The following story was written and reported by Karin Eagle, Native Sun News Staff Writer. All content © Native Sun News.
Halley Park, the future location of the First Nations Sculpture Garden.
Sculpture Garden a go!
By Karin Eagle
Native Sun News Staff Writer
RAPID CITY- After a year of envisioning, planning, and petitioning, the First Nations Sculpture Garden has received its final approval from the City of Rapid City. By a unanimous vote, the city council voted to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the First Nations Sculpture Garden Corporation.
Jesse Abernathy, Vice President of the First Nations board, reflected on the process that led to the victory at city hall.
"After a year of intensive and dedicated effort led by Elizabeth Cook-Lynn, Hunkpati and Ihanktonwan Dakota scholar and author, the First Nations Sculpture Garden Corporation can finally claim unfettered victory. Although it may seem small, the approval by the Rapid City Council of the First Nations Sculpture Garden project for Halley Park after protracted--and ultimately unnecessary, insidious and offensive--'controversy' and resistance from certain city officials and residents, is a major step in the right direction for First Nations peoples everywhere,” Abernathy said.“The significance of this project honoring more recent indigenous standouts of this region and its specified location in the heart of Rapid City within the revered Paha Sapa (Black Hills) will not be lost on our indigenous brothers and sisters throughout the world who have struggled--and without a doubt continue to struggle--valiantly to find their place in this largely white world."
“If we don't honor ourselves in realistic, heartfelt and respectful ways, who will?” asked Abernathy.
Again, some of the opposition voiced came from Rapid City residents who questioned the location of the park, as well as the proposed “contemplative” purpose of the park.
A member of the Parks and Recreation Advisory board, which had voted to deny the MOA on July 11, Chuck Tinant, stated that he was concerned about who would be drawn to the sculpture garden, and for what intention.
“They say that nobody is going to come to see these sculptures, so why desecrate our beautiful park with these bronze statues?” asked Tinant.
"Getting the project approved by city officials should have been the easy part of the entire process--but it wasn't easy,” explained Jesse Abernathy. “However, overcoming this initial hurdle will now make the fundraising and creation stages of the process seem all the more seamless and meaningful."
"I would like to thank Elizabeth Cook-Lynn for envisioning this project and for having the strength of character as a genuine Dakota woman to see it through the approval stage. I would also like to thank Rapid City Mayor Sam Kooiker for his support and for having the acumen and cultural sensitivity and competency to clearly discern the importance of the First Nations Sculpture Garden as a means to reduce and potentially exterminate the cultural rift that exists in this area," Abernathy said.
“This should not have been a difficult process and the total lack of understanding by those who voted it down the first time around is simply appalling. Native Americans have asked very little of Rapid City in the past, but we are now beginning to make our presence felt in this community so the Rapid City Council and the Mayor’s office had better take that into consideration from here on,” Tim Giago, publisher of the Native Sun News said. “When it comes to the affairs of this city Native American residents are no longer going to be bystanders, but they will be active participants in city government.”
The First Nations board now has three years to initiate the project, as per the amendment to the MOA that the city voted on. The next step will be to work with the Public Works Department to address all of the logistics associated with the parking, crosswalks and the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
After the vote, Elizabeth Cook-Lynn sat back in her seat, as supporters surrounded her with congratulations. With a smile on her face, she stated, simply, “We are finally going to do this.”
(Contact Karin Eagle at staffwriter@nsweekly.com)
Copyright permission by Native Sun News
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