It’s a big weekend coming up in Rapid City. Saturday, cultural ceremonies and a film premiere are scheduled at a Rapid City museum.
May 11 will mark the date of a days’ worth of events and ceremonies at the museum celebrating the horse’s impact on indigenous culture. It culminates with a screening of a new film by director Keith BraveHeart.
Connor McMahon is the museum executive director.
“We have a full day of events planned here at the Journey Museum this Saturday to celebrate the relationship between the horse and the Oceti Sakowin," McMahon said. "This is all focused around a new film that Keith BraveHeart has produced called Inspired: Horse Nation of the Oceti Sakowin.”
He said the day includes a traditional horse dressing and honoring ceremony, curated exhibits, and a panel discussion.
“I’ve worked really closely with Native artists and specifically Lakota artists for the past decade, and one of our goals here when I assumed the directorship was to do more to elevate and center Lakota perspectives here at the museum and to find ways to bring the various cultures here in Rapid City together,” McMahon said.
However, McMahon said BraveHeart gets the credit for this event.
“He was really careful in his selection to try to choose folks that still had a very deep, personal connection to the horse," McMahon said. "So, our three panelists are going to be James Star Comes Out, the artist and horseman who will be leading the ceremony. Then John Goes In Center, also a very well known and respected Lakota elder and incredible artist as well, and then Linda Bad Yellow Eyes will be joining us as well.”
Festivities begin with the horse dressing ceremony at the Journey Museum beginning at 1 p.m. MT this Saturday.