Near Pickstown in Charles Mix County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Circle of Life
December 3, 2021
1. Circle of Life Marker
"You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the power of the world always works in circles, and everything tries to be round. . . . The sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. . . . Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were."
Black Elk, an Oglala Lakota holy man
The circular shape of the tipi represented the wholeness of the earth and the circle of seasons. To many Great Plains tribes, its shape was a constant reminder that everything is connected and that life flows in a circle from birth and childhood to adulthood and old age.
Kaohommi (ga-oh-oh-mnee), "the circle," is prominent in Dakota life and is used practically and symbolically because it is part of the reality of the physical environment.
[Captions:]
The sun is regarded as the manifestation of Wakan Tanka, the Great Spirit. The term for the sun is Wi. The sun is believed to be the source of power as it provides heat and light.
The moon is the sun's companion. Its name, Hanwi, is a combination of the same word used for the sunwi (light)and han (darkness).
Tribal camp of the
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Religion & Religious Structures.
Location. 43° 4.16′ N, 98° 32.738′ W. Marker is near Pickstown, South Dakota, in Charles Mix County. It is on U.S. 18 half a mile west of Missouri Drive, on the right when traveling west. The marker stands at the Fort Randall Dam Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lake Andes SD 57356, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in East River. It is also in the American Lewis & Clark Corridor, on the prairies, and on the Northern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Tipi: "They Dwell" (here, next to this marker); Star Power (here, next to this marker); Women's Work: Making & Raising Tipis (here, next to this marker); Gifts of the Buffalo (here, next to this marker); Buffalo Tipi Covers (here, next to this marker); Fort Randall Dam - Lake Francis Case (a few steps from this marker); Pickstown / Lewis and Clark (approx. 0.7 miles away); Pickstown Centennial Garden Memorial (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pickstown.
December 3, 2021
2. Circle of Life Marker (right)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 6, 2021. It was originally submitted on December 6, 2021. This page has been viewed 431 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 6, 2021. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
