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For Immediate Release: Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2010
CONTACT: Joe Kafka at 605-773-3212
** Another in a series of notes in 2010 highlighting South Dakota’s cultural diversity
A Year of Unity note:
Ben Black Elk, son of famed Oglala Lakota holy man Black Elk, has been selected by the South Dakota Office of Tourism as one of South Dakota’s Great Faces.
The younger Black Elk, who died in 1973, spent much of his life telling traditional stories of Lakota history and culture. He greeted and enlightened visitors at Mount Rushmore National Memorial for 27 years and also traveled extensively to schools throughout the state.
Ben Black Elk’s father narrated Black Elk Speaks, a book that details the elder Black Elk’s life and became a major source of information about American Indian culture prior to the establishment of the reservation system.
Many of Ben Black Elk’s sessions with students were recorded, and the compilation won the award for “Best Historical Recording” at the 2003 Native American Music Awards.
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*Gov. Mike Rounds has declared 2010 as the Year of Unity in South Dakota – a year to renew South Dakota’s dedication to multicultural understanding and acceptance.