Hello Everyone,
Located between Mitchell and the Badlands on Route 90 is an area worth stopping at - Chamberlain, South Dakota. The local rest area has travel counselors, a small museum about Lewis and Clark, and a stunning massive statue of a Lakota woman with a star quilt. Nearby is Al’s Oasis, a road stop that started in the 1930s, and now has a restaurant, saloon, gift shop, grocery, and campground. Finally, end your day with a visit to Akta Lakota Indian Museum and Cultural Center located on the St. Joseph Indian School campus.
LEWIS AND CLARK INFORMATION CENTER
Located on I-90 at exit 264, travelers find the Lewis and Clark Information Center. Behind a desk, helpful South Dakota travel counselors willingly answer your questions. In an adjoining room, visitors find numerous racks of free brochures on the state’s attractions, campgrounds, hotels, and restaurants.
The Center houses a small museum on Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery journeys through South Dakota. It’s told through interpretative panels, artifacts, an electric map of their journey, and a replica of their 55-foot keelboat. It’s an official stop on the National Parks Service’s Lewis and Clark Trail.
On September 16, 1804, after several days of a cold rain, the Corps stopped to dry out their gear. While Clark directed the work in camp, Lewis explored the countryside. In his journal, he described several plants and animals that were new to science. They called the place “Plum Camp” because of the plums and grapes that grew there in great abundance.
They also stopped here on August 28 and 29, 1806. Clark noted in his journal that they stayed two nights for the purpose of gathering mule deer, pronghorns, and prairie dogs. The locale for both dates was near the present day site of Oacoma, South Dakota and is now under water.
One interesting exhibit is an electric map. You push a button and it lights up where in South Dakota an event occurred during the expedition from August through October 1804. For example, on August 22, Patrick Gass was elected to replace Charles Floyd as sergeant. Floyd died of appendicitis on the expedition on August 20. This was the first recorded election held by American citizens west of the Mississippi River.
Lewis and Clark held their first council with the Yankton Sioux on August 30, 1804. While there, Lewis wrapped a baby in an American flag. The baby grew up to be Struck by the Ree, a respected Yankton chief.
On September 10, 1804, the Corps found a 45-foot long fossilized skeleton of a fish on a ridge overlooking the river. Some scientists believe this was a mosasaur which became extinct at the same time as dinosaurs, 65 million years ago.
An interpretative panel relates how diverse the Corps of Discovery was. It included frontiersmen, soldiers, and boatmen. One was born in Germany while some came from England, Others were from Virginia and Kentucky. Several were French or French-and-Indian mixed bloods. Clark’s slave York was black.
You will see items the explorers brought on their journey and examples of the wildlife they encountered. There is a display of reproduction ax heads and pipe tomahawks. Lewis and Clark would have given these ax heads to chiefs. Handles were homemade as needed. The pipe tomahawks, fitted with a hollow stem, were used in ceremonial talks. Lewis bought 12 pipe tomahawks in Philadelphia for $1.50.
The Captains gave cloth, ribbon, sewing supplies, and other goods to the Indians they met. The purpose was to convince the Native Americans to become trading partners. You will see items in a crate that are reproductions of the trade goods that Lewis bought in Philadelphia in 1803.
Lewis and Clark were naturalists. Visitors to the museum find a taxidermy exhibit including a coyote and a pronghorn. The Corps collected numerous plants and sent samples including various kinds of sagebrush. These still exist at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia.
The Corps sent six live animals to Jefferson but only the magpie and a prairie dog survived the trip. Jefferson sent the animals to Charles Wilson Peale in Philadelphia who put them on display at America’s first museum. They were later housed at Independence Hall. In all, the Corps sent back 178 plants and 122 animals to President Jefferson.
Upstairs, visitors can climb onto a replica of a 55-foot keel boat that would have been used during the expedition. It could carry more weight than the tractor-trailer truck of today. Cargo could be stored in a 31-foot hold and in on-deck lockers. However, for best results, the load had to be carefully balanced. Visitors can look in the keelboat to find the type of cargo stored in the hold.
The sergeants were responsible for the Corps’ daily routine. The men rotated positions on the keelboat daily. The sergeant-at-the-helm steered the keelboat and was responsible for making sure gear was stowed and decks were cleared. The sergeant-at-the-rear tended the sail, kept the boat on schedule, and posted guards when the men came ashore. The sergeant-at-the-bow served as lookout for submerged logs and sandbars. He also watched for other boats and Indians.
A sign relates how this boat as well as the red and white pirogues moved. One way was by rowing. The keelboat had 22 oars, the red pirogue seven oars, and the white pirogue six oars. Other methods were by using their sails, poling, and towing with the men walking on shore and pulling the rope attached to the masthead.
The Center is open daily from mid-May through mid-October. However, it closes its museum, travel center, and dump station the rest of the year. However, many amenities remain open. Travelers have available free short term parking for cars, Rvs, and trucks; picnic tables and shelters; and pet exercise areas. They also find restrooms, potable water filling stations, soft drink and newspaper vending machines, and emergency phones.
DIGNITY
The highlight at this information center has to be the massive statue of a Lakota woman holding a star quilt behind her back. She overlooks the Missouri River and represents the courage, perseverance, and wisdom of the area’s Dakota and Lakota people.
Made of stainless steel, this monument of a Native American is 50-foot tall, 32-foot wide, and weighs 12-tons. She wears a dress patterned after a two-hide Native dress of the 1850s. Her quilt features 128 4-foot-tall stainless steel dark and pale blue diamond shapes that spin in the wind so as to reduce the statue’s wind resistance. At night, due to LED lights, the statue glows in the dark, and the quilt’s dark blue diamonds appear to become even darker. During the daytime, the colors change with the amount of light.
The star quilt is very meaningful to the Lakota and Dakota. It is a symbol of respect, honor, and admiration in the Native American culture. When a baby is born, it is wrapped in such a quilt because the baby came down from the stars.
They are often made for “give-away events” such as memorial feasts, celebrations, graduations, and marriages. To receive a Star Blanket indicates that the giver holds you in very high esteem for your generosity and accomplishments. For a newly married couple, the star quilt bestows upon them recognition and respect. At funerals, a star quilt replaces the traditional red-painted buffalo hide and is draped behind the casket.
Most star quilts have a single star. The single star is made of small diamond-shaped patches pieced together in eight sections. When the sections are joined, an eight-sided star is formed. The pattern comes from early buffalo robe designs.
The statue was a one million-dollar gift from Norm and Eunable McKie of Rapid City. The couple announced the gift in 2014 to celebrate South Dakota’s 125th anniversary of statehood.
McKie, before retirement in 2000, had owned several automobile dealerships in that city. He also owned Rapid Lube, ABRA Body Shop and Avis Car Rentals in Rapid City; Sioux Falls; Casper, Wyoming; and Cody, Wyoming. He was heavily involved with philanthropy and was a 2011 South Dakota Hall of Fame inductee.
Dale Lamphere, South Dakota’s artist laureate since 2014, was responsible for the design. His purpose was to honor the Lakota and Dakota cultures. He based it on the faces of three Native American women from Rapid City ages 14, 29, and 55, borrowing features from each of them. His goal was to sculpt a look that was native. Lamphere consulted with the Native Americans concerning the design of this monument.
A resident of Sturgis, South Dakota, Lamphere has completed more than 60 major commissioned sculptures, featured in venues from the Basilica of Washington District of Columbia's National Shrine to the Eisenhower Medical Center in California. His 300-foot by 80-foot, 60-ton Arc of Dreams spans the Big Sioux River. Additional recent monumental sculptures have been placed in Chicago, Kansas City, Colorado Springs, San Antonio, Omaha, and Dallas.
Lamphere has four allegorical works in the South Dakota State Capitol Rotunda and has commissioned portraits of many well-known people. This includes Bob and Dolores Hope, Burl Ives, Walter Annenberg, and George and Eleanor McGovern. He has received numerous honors for his work including induction into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 1987.
Lamphere first drew the form on paper and then sculpted ever larger models in clay before erecting it in a one-eighth scale model. The sculpture was created in an area near the Cheyenne River, east of Rapid City, then moved to the installation site. It required more than a thousand pieces. All had to be carefully measured manually from the original scale model to construction of each full sized part. Each was hand cut with a plasma cutter with the edges ground precisely.
The head and neck were fabricated from 100 pieces of stainless steel. Periodically, they were raised so Lamphere could have a good look at the head and neck from a distance. He wanted to make sure there was an expression of life in the sculpture.
The whole piece was sand blasted to add luster. On September 9, 2016, Dignity was readied for her road trip. The colored diamonds in her quilt were welded in place and some of the polished items on her robe bolted on. She was then moved by Maberry House Movers, out of Pierre, from Scenic to Chamberlain where she was dedicated September 17, 2016 to the people of South Dakota.
The statue has drawn worldwide attention. Since July 1, 2017, South Dakota residents can now purchase license plates bearing Dignity’s likeness. These plates were designed with the help of Lamphere. He plans to inscribe the names of every federally recognized tribe around the base of the sculpture.
AL’S OASIS
As you drive across I-90, you notice lots of Wall Drug and Al’s Oasis signs. Al’s Oasis has been a premier resting stop for tourists since the 1930s. Behind its Old West style storefronts, travelers find delicious food at its restaurant, spirits at its Last Chance Saloon, a large gift shop, and a full service grocery store. Campers appreciate the RV park.
In 1919, Albert, a German lawyer, and Veda Mueller, from South Dakota, opened a grocery store in the cattle town of Oacoma. After serving in Europe in World War II, their son Alfred joined the family business. The Muellers moved to their present site in the early 1950s when the new Highway 16 was proposed. At that time, it was a small grocery store with a ten-stool luncheon counter. Veda baked apple pies and fried hamburgers which they served with their five-cent coffee.
As the business grew, the store was enlarged, adding clothing and gift items. The luncheon counter grew into a full scale restaurant serving sandwiches, steaks, and prime rib.
Over the years, Al’s Oasis grew several times. A 10,000 square foot restaurant, bar, and warehouse were completed in May of 1989. In 2003, Al’s Oasis added a 17,000 square foot supermarket and a combined gift shop and clothing store. The Mueller family in 2014 became investors in a partnership with U.S. Hotels. Mark Mueller, their grandson, continues to own the campground and a convenience store.
The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner at reasonable prices. Breakfast includes a choice of biscuits and gravy, eggs with breakfast meat, and buttermilk pancakes. Diners find bison burgers, hand cut steaks, pork chops, broasted chicken, shrimp scampi, and walleye. On Friday and Saturday nights, the restaurant features prime rib. For the lighter appetite there are a variety of burgers, hot and cold sandwiches, and baskets such as chicken strips and shrimp. You can also select from an all-you-can- eat soup and salad bar.
Want take out? You can order Al’s broasted chicken - 8, 12, or 16 pieces. They offer sides of mashed potatoes, cole slaw, and buttermilk biscuits.
Al’s Oasis is known for its variety of homemade pies - particularly the lemon cream cheese pie which has been written up in Midwest Living and in Taste of Home Magazine. Their apple pie is another favorite. They continue to serve five cent coffee. There are gluten free options and a children’s menu.
The Last Chance Saloon is a full service lounge that serves an assortment of wines by the glass, mixed drinks, and draft and bottled beers. It offers a wide choice of domestic and craft brews. The saloon has a video lottery and an ATM machine.
Al’s Clothing and Gift Shop carries men’s and women’s apparel including Minnetonka moccasins, Alfred Dunner, and fashion accessories. You can also purchase a large variety of books, kitchen and western home decor, and souvenirs such as T-shirts and sweatshirts. Some are “Made in South Dakota” items. It sells Black Hills Gold, Dakota Gold and Silver, and Dakota Sterling Silver and Copper jewelry. Look for the homemade honey, jellies, popcorn, and more. They also have a variety of post cards to send back home to family and friends.
The 17,000 square foot grocery store has a bakery and delicatessen. You’ll find snacks, fresh meat and produce, and a large selection of liquor. It also sells Al’s secret recipe broasted chicken. Sunshine Foods leases the store.
DETAILS:
Al’s Oasis is located at 1000 East South Dakota Highway 16. The telephone number is (605) 234-6054. It is open daily. Hours for the restaurant and gift shop are 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday to Thursday and to 10:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Hours can change with the seasons so it is wise to call ahead. The restaurant has wifi availability.
OASIS CAMPGROUND
The Oasis Campground is located within walking distance of Al’s Oasis. It has large rig sites, pull throughs, cable at the sites, and full hookups. Its 75 sites are 30 feet wide with a maximum length of 65 feet. There is room for slideouts. Amenities include a shower house with spacious restrooms and showers, complete laundry facilities, a recreation room, heated swimming pool, and children’s playground area. They also have eight sleeping cabins. Ones with a bathroom are $65 and those without are $55 a night. These are the rates for two people.
The rates for RV sites are $44.95 with $26 for a tent. Rates are for two people with additional persons being charged $1.50 each. Pets are also $1.50. Check out is at noon. To make reservations, call (605) 234-6959. A 10% discount is offered with Good Sam, AARP, or AAA. They have a web site. It is open April 1 through November 1.
ST. JOSEPH’S SCHOOL
St. Joseph’s Indian School was founded in 1927 by Father Henry Hogebach, a German Sacred Heart priest. Originally the mission was to educate and provide housing for Lakota (Sioux) children each year from first through eighth grade. It expanded in 1986 to a high school program. Thirty students now participate in classes and extracurricular activities at Chamberlain High School. Housing is also provided for this age group.
Most of the children come from the Crow Creek, Lower Brule, Cheyenne River, Rosebud, and Pine Ridge Reservations. They are placed at St. Joseph’s by their guardians or family members from families that are not functioning well. Children with special needs or who require extensive therapy are not accepted. Currently, 200 youngsters attend first through eighth grade.
Originally the students were housed in dormitories. Now twelve students of the same age and sex live in 18 residential living units providing a family-style atmosphere. Each of the youngsters has age related chores. Households do everything, including recreation, as a family. On Sunday nights, a meeting is held to discuss how things are progressing. Youngsters receive or lose privileges depending on these progress reports.
Under Father Hogebach, the youngsters spent half of their day in classes and half doing manual training. By 1958, this changed and manual training was no longer as much a part of the curriculum. In 1968, the round school building opened to accommodate more students. It houses the Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center today.
During the 1980s, class sizes were reduced and classrooms moved to the former boys’ dormitory. Today, classes consist of 12 students. In addition to learning basic subjects, boys are taught shop and industrial arts while girls receive training in home economics. Religion has always been a part of the education though only 50% of the students are Catholic.
In the beginning, participating in the Lakota culture except for the arts, such as performing war dances as a form of Halloween entertainment and beading, was not allowed. When youngsters arrived, they were given haircuts and stripped of their garments. They wore military-style clothing. Native languages were banned with violations being severely punished.
This changed in the 1950's when groups of students were taken off campus to see Native American dances. Today, the Lakota culture is celebrated with the language taught in school and a student powwow being held in mid September. Another example of the school’s commitment to Lakota culture came with the opening of the Akta Lakota Museum on its campus.
St. Joseph’s is operated via donations with no governmental assistance except for the school lunch program. Students do not pay an admission fee to attend the school.
AKTA LAKOTA MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER
This museum opened in May 1991 to honor and preserve the Lakota culture for St. Joseph’s Indian School students and for the many who visit the museum each year. Displays within the 14,000 square feet are a combination of art, artifacts, and interpretative panels. Most of the museum’s original collection came from gifts to St. Joseph’s by alumni and friends since the school’s opening in 1927. New pieces are added on a regular basis.
There are four main areas to the Akta Lakota Museum. Start on the East and move clockwise in a circle. The areas reflect four cardinal colors and directions for the Lakota. East (Yellow) is Camp Circle. Its exhibits depict the Great Plains prior to Euro-American contact. It features artifacts of the Lakota traditional culture and tells of the historical relationships of tribes and bands.
Visitors will spot a large American eagle. According to the Lakotas, it’s the highest flying bird which makes it closest to the creator. The eagle is a family man, hunter, fisherman, and protector. This bird is important in their culture because that is how natives want to live.
A tipi made of lodge pole pines and buffalo hide is on display. The Lakota used moss and leaves for insulation and the tipi’s flaps to control ventilation. Inside are such items as a buffalo hide toga, a leather pillow with hair stuffing, and a beaded cradleboard.
The museum has a bison prop from the Dances with Wolves movie. The Lakota found buffalo in the Black Hills, Missouri River basin, and the 200 miles of prairie in between. In one case, you can touch the rawhide, hair, horn, tail, and leg bone of a bison. Another case reveals that all parts of the bison were used by the Lakotas. For example, a bag was made from its bladder and spoons from its bones.
A horse was the warrior’s best friend. Look for the exhibit of the warrior and his horse. The warrior shown is modeled after “Wind in the Hair”, a character in the movie Dances with Wolves. Rodney Grant wore this outfit in the film. His protective breastplate and choker were made from hairpipe bone (tube-shaped beads). The white dots and lines painted on the warrior’s face show the number of enemies on which he counted coup in battle. Instead of killing their enemy, warriors would touch them instead with a coup stick. The lines and tracks painted on his leggings indicate the number of horses he has captured in battle. The horse has a beaded bridle and saddle blanket signifying his value.
One highlight is the Lakota Buffalo Days, a 36-foot diorama by artist Tom Phillips. It provides a view of life on the prairie from the Missouri River to the Black Hills. In the scene, the men have successfully hunted a buffalo and the women are ready to skin and butcher it. The women will then load the meat onto their pack horses and travoises before returning to the village. The Lakota asked the Buffalo Spirit permission for the hunt then afterwards offered prayers of Thanksgiving.
The South (Red) Two Worlds Meet relates the arrival of Europeans and American explorers, missionaries, traders, and settlers in the early 1800s. It marks the change from the use of organic items like buffalo bones to manufactured ones like metal knives.
Visitors see the attire of men, women, and children. They also learn about the games the Lakota played and their toys. Interpretative panels relate how boys and girls grew up and the importance of grandparents. Grandparents taught the morals they expected through storytelling and provided lots of love and affection.
At one interactive, press a button to watch a video on Lakota beliefs and the medicine which protected the family. At another, hear how Lakota youth learn to respect nature.
The West (Black), Broken Promises, is on the Sioux’s relationship with the U.S. government as it applied to treaties and the loss of traditional lands. It maps out the current reservation lands.
One exhibit depicts what a trading post would have looked like. Visitors see hobbles, a saddle, rope, and horse effigy carving. Observe the moccasins, beadwork, and quillwork. Many had geometric patterns and florals.
Prior to their contact with Euro-Americans, the Lakota women decorated their clothes with such natural materials as flattened and dyed porcupine quills. To create designs, they used natural dyes. By the early 1800s, glass seed beads were integrated into clothing and personal possessions.
Visitors see a Santee Sioux birchbark canoe. It was used in Minnesota in the early 1850s and 1860s.
During the 1880s, the federal government placed heavy pressure on the Lakotas to abandon their traditions including outlawing the Sun Dance and giveaway ceremonies. The first reservation in the Dakotas was established June 1, 1863. The Allotment Act aimed to teach them to be farmers.
Every male ages 18 and older received 160 acres to stifle tribalism. The Lakotas found farming difficult and not something they wanted to do. Many were lonely since they had always lived as a community and now were miles apart. Previously self governing, they answered to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Affairs who made the laws and appointed Indian police to enforce them.
One section is on the Ghost Dance. After the Lakota were placed on reservations, they felt hopeless, like they had lost everything. It was believed that if the people danced that the buffalo would return as would their hope. The dance scared a lot of people. The Army came in with a plan to assassinate Sitting Bull. When that happened, Bigfoot led the group to Pine Ridge to get to Red Cloud for help. At Pine Ridge, between 250 and 300 Lakotas were massacred on December 29, 1890. Photographs of the Ghost Dance published in Scientific American and a shirt worn as part of the Ghost Dance are part of the exhibit.
The North (White), Continuity and Change, describes how Native Americans have adapted new ways while preserving their traditions and heritage. Learn about the Lakota boarding schools.
In Collector’s Gallery, visitors discover and can purchase original sculptures, paintings and traditional crafts. These are from Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota artists, many of whom are local.
After exploring the exhibits, take time to watch the movie People of the Plains. It explains how they built a tipi, built a fire for cooking, played games, made bows and arrows, and constructed clothing.
Outside the museum is the Medicine Wheel Garden providing a place for respite and meditation. Visitors will enjoy the traditional and contemporary sculptures while seeing native plants used for healing. By strolling around its perimeter, they view Lakota directional prayers displayed on interpretative panels resembling buffalo hides.
DETAILS
The Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center is located at St. Joseph’s Indian School at 1301 North Main Street in Chamberlain, South Dakota. Their number is (800) 798-3452. The museum is open year round. From May through October, the hours are Monday through Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. From November through April, it is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is closed weekends. Admission is free though donations are gratefully accepted. Guided tours are available on request.
There is a gift shop on the premises. It sells sterling, bead, and quill jewelry in addition to quilts, paintings, sculptures, and traditional crafts.
You can arrange a self guided audio tour of St. Joseph's Indian School by telephoning (877) 342-0829. Guided walking tours depart from the museum from May through October at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Located between Mitchell and the Badlands on Route 90 is an area worth stopping at - Chamberlain, South Dakota. The local rest area has travel counselors, a small museum about Lewis and Clark, and a stunning massive statue of a Lakota woman with a star quilt. Nearby is Al’s Oasis, a road stop that started in the 1930s, and now has a restaurant, saloon, gift shop, grocery, and campground. Finally, end your day with a visit to Akta Lakota Indian Museum and Cultural Center located on the St. Joseph Indian School campus.
LEWIS AND CLARK INFORMATION CENTER
Located on I-90 at exit 264, travelers find the Lewis and Clark Information Center. Behind a desk, helpful South Dakota travel counselors willingly answer your questions. In an adjoining room, visitors find numerous racks of free brochures on the state’s attractions, campgrounds, hotels, and restaurants.
The Center houses a small museum on Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery journeys through South Dakota. It’s told through interpretative panels, artifacts, an electric map of their journey, and a replica of their 55-foot keelboat. It’s an official stop on the National Parks Service’s Lewis and Clark Trail.
On September 16, 1804, after several days of a cold rain, the Corps stopped to dry out their gear. While Clark directed the work in camp, Lewis explored the countryside. In his journal, he described several plants and animals that were new to science. They called the place “Plum Camp” because of the plums and grapes that grew there in great abundance.
They also stopped here on August 28 and 29, 1806. Clark noted in his journal that they stayed two nights for the purpose of gathering mule deer, pronghorns, and prairie dogs. The locale for both dates was near the present day site of Oacoma, South Dakota and is now under water.
One interesting exhibit is an electric map. You push a button and it lights up where in South Dakota an event occurred during the expedition from August through October 1804. For example, on August 22, Patrick Gass was elected to replace Charles Floyd as sergeant. Floyd died of appendicitis on the expedition on August 20. This was the first recorded election held by American citizens west of the Mississippi River.
Lewis and Clark held their first council with the Yankton Sioux on August 30, 1804. While there, Lewis wrapped a baby in an American flag. The baby grew up to be Struck by the Ree, a respected Yankton chief.
On September 10, 1804, the Corps found a 45-foot long fossilized skeleton of a fish on a ridge overlooking the river. Some scientists believe this was a mosasaur which became extinct at the same time as dinosaurs, 65 million years ago.
An interpretative panel relates how diverse the Corps of Discovery was. It included frontiersmen, soldiers, and boatmen. One was born in Germany while some came from England, Others were from Virginia and Kentucky. Several were French or French-and-Indian mixed bloods. Clark’s slave York was black.
You will see items the explorers brought on their journey and examples of the wildlife they encountered. There is a display of reproduction ax heads and pipe tomahawks. Lewis and Clark would have given these ax heads to chiefs. Handles were homemade as needed. The pipe tomahawks, fitted with a hollow stem, were used in ceremonial talks. Lewis bought 12 pipe tomahawks in Philadelphia for $1.50.
The Captains gave cloth, ribbon, sewing supplies, and other goods to the Indians they met. The purpose was to convince the Native Americans to become trading partners. You will see items in a crate that are reproductions of the trade goods that Lewis bought in Philadelphia in 1803.
Lewis and Clark were naturalists. Visitors to the museum find a taxidermy exhibit including a coyote and a pronghorn. The Corps collected numerous plants and sent samples including various kinds of sagebrush. These still exist at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia.
The Corps sent six live animals to Jefferson but only the magpie and a prairie dog survived the trip. Jefferson sent the animals to Charles Wilson Peale in Philadelphia who put them on display at America’s first museum. They were later housed at Independence Hall. In all, the Corps sent back 178 plants and 122 animals to President Jefferson.
Upstairs, visitors can climb onto a replica of a 55-foot keel boat that would have been used during the expedition. It could carry more weight than the tractor-trailer truck of today. Cargo could be stored in a 31-foot hold and in on-deck lockers. However, for best results, the load had to be carefully balanced. Visitors can look in the keelboat to find the type of cargo stored in the hold.
The sergeants were responsible for the Corps’ daily routine. The men rotated positions on the keelboat daily. The sergeant-at-the-helm steered the keelboat and was responsible for making sure gear was stowed and decks were cleared. The sergeant-at-the-rear tended the sail, kept the boat on schedule, and posted guards when the men came ashore. The sergeant-at-the-bow served as lookout for submerged logs and sandbars. He also watched for other boats and Indians.
A sign relates how this boat as well as the red and white pirogues moved. One way was by rowing. The keelboat had 22 oars, the red pirogue seven oars, and the white pirogue six oars. Other methods were by using their sails, poling, and towing with the men walking on shore and pulling the rope attached to the masthead.
The Center is open daily from mid-May through mid-October. However, it closes its museum, travel center, and dump station the rest of the year. However, many amenities remain open. Travelers have available free short term parking for cars, Rvs, and trucks; picnic tables and shelters; and pet exercise areas. They also find restrooms, potable water filling stations, soft drink and newspaper vending machines, and emergency phones.
DIGNITY
The highlight at this information center has to be the massive statue of a Lakota woman holding a star quilt behind her back. She overlooks the Missouri River and represents the courage, perseverance, and wisdom of the area’s Dakota and Lakota people.
Made of stainless steel, this monument of a Native American is 50-foot tall, 32-foot wide, and weighs 12-tons. She wears a dress patterned after a two-hide Native dress of the 1850s. Her quilt features 128 4-foot-tall stainless steel dark and pale blue diamond shapes that spin in the wind so as to reduce the statue’s wind resistance. At night, due to LED lights, the statue glows in the dark, and the quilt’s dark blue diamonds appear to become even darker. During the daytime, the colors change with the amount of light.
The star quilt is very meaningful to the Lakota and Dakota. It is a symbol of respect, honor, and admiration in the Native American culture. When a baby is born, it is wrapped in such a quilt because the baby came down from the stars.
They are often made for “give-away events” such as memorial feasts, celebrations, graduations, and marriages. To receive a Star Blanket indicates that the giver holds you in very high esteem for your generosity and accomplishments. For a newly married couple, the star quilt bestows upon them recognition and respect. At funerals, a star quilt replaces the traditional red-painted buffalo hide and is draped behind the casket.
Most star quilts have a single star. The single star is made of small diamond-shaped patches pieced together in eight sections. When the sections are joined, an eight-sided star is formed. The pattern comes from early buffalo robe designs.
The statue was a one million-dollar gift from Norm and Eunable McKie of Rapid City. The couple announced the gift in 2014 to celebrate South Dakota’s 125th anniversary of statehood.
McKie, before retirement in 2000, had owned several automobile dealerships in that city. He also owned Rapid Lube, ABRA Body Shop and Avis Car Rentals in Rapid City; Sioux Falls; Casper, Wyoming; and Cody, Wyoming. He was heavily involved with philanthropy and was a 2011 South Dakota Hall of Fame inductee.
Dale Lamphere, South Dakota’s artist laureate since 2014, was responsible for the design. His purpose was to honor the Lakota and Dakota cultures. He based it on the faces of three Native American women from Rapid City ages 14, 29, and 55, borrowing features from each of them. His goal was to sculpt a look that was native. Lamphere consulted with the Native Americans concerning the design of this monument.
A resident of Sturgis, South Dakota, Lamphere has completed more than 60 major commissioned sculptures, featured in venues from the Basilica of Washington District of Columbia's National Shrine to the Eisenhower Medical Center in California. His 300-foot by 80-foot, 60-ton Arc of Dreams spans the Big Sioux River. Additional recent monumental sculptures have been placed in Chicago, Kansas City, Colorado Springs, San Antonio, Omaha, and Dallas.
Lamphere has four allegorical works in the South Dakota State Capitol Rotunda and has commissioned portraits of many well-known people. This includes Bob and Dolores Hope, Burl Ives, Walter Annenberg, and George and Eleanor McGovern. He has received numerous honors for his work including induction into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 1987.
Lamphere first drew the form on paper and then sculpted ever larger models in clay before erecting it in a one-eighth scale model. The sculpture was created in an area near the Cheyenne River, east of Rapid City, then moved to the installation site. It required more than a thousand pieces. All had to be carefully measured manually from the original scale model to construction of each full sized part. Each was hand cut with a plasma cutter with the edges ground precisely.
The head and neck were fabricated from 100 pieces of stainless steel. Periodically, they were raised so Lamphere could have a good look at the head and neck from a distance. He wanted to make sure there was an expression of life in the sculpture.
The whole piece was sand blasted to add luster. On September 9, 2016, Dignity was readied for her road trip. The colored diamonds in her quilt were welded in place and some of the polished items on her robe bolted on. She was then moved by Maberry House Movers, out of Pierre, from Scenic to Chamberlain where she was dedicated September 17, 2016 to the people of South Dakota.
The statue has drawn worldwide attention. Since July 1, 2017, South Dakota residents can now purchase license plates bearing Dignity’s likeness. These plates were designed with the help of Lamphere. He plans to inscribe the names of every federally recognized tribe around the base of the sculpture.
AL’S OASIS
As you drive across I-90, you notice lots of Wall Drug and Al’s Oasis signs. Al’s Oasis has been a premier resting stop for tourists since the 1930s. Behind its Old West style storefronts, travelers find delicious food at its restaurant, spirits at its Last Chance Saloon, a large gift shop, and a full service grocery store. Campers appreciate the RV park.
In 1919, Albert, a German lawyer, and Veda Mueller, from South Dakota, opened a grocery store in the cattle town of Oacoma. After serving in Europe in World War II, their son Alfred joined the family business. The Muellers moved to their present site in the early 1950s when the new Highway 16 was proposed. At that time, it was a small grocery store with a ten-stool luncheon counter. Veda baked apple pies and fried hamburgers which they served with their five-cent coffee.
As the business grew, the store was enlarged, adding clothing and gift items. The luncheon counter grew into a full scale restaurant serving sandwiches, steaks, and prime rib.
Over the years, Al’s Oasis grew several times. A 10,000 square foot restaurant, bar, and warehouse were completed in May of 1989. In 2003, Al’s Oasis added a 17,000 square foot supermarket and a combined gift shop and clothing store. The Mueller family in 2014 became investors in a partnership with U.S. Hotels. Mark Mueller, their grandson, continues to own the campground and a convenience store.
The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner at reasonable prices. Breakfast includes a choice of biscuits and gravy, eggs with breakfast meat, and buttermilk pancakes. Diners find bison burgers, hand cut steaks, pork chops, broasted chicken, shrimp scampi, and walleye. On Friday and Saturday nights, the restaurant features prime rib. For the lighter appetite there are a variety of burgers, hot and cold sandwiches, and baskets such as chicken strips and shrimp. You can also select from an all-you-can- eat soup and salad bar.
Want take out? You can order Al’s broasted chicken - 8, 12, or 16 pieces. They offer sides of mashed potatoes, cole slaw, and buttermilk biscuits.
Al’s Oasis is known for its variety of homemade pies - particularly the lemon cream cheese pie which has been written up in Midwest Living and in Taste of Home Magazine. Their apple pie is another favorite. They continue to serve five cent coffee. There are gluten free options and a children’s menu.
The Last Chance Saloon is a full service lounge that serves an assortment of wines by the glass, mixed drinks, and draft and bottled beers. It offers a wide choice of domestic and craft brews. The saloon has a video lottery and an ATM machine.
Al’s Clothing and Gift Shop carries men’s and women’s apparel including Minnetonka moccasins, Alfred Dunner, and fashion accessories. You can also purchase a large variety of books, kitchen and western home decor, and souvenirs such as T-shirts and sweatshirts. Some are “Made in South Dakota” items. It sells Black Hills Gold, Dakota Gold and Silver, and Dakota Sterling Silver and Copper jewelry. Look for the homemade honey, jellies, popcorn, and more. They also have a variety of post cards to send back home to family and friends.
The 17,000 square foot grocery store has a bakery and delicatessen. You’ll find snacks, fresh meat and produce, and a large selection of liquor. It also sells Al’s secret recipe broasted chicken. Sunshine Foods leases the store.
DETAILS:
Al’s Oasis is located at 1000 East South Dakota Highway 16. The telephone number is (605) 234-6054. It is open daily. Hours for the restaurant and gift shop are 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday to Thursday and to 10:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Hours can change with the seasons so it is wise to call ahead. The restaurant has wifi availability.
OASIS CAMPGROUND
The Oasis Campground is located within walking distance of Al’s Oasis. It has large rig sites, pull throughs, cable at the sites, and full hookups. Its 75 sites are 30 feet wide with a maximum length of 65 feet. There is room for slideouts. Amenities include a shower house with spacious restrooms and showers, complete laundry facilities, a recreation room, heated swimming pool, and children’s playground area. They also have eight sleeping cabins. Ones with a bathroom are $65 and those without are $55 a night. These are the rates for two people.
The rates for RV sites are $44.95 with $26 for a tent. Rates are for two people with additional persons being charged $1.50 each. Pets are also $1.50. Check out is at noon. To make reservations, call (605) 234-6959. A 10% discount is offered with Good Sam, AARP, or AAA. They have a web site. It is open April 1 through November 1.
ST. JOSEPH’S SCHOOL
St. Joseph’s Indian School was founded in 1927 by Father Henry Hogebach, a German Sacred Heart priest. Originally the mission was to educate and provide housing for Lakota (Sioux) children each year from first through eighth grade. It expanded in 1986 to a high school program. Thirty students now participate in classes and extracurricular activities at Chamberlain High School. Housing is also provided for this age group.
Most of the children come from the Crow Creek, Lower Brule, Cheyenne River, Rosebud, and Pine Ridge Reservations. They are placed at St. Joseph’s by their guardians or family members from families that are not functioning well. Children with special needs or who require extensive therapy are not accepted. Currently, 200 youngsters attend first through eighth grade.
Originally the students were housed in dormitories. Now twelve students of the same age and sex live in 18 residential living units providing a family-style atmosphere. Each of the youngsters has age related chores. Households do everything, including recreation, as a family. On Sunday nights, a meeting is held to discuss how things are progressing. Youngsters receive or lose privileges depending on these progress reports.
Under Father Hogebach, the youngsters spent half of their day in classes and half doing manual training. By 1958, this changed and manual training was no longer as much a part of the curriculum. In 1968, the round school building opened to accommodate more students. It houses the Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center today.
During the 1980s, class sizes were reduced and classrooms moved to the former boys’ dormitory. Today, classes consist of 12 students. In addition to learning basic subjects, boys are taught shop and industrial arts while girls receive training in home economics. Religion has always been a part of the education though only 50% of the students are Catholic.
In the beginning, participating in the Lakota culture except for the arts, such as performing war dances as a form of Halloween entertainment and beading, was not allowed. When youngsters arrived, they were given haircuts and stripped of their garments. They wore military-style clothing. Native languages were banned with violations being severely punished.
This changed in the 1950's when groups of students were taken off campus to see Native American dances. Today, the Lakota culture is celebrated with the language taught in school and a student powwow being held in mid September. Another example of the school’s commitment to Lakota culture came with the opening of the Akta Lakota Museum on its campus.
St. Joseph’s is operated via donations with no governmental assistance except for the school lunch program. Students do not pay an admission fee to attend the school.
AKTA LAKOTA MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER
This museum opened in May 1991 to honor and preserve the Lakota culture for St. Joseph’s Indian School students and for the many who visit the museum each year. Displays within the 14,000 square feet are a combination of art, artifacts, and interpretative panels. Most of the museum’s original collection came from gifts to St. Joseph’s by alumni and friends since the school’s opening in 1927. New pieces are added on a regular basis.
There are four main areas to the Akta Lakota Museum. Start on the East and move clockwise in a circle. The areas reflect four cardinal colors and directions for the Lakota. East (Yellow) is Camp Circle. Its exhibits depict the Great Plains prior to Euro-American contact. It features artifacts of the Lakota traditional culture and tells of the historical relationships of tribes and bands.
Visitors will spot a large American eagle. According to the Lakotas, it’s the highest flying bird which makes it closest to the creator. The eagle is a family man, hunter, fisherman, and protector. This bird is important in their culture because that is how natives want to live.
A tipi made of lodge pole pines and buffalo hide is on display. The Lakota used moss and leaves for insulation and the tipi’s flaps to control ventilation. Inside are such items as a buffalo hide toga, a leather pillow with hair stuffing, and a beaded cradleboard.
The museum has a bison prop from the Dances with Wolves movie. The Lakota found buffalo in the Black Hills, Missouri River basin, and the 200 miles of prairie in between. In one case, you can touch the rawhide, hair, horn, tail, and leg bone of a bison. Another case reveals that all parts of the bison were used by the Lakotas. For example, a bag was made from its bladder and spoons from its bones.
A horse was the warrior’s best friend. Look for the exhibit of the warrior and his horse. The warrior shown is modeled after “Wind in the Hair”, a character in the movie Dances with Wolves. Rodney Grant wore this outfit in the film. His protective breastplate and choker were made from hairpipe bone (tube-shaped beads). The white dots and lines painted on the warrior’s face show the number of enemies on which he counted coup in battle. Instead of killing their enemy, warriors would touch them instead with a coup stick. The lines and tracks painted on his leggings indicate the number of horses he has captured in battle. The horse has a beaded bridle and saddle blanket signifying his value.
One highlight is the Lakota Buffalo Days, a 36-foot diorama by artist Tom Phillips. It provides a view of life on the prairie from the Missouri River to the Black Hills. In the scene, the men have successfully hunted a buffalo and the women are ready to skin and butcher it. The women will then load the meat onto their pack horses and travoises before returning to the village. The Lakota asked the Buffalo Spirit permission for the hunt then afterwards offered prayers of Thanksgiving.
The South (Red) Two Worlds Meet relates the arrival of Europeans and American explorers, missionaries, traders, and settlers in the early 1800s. It marks the change from the use of organic items like buffalo bones to manufactured ones like metal knives.
Visitors see the attire of men, women, and children. They also learn about the games the Lakota played and their toys. Interpretative panels relate how boys and girls grew up and the importance of grandparents. Grandparents taught the morals they expected through storytelling and provided lots of love and affection.
At one interactive, press a button to watch a video on Lakota beliefs and the medicine which protected the family. At another, hear how Lakota youth learn to respect nature.
The West (Black), Broken Promises, is on the Sioux’s relationship with the U.S. government as it applied to treaties and the loss of traditional lands. It maps out the current reservation lands.
One exhibit depicts what a trading post would have looked like. Visitors see hobbles, a saddle, rope, and horse effigy carving. Observe the moccasins, beadwork, and quillwork. Many had geometric patterns and florals.
Prior to their contact with Euro-Americans, the Lakota women decorated their clothes with such natural materials as flattened and dyed porcupine quills. To create designs, they used natural dyes. By the early 1800s, glass seed beads were integrated into clothing and personal possessions.
Visitors see a Santee Sioux birchbark canoe. It was used in Minnesota in the early 1850s and 1860s.
During the 1880s, the federal government placed heavy pressure on the Lakotas to abandon their traditions including outlawing the Sun Dance and giveaway ceremonies. The first reservation in the Dakotas was established June 1, 1863. The Allotment Act aimed to teach them to be farmers.
Every male ages 18 and older received 160 acres to stifle tribalism. The Lakotas found farming difficult and not something they wanted to do. Many were lonely since they had always lived as a community and now were miles apart. Previously self governing, they answered to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Affairs who made the laws and appointed Indian police to enforce them.
One section is on the Ghost Dance. After the Lakota were placed on reservations, they felt hopeless, like they had lost everything. It was believed that if the people danced that the buffalo would return as would their hope. The dance scared a lot of people. The Army came in with a plan to assassinate Sitting Bull. When that happened, Bigfoot led the group to Pine Ridge to get to Red Cloud for help. At Pine Ridge, between 250 and 300 Lakotas were massacred on December 29, 1890. Photographs of the Ghost Dance published in Scientific American and a shirt worn as part of the Ghost Dance are part of the exhibit.
The North (White), Continuity and Change, describes how Native Americans have adapted new ways while preserving their traditions and heritage. Learn about the Lakota boarding schools.
In Collector’s Gallery, visitors discover and can purchase original sculptures, paintings and traditional crafts. These are from Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota artists, many of whom are local.
After exploring the exhibits, take time to watch the movie People of the Plains. It explains how they built a tipi, built a fire for cooking, played games, made bows and arrows, and constructed clothing.
Outside the museum is the Medicine Wheel Garden providing a place for respite and meditation. Visitors will enjoy the traditional and contemporary sculptures while seeing native plants used for healing. By strolling around its perimeter, they view Lakota directional prayers displayed on interpretative panels resembling buffalo hides.
DETAILS
The Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center is located at St. Joseph’s Indian School at 1301 North Main Street in Chamberlain, South Dakota. Their number is (800) 798-3452. The museum is open year round. From May through October, the hours are Monday through Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. From November through April, it is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is closed weekends. Admission is free though donations are gratefully accepted. Guided tours are available on request.
There is a gift shop on the premises. It sells sterling, bead, and quill jewelry in addition to quilts, paintings, sculptures, and traditional crafts.
You can arrange a self guided audio tour of St. Joseph's Indian School by telephoning (877) 342-0829. Guided walking tours depart from the museum from May through October at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Lewis and Clark Information Center
Part of an Interactive - Push a Button and Find Out the Location of Events on an Electric Map
Replicas of Camping Gear the Corps Might Have Used
Examples of Wildlife They Saw on Their Journey
Axes and Pipe Tomahawks
Overlooking the Missouri River from Lewis and Clark Information Center
Dignity - The Massive Monument of a Lakota Woman Holding a Star Quilt
A Better Look at the Star Quilt
Dignity at Night
Al's Oasis - One of the Premier Roadside Travel Stops
A Close Up Look of Some of the Old West Style Storefronts
Portrait of Albert and Veda Mueller Who Established Al's Oasis
Dining Room at Al's Oasis
Tana Rose, Dining Room Manager, Pointing Out Their Famous Lemon Cream Cheese Pies
Al's Clothing and Gift Shop
Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center
The American Eagle is Important in the Lakota Culture
Our Guide Wilfred Keeble Demonstrating the Tipi
The Warrior Shown is Modeled After "Wind in the Hair", a character in the movie Dances With Wolves
Lakota Buffalo Days, a 36-Foot Diorama by Artist Tom Phillips
Attire the Boys Would Have Worn
One Section Displayed Girls' Clothing
Goods from a Typical Trading Post
Santee Sioux Birchbark Canoe