Overview  

Walking a parallel path with the Old Ones of the Lakota Nation, head out on a tribal Arts experience like no other. Your guide for this sojourn into the intimate word of Lakota Art is a renowned Lakota silversmith with a passion for lapidary and the relationship between his beloved culture and the rock from which it was founded when, in the beginning, Inyan (the rock) opened a wound upon himself and as his blood flowed blue to create the oceans and skies, the world began. “I am a Lakota” says Jhon Goes In Center, “and so my world-view and values are still steeped in natural law. Art is alive and talks to those that listen.” Jhon was always fascinated by, and immersed in the origins of Plains Indian artwork and as you travel with him through the Black Hills, or the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (your choice) he will showcase for you the inherent talents of his ancestors and how their constant incorporation of new materials/techniques, and their experimentation blends Art with the Lakota way of life.

  About Your Day  

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• Visit reservation arts galleries and trading posts (in the Black Hills)

• OR Visit artists in their home studios (on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation)

• Visit sacred and spiritual places that inspire the Lakota art you see and hear explanations of their importance within Lakota culture and expression

• Learn of the symbolism, color references and cultural imperatives necessary to comprehend the tribal messages within art forms as diverse as petroglyphs to beadwork, silversmithing to star quilts, and much more.