is.

After 503 miles US-83 turned north without us.

Saw a small herd of deer out of the corner of my eye and 
caught these few when I clicked the camera shutter.

Tom could feel the wind increasing as we traveled north today 
and checking it was around 18 mph when we turned East
at Murdo, SD. Our flag is flying proudly in the wind.

Going over the Missouri River near Chamberlain, SD.

We did stop here but these pictures deserve their own post.

I was beginning to think I was not going to get a picture of a
windmill today then not long before our exit I spotted this one.

Mitchell, SD
We have visited the Corn Palace a couple of times in the past
to see the murals on the outside walls of the building.
I wonder what this years design on the outside will be.

The World’s Only Corn Palace is Mitchell’s premier tourist attraction. A building decorated entirely with corn and other grains. It was built in 1892, just after South Dakota became a state, to showcase the rich soil and to prove the fertility of the region. The building is famous for the huge, colorful mural on the sides, made of corn and redesigned every year.

The building brings thousands of visitors to Mitchell, all coming to see the unique murals. But the building also has other purposes. It hosts high school proms, dances, banquets and even sporting events.

The present building is not the original one, but the third of its kind, completed in 1921. Entrance is free and the palace is open from 8am to 9pm, from Memorial Day (last Monday of May) to Labor Day (first Monday in September).

The two pictures below are from the internet.

It was interesting and fun to see how this looks up close. Wish we could have taken a ride closer this year. We did not even know it was here until we stopped for the night at the KOA in Mitchel. There were tornado watches and the woman in the office suggested we take a ride into the city before setting up our tent. I am glad she did. That was back in 1972 and we were on our way to the Black Hills we had heard of Mt. Rushmore. We then stopped again in 1992 when we were again on our way to the Black Hills with our kids, and still tenting but it was larger one by then.

 

2019

We pulled into the Walmart in Mitchell around 3 and found a decent spot that was fairly flat.

After setting up inside we took a walk into the store to do a little shopping, Then afterwards we took a walk over to the the Whiskey Creek Wood Fire Grill for dinner. Our review would be not awful but not great. Another words it was okay but we would not stop again. The Culver's across the street had a better review and we now know why. 

Today we put 209 miles behind us and tomorrow will be a short ride to our next destination where we will be spending three nights.

We are glad you stopped by!

If you have time to leave a comment we would enjoy hearing from you.