A collaborative sculpture, four years in the making, is now available for public view in west Rapid City.
The sculpture is meant to honor children who lost their lives while attending the Rapid City Indian Boarding School.
Young singers with the Oceti Sakowin Community Academy open up the sculpture dedication with a prayer song.
Their voices carry through the wind as they stand in front of 50 plaques with names of those who died while at the boarding school—a reminder of the lives lost here.
The sculpture, called ‘Tiwahe,’ which means ‘immediate family’ in Lakota, depicts six people standing in a circle. Little openings at the base of the work are available to burn sage, which allows the smoke to travel up the sculpture and through 50 open stars.
Amy Sazue, Executive Director of Remembering the Children, said the boarding school era is a part of Rapid City’s history.
“That Indian people have endured quietly. Just like the people in the statue when you look at their faces," Sazue said. "I hope it builds understanding. I hope it builds some empathy. That it brings people to a place of trying to understand people unlike them from parts of the community they’re not aware of or don’t know of and bring us together.”
The sculpture is clay cast in bronze. It’s a collaboration between South Dakota Artist Laureate Dale Lamphere, the organization, spiritual leaders, elders and area children. About 100 different people contributed input and helped sculpt the piece.
Lamphere said his hope is the sculpture will fulfill the purpose by which it was created.
“And that is to aid in the healing process from this boarding school experience," Lamphere said. "I know there’ve been families that have worked for generations to honor these children that were lost. I’m humbled to be part of that.”
The sculpture marks an entry point to a new memorial site on a parcel of land just west of the former boarding school property where there are unmarked graves.
Officials with Remembering The Children will dedicate a memorial site plaza later this year. There are plans to install sculptures throughout the memorial site in the coming years.
