Author Archives: Colton Hall

PIERRE, S.D. – During an event at the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre on Monday, Oct. 12, celebrating both Native American Day and the return of the Great Sioux Horse Effigy, Gov. Dennis Daugaard released a proclamation making that day Great Sioux Horse Effigy Day across South Dakota.

The proclamation honors the return of the iconic effigy from its international touring exhibition “The Plains Indians: Artists of Earth & Sky” back to its home in South Dakota. Monday’s special event at the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre includes an open house from 1-4 p.m. CDT, and a special ceremony beginning at 2 p.m. with Lt. Gov. Matt Michels serving as the emcee. Speakers during the ceremony include: Secretary Steve Emery, South Dakota Department of Tribal Relations; Kevin Gover, director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.; Gaylord Torrence, the Fred & Virginia Merrill senior curator of American Indian Art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City; and Francis Whitebird, board of trustees, South Dakota State Historical Society.

Spiritual Leader Roy Stone of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe lead a cleansing ceremony and prayer following the guest speaker comments.

“We thank Gov. Daugaard for his proclamation honoring the Great Sioux Hose Effigy,” said Jay D. Vogt, director of the State Historical Society. All of the events, with the exception of the Sunday night banquet which requires advance ticket purchase, are free and open to the public.

The Great Sioux Horse Effigy went back on display at the Cultural Heritage Center on Saturday, Oct. 10, in a new display which features horse memorials borrowed from the State Historical Society of North Dakota and the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). The loan from NMAI marks the first object borrowed from the Smithsonian Institution since the State Historical Society became a Smithsonian Affiliate in January 2013.

Rosebud Chapter Pheasants Forever banquet will be held Friday, Oct. 23, at St. Mary’s Hall in Winner.

The happy hour, raffle and games will start at 5:30 p.m. The prime rib dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m.   There will be over 60 guns raffled off during the banquet.  Featured auction items will be an English setter puppy, a Labrador puppy.  There will be original paintings by John Green, Mark Anderson and local artist Nelson Chasing Hawk.
Also auction off will be an art creation made by Nolan Benzing, the new S.D. Farm Bill biologist in Winner.

Tickets are available at BankWest, Statewide Ag, Farmers Union Insurance, Mathis Implement, any board member or at the door.

Fourteen members of the Winner High School chapter of Future Farmers of America will attend the national convention in Louisville, Ky., Oct. 27-Nov.1.

The students attending will be Kenzie Bachmann, Elijah Blare, Kayleb Brozik, Bethany Cable, Shea Connot, Calah Covey, Payton Eagle, Avery Gilchrist, Trace Larson, Sydnie Peters, Casey Stickland, Logan Tunnissen, Savanah Vogel and Brandon Volmer.  Also attending will be FFA advisor Wyatt DeJong.

The Winner group will be traveling with the Parkston and Platte/Geddes FFA chapters.

Winner High School dance team won first place at the Faulkton competition on Oct. 12.

“It was great to see a couple of different teams, Northwestern and Clark-Willow Lake, competing in the dance division,” said coach Cyndy DeMers.  She explained it was a close contest in both the kick and pom categories. “We scored very well with our hip hop dance. The girls did the best they have done this season, but we know that this is the time of year that we need to keep improving,” said DeMers.

Winner dance team placed second in the Platte tournament on Saturday. In individual categories, Hip hop was first; kick, 3rd and pom, 3rd.

“With less than a week before our state competition, perfecting the timing, sharpening the motions and increasing the energy of all three dances is very important,” said coach Cyndy DeMers.