I love art and I love history….and I love how each one is transcended
when, to my joy and utter delight, the two of them are blended .
On a bluff overlooking the Missouri River in South Dakota stands one such blending of art and history…the sculpture of an indigenous woman in plain dress…her name is Dignity.
As huge sculpted works of art go…this is a special one…
she even has a star quilt on her back that glitters in the sun.
She stands 50 feet tall…courage, perseverance and wisdom have been sculpted into her eyes….Her full name is not just Dignity but Dignity: of Earth and Sky.
Dale Lamphere, the sculptor, wanted people to understand…
she’s meant to bring the light the beauty and the promise of the indigenous peoples and cultures who still thrive upon this land.
Mr. Lamphere envisioned Dignity as a way to show the Lakota and Dakota cultures as they’ve never been depicted before….I’m sure he didn’t realize she would come to mean so much more.
She represents, bravery, patience, fortitude, determination as well as drive.
She reminds us not only of injustice…but also the of will to endure…to survive.
She represents all those who resist oppression…all those with dignity who try
in her silence if you listen…you can hear her rallying cry.
I am not an indigenous Native American so why am I so taken with this sculpture Mr. Lamphere created…because it also reminds me as it should everyone….how we’re all related.
How we are all connected…how of this earth and sky we are all one…
how we should stand together to greet the evening moon and morning sun.
If we can, in spite of our differences, live together in peace and harmony…
then we can hold our heads up high…
spread our arms out to the world…
and walk with Dignity.
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