Deadwood in Lawrence County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Sharing an Experience
Photographed by Thomas Smith, May 19, 2026
1. Sharing an Experience Marker
Kevin Costner while filing Dances with Wolves, rode among 3000 stampeding buffalo. As the first person to do so in over 100 years Kevin wanted to share his sense of awe for the power of this majestic animal and the courage of those who revered and were sustained by it. True to his vision, Kevin Costner commissioned the on-and-one-quarter scale sculpture in front of you and created the interpretive center and encampment at Tatanka Story of the Bison.
telling the story
Kevin worked with sculptor, Peggy Detmers, to convey the danger warriors faced and the skills they must have to being down a powerful bison
"The amount of courage that took a warrior to ride in a bison hunt was immeasurable. The possibility of his horse stumbling, then being trampled or rammed, as I have portrayed was one of the calculated risks he took. Not only would the sing dance for the courage of their men but also for the courage of their horses. The most prized possession a warrior could have was his experienced hunt and war pony"
Peggy Dethers
"I hope people who visit this special place will come away with a better understanding andappreciation of both the legendary bison and the incredible buffalo culture that reigned over the Great Plains. I also hope that people will ponder what was almost lost forever."
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-Kevin Costner
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Indigenous Peoples and Communities.
Location. 44° 23.893′ N, 103° 42.851′ W. Marker is in Deadwood, South Dakota, in Lawrence County. It is on Tatanka Drive north of CanAm Highway (U.S. 85), on the right when traveling east. The marker stands on the grounds of the Bison Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 Tatanka Dr, Deadwood SD 57732, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in West River. It is also in the American Black Hills, in the 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.
Photographed by Thomas Smith, May 19, 2026
2. Sharing an Experience Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: vision to reality (here, next to this marker); Henry Weston Smith (approx. half a mile away); Preacher Smith of Deadwood Gulch (approx. half a mile away); First Deadwood Gold Discovery (approx. 0.9 miles away); Placer Claim No. 2 above Discovery (approx. one mile away); Deadwoods Boy Scout Tree Project (approx. 1.1 miles away); Elizabethtown (approx. 1.3 miles away); Wild Bill Hickok (approx. 1.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Deadwood.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 1, 2026, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. This page has been viewed 14 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 1, 2026, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
