To say that the Black Hills (Kȟe Sapa) hold special significance for the Oceti Sakowin (The Great Sioux Nation) is an understatement. They’re not only our traditional homelands, where our ancestors once lived, they’re sacred. The Black Hills are the birthplace of our Nation, where we rose from Mother Earth’s womb. Our legends took place there. The Black Hills itself is a terrestrial mirror of the heavens above and thus forms the basis of our ancient star maps and Lakota astronomy. The entirety of Kȟe Sapa is a sacred site. Our rituals observe the natural cycles of the planet and our Universe. There are ceremonies that we must conduct at specific locations within the Black Hills. These ancient ceremonies benefit the whole of humanity. No, we aren’t talking about dirt protected by ‘No Trespassing’ signs. Kȟe Sapa is holy ground. It is where we are meant to pray.
As colonial invaders began to encroach upon our territory, Oceti Sakowin warriors like Crazy Horse fought to protect the Black Hills. The U.S. military could not defeat us, so they pursued other means. The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie ended Red Cloud’s War when it set aside the Black Hills of western South Dakota and other lands and hunting rights in South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana for the Oceti Sakowin (The Great Sioux Nation). Once gold was discovered however, prospectors began crossing into Black Hills territory, in violation of the treaty. The Oceti Sakowin rightfully defended their legally protected lands. The U.S. government responded by passing a law that took the Black Hills land away from the Oceti Sakowin in 1877.
