Weekend of March 14th and 15th
We had gorgeous weather--80 degrees--so I went for a walk to soak up the sun. Once you get out of town (which doesn't take long) there's not much--just sky and pastures. I took the road out of town and was absorbed in my headphones when I looked up to see a handful of horses galloping towards me across the field. They were shy, and it took me about fifteen minutes of standing at their fence to prove myself, but then they came over for pets.
March 21st
Andy, Medina and her family, and I went down the hills for the weekend. We went to hike Harney Peak (soon to be Black Elk Peak) for the Welcoming Back the Thunders ceremony. Harney Peak is sacred to the Lakota and is the highest point east of the Rockies. Many people from reservations from all over the state gathered at the base of the peak for the ceremony. Elder men prayed and sang for all relations. Then the people followed the pipe up the mountain. Younger men carried the staff and meat for offerings. One of the sixth grade boys from the class in Takini we work in found Andy and I and walked up the mountain with us. His knowledge and willingness to share astounded me.
March 28th
Carol, Andy, Colleen, and I tried to hike Thunder Butte (which is in a neighboring reservation community) before the snakes came out (the first thunder wakes them). "Roads" in South Dakota may not be evident to the naked eye, so we never made it to the butte, but instead spent the day driving and hiking through the country. We were out in the pastures surrounding the butte when about eight or ten antelope came out and ran towards us. They got so close that I became nervous and almost made a run for it. There was nothing to fear really, but it was surreal. I felt like I was on a safari in Africa. A lot of the landscape here reminds me of Africa. Once we had our fill of the fields, we drove to the Moreau River. In its banks I found the most prettiest clam shell, all mauve inside.