I must say, the Black Hills was about the most spiritual place I've ever been in the United States. It was not a peaceful spirituality, however. You can feel the sorrow that the Lakota nation endured in this magical land, courtesy of our national politics at the time and the United States Army. The Crazy Horse Memorial promises to remind people for as long as this planet exists of the horror that happens when one race of people feels superior to another. I am so happy I visited this place and made my granddaughter promise to take her grandchildren there. It may not even be finished in their lifetimes, but that it exists at all is enough for me.
We also went to Devil's Tower in Wyoming, another deeply spiritual place for Native Americans. So why name it "Devil's Tower". Since it is our very first national monument, it's too bad it's not called something other than Devil's Tower. However, since it was sacred to the Indians, the Christian's deemed it heathen, and therefore anything heathen had to be associated with the Devil. Much like Spirit Lake in North Dakota, which is now known as Devil's Lake. I say we bring back feeding Christians to the Lions. I'd buy a season ticket or two.
Be that as it may.......if you haven't seen the Black Hills of South Dakota, the Badlands, or been west of the Missouri River, you need to do this. This is about a 16 hour drive from my home without stopping. It's my last road trip; I prefer big jets and quick arrivals, but I couldn't have picked a better place to travel to in the United States. Had I known it was going to be as awe-inspiring as it turned out to be, I would have made the trip a long time ago.
Visit. Be awed. Be humbled.
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