South Dakota Road Trip

Posted on October 12, 2023.

My husband and I recently took a road trip to South Dakota through Nebraska. I’m always amazed at rural America and how trusting the people who live there are. We were driving on this rural state highway in Nebraska and ran across a small shed along the road, in the middle of no where, with a sign indicating it was a “mercantile”?? store. It had a road leading up to it from the highway so we decided to stop. The shed itself was a couple of miles from a farm house. The door was open so we went inside. In the corner there was a stuffed figure with a sign saying it was our host. The store had all sorts of jams and jelly, books, kitchen utensils and wood items for sale. The owners trusted everyone to be on the honor system. We bought some wood coasters, paid our money and felt good that there are still people in America who feel they can trust others.

We drove on up to the Black Hills and really enjoyed the drive through Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Deadwood where we paid respects to Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane and some other colorful characters from that time and place in history. A side trip to Mato Tipila (Devils Tower) was well worth the trip. This sacred place to over 20 Native American tribes with a story of how it came to be passed down through generations has given me a great idea for another painting. Can hardly wait to get it finished it and post it on my website. Our final stop on the way home was at Pine Ridge Reservation for a visit to both the First Peoples Fund and the site of Wounded Knee. If you have ever been to Greasy Grass (Little Big Horn), the site of the Sand Creek Massacre, or to Wounded Knee then you know the feeling of voices brought on by the wind as it sings along the prairie grass.

My Native American heritage inspires me to paint more about that heritage and those individuals who suffered so much.