The Aktá Lakota Museum & Cultural Center is a private, non-profit educational and cultural outreach program of

St. Joseph's Indian School St. Joseph's Indian School is an American Indian boarding school, run by the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart just outside the city of Chamberlain, South Dakota, on the east side of the Missouri River. The school is located in th ...

Chamberlain, South Dakota Chamberlain is a city in Brule County, South Dakota, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Missouri River, at the dammed section of the Lake Francis Case, close to where it is crossed by Interstate 90. The population of Chambe ...

, United States. The museum was established in May 1991 to honor and preserve the

Lakota Lakota may refer to: *Lakota people, a confederation of seven related Native American tribes *Lakota language, the language of the Lakota peoples Place names In the United States: *Lakota, Iowa *Lakota, North Dakota, seat of Nelson County *Lakota ...

culture for the students at St. Joseph’s Indian School and to foster among people who visit an appreciation of the culture. The mission of the Aktá Lakota Museum is to promote the knowledge and understanding of the cultures of Northern Plains Native Americans through the preservation of historical and contemporary works of art. The Aktá Lakota Museum has one of South Dakota’s most comprehensive collections of Northern Plains Native American artwork and historical artifacts.

History

In May 1991, the museum opened its doors, housed in an octagon-shaped building featuring of exhibition space, which was originally constructed in 1968 as classroom space for

. The museum is influenced by Lakota philosophy including using the four

cardinal directions The four cardinal directions, or cardinal points, are the four main compass directions: north, east, south, and west, commonly denoted by their initials N, E, S, and W respectively. Relative to north, the directions east, south, and west are a ...

of the

medicine wheel To some indigenous peoples of North America, the medicine wheel is a metaphor for a variety of spiritual concepts. A medicine wheel may also be a stone monument that illustrates this metaphor. Historically, most medicine wheels follow the basic ...

: East ("Camp Circle") represents Lakota culture prior to Euro-American contact and exhibits explain historical relationships between tribes and bands; South ("Two Worlds Meet") details the arrival of Euro-American explorers, missionaries, traders and settlers in the early 1800s; West ("Broken Promises") represents interactions with the US Government and the formation of reservations; and North ("Continuity and Change") showcases the adaptation of the Lakota as their culture continues on. In 2013, a section was added to document the history and accomplishments of staff and students in the Tokéya Uŋkí Nájiŋpi Historical & Alumni Center. In 2014, the museum added the Medicine Wheel Garden exhibit to their west side. There is no admission fee to enter the museum.

Collection

The museum has around 2,500 objects in their collection. They have a number of Lakota artifacts dating back to the 1800s from the surrounding area as well as contemporary works by Native artists. They own six works by Dakota artist

Oscar Howe Oscar Howe (''Mazuha Hokshina'' or "Trader Boy", May 13, 1915 – October 7, 1983) was a Yanktonai Dakota artist from South Dakota, who became well known for his casein and tempera paintings.Libhart, Myles and Vincent Price. ''Contemporary Sioux ...

with their most prominent of his work being the ''Indian Christ'' woven in tapestry by Grete Bodegaard Heikes which is located in the Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel. Also in their collection are the works of

Dyani White Hawk Dyani White Hawk (full name Dyani White Hawk Polk) (born 1976) is a contemporary artist and curator of Sicangu Lakota, German, and Welsh ancestry based out of Minnesota. From 2010 to 2015, White Hawk was a curator for the Minneapolis gallery All M ...

Arthur Amiotte Arthur Douglas Amiotte (Wanblí Ta Hócoka Washté or Good Eagle Center) (born 1942) is an Oglala Lakota American painter, collage artist, educator, and author.Lester, 14 Biography Arthur Amiotte was born on March 25, 1942, in Pine Ridge, Sout ...

, Keith BraveHeart, and Robert Penn, a protégé of the late Oscar Howe.

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://aktalakota.org 1991 establishments in South Dakota Art museums and galleries in South Dakota Arts centers in South Dakota Chamberlain, South Dakota History museums in South Dakota Lakota Museums established in 1991 Museums in Brule County, South Dakota Native American arts organizations Native American museums in South Dakota