This is the 4th time…

Blog Post by Sister Patrice Colletti, SDS
Kateri Initiative – Sisseton, South Dakota

… that the Sisseton Arts Council has pleasantly surprised me by supporting and installing artwork by a local Indigenous artist.

In the past five years, we have seen several efforts by the local Arts Council to include local Native artists in producing public artwork.

This is a Big Deal.

In a community racked by racism, it’s an important act of resistance and a clear symbol of resilience, and is understood as such by the tribal community.

When you come into town from the east, you are greeted by a metal sculpture of graceful horses on the “roundabout.” From the west, there are tipis by the same artist. At the southern end of Veterans Ave (Main Street) there is a sculpture representing a flower design (above) commonly used in traditional beadwork. This design has been replicated onto flower boxes along Main Street, as well as on a fence at the main park.

This week, limestone blocks for a large sculpture in stone were delivered. Local Indigenous artist Inkpa Mani will be carving the sculpture in place over the next summer days. This is from a Facebook posting about Taku Ska Ska a stone sculpture that will be carved on site:

Eight large blocks of limestone weighing over 60,000 lbs. were set in place yesterday for Sisseton’s newest piece of public art “Taku Ska Ska: Sacred Movement.”

The sculpture represents the strong women and matriarchs we all come from and the legacy they leave behind.

Local artist Inkpa Mani will be carving the sculpture on site over the coming months and invites the public to stop by to watch his work in progress.

Special thanks to the City of Sisseton, Deutsch Construction, Bob Goodhart for operating his crane, all the community members who came to watch the four-hour installation on a hot day and to Will Torness for his exceptional photography. This project is supported by the United States Regional Arts Resilience Fund Phase 1, an initiative of Arts Midwest and its peer United States Regional Arts Organizations made possible by an anonymous donor.

It is going to be SO cool watching this piece emerge from the limestone…