Cultural Center
The Cultural Center will be a place of "remembering and continuing". Much of the Sioux Nation's spiritual and cultural story has yet to be fully told, especially from the tribes' point of view.
The Wakpa Sica Reconciliation Place will provide a home where everyone may become aware (many for the first time) of what it means to be a member of the Sioux Nation — past, present and future.
In working towards this end, we have held listening conferences (transcripts are available below) and we continue to hold design workshops to gain ideas, thoughts, comments and feedback from tribal elders and the general public. Each time we've gathered, the dialogue has created significant learning and growing experiences for everyone involved. We will continue to hold grassroots meetings and cultural design working sessions to refine the story of the Reconciliation Place.
A few of the possible facilities and programs of the cultural center include:
- Assist tribes with the presentation of cultural and spiritual artifacts to be returned to tribal administration under Federal Repatriations legislation.
- Administration and display of private and tribal collections of cultural and spiritual artifacts that have been given to/loaned to the Reconciliation Center.
- Display interpretations of Tribal cultural history for visitors.
- Tribal artistic development and art display; art sales.
- Lakota language instruction and demonstrations for visitors.
- Sioux Nation archives and library, including historic records of Sioux tribes and individual Tribal People.
- Presentations by Tribal Elders and spiritual leaders for Tribal People and visitors.
- Film programs and interpretations.
- Demonstrations of contemporary tribal culture, including dancing and dance interpretations, costume display and interpretation, cooking, tool making, etc.
- Center for programs by tribal writers for visitors and Tribal People; elder hosted programs interpreting tribal economic life and culture.
- Origination site or stop off point for tours of local and regional sites important to tribal cultural history.