Mitchell in Davison County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Oscar Howe & Marilyn Wounded Head

Oscar Howe Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 20, 2016

1. Oscar Howe Marker

Inscription. This sculpture depicts a bird atop a person and is meant to show a co-existence of man, animals, and societal or physical environment. Other visual forms that appear bring a message of reconciliation with nature.

Oscar Howe, the eminent Yanktonai Sioux Indian artist, designed the Corn Palace Murals from 1948 to 1971. His work drew inspiration from Sioux tradition, arts and beliefs. His pioneering work continues to influence new generations of artists and preserves the spirit of his people.

Marilyn Wounded Head was born and raised in Porcupine, South Dakota, a district on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. As a child, her mother told her stories of a time when man, animals, and the environment communicated with one another. Influenced by these stories and the work of Oscar Howe, she has created this sculpture as a tribute to our need for reconciliation. Also leaving his impression and assistance on the sculpture is Randy Higgins originally from Wessington Springs, South Dakota.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Man-Made Features • Native Americans.

Location. 43° 42.877′ N, 98° 1.544′ W. Marker is in Mitchell, South Dakota, in Davison County. Marker is at the intersection

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of North Main Street and West 6th Avenue, on the right when traveling south on North Main Street. Marker is located in a small plaza occupying the northwest corner of the intersection, directly in front of the Mitchell Chamber of Commerce building, and directly across North Main Street from Mitchell's "Corn Palace". Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 601 North Main Street, Mitchell SD 57301, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Corn Palace (within shouting distance of this marker); Carl Gunderson: (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Davison County, South Dakota, Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); Old Mill Stone (approx. 0.8 miles away); Davison County WWI Memorial Tablet (approx. 0.8 miles away); Indian Medicine Tree (approx. 1.1 miles away); Junction of Jimtown & Fort Thompson Trails (approx. 2.4 miles away); Original Site of New Home Lutheran Church (approx. 8.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mitchell.

More about this marker. Marker is a large metal plaque, mounted horizontally on a waste-high concrete pedestal.

Also see . . . Oscar Howe Biography. Yanktonai Indian artist Oscar Howe (1915-1983) depicted Native American traditions through a modernist aesthetic painting style. Howe led the way for other Native American artists to free themselves from the stereotypical constraints of making "Indian

Oscar Howe Marker (<i>wide view</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 20, 2016

2. Oscar Howe Marker (wide view)

Art." His work served as a bridge between his experiences in both Euro-American and Native American cultures. Howe was on the cutting edge of his generation in the exploration of ways to break out of the stereotypes imposed on Indian artists and to seek contemporary ways to communicate Indian values and ideas. (Submitted on October 7, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Oscar Howe Marker (<i>wide view from 6th Avenue; Corn Palace across Main Street in background</i>) image. Click for full size.

3. Oscar Howe Marker (wide view from 6th Avenue; Corn Palace across Main Street in background)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 8, 2018. It was originally submitted on October 3, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 362 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 6, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.