Summer Travels to Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks

Shortly after the solstice, which marks the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere we’re heading west to the Grand Tetons. A few weeks later we travel on to Yellowstone. Once again Kelly LookingHorse has been invited to share Lakota heritage, art, and traditions. Through storytelling, song, and crafts. Kelly infuses his presentations with his life experiences and is always ready to engage with the audience and answer their questions.

We’re also looking forward to returning to these extraordinary natural places, which hold immense significance for the Indigenous peoples who have called these mountains home for centuries. Beyond drawing inspiration from the breathtaking beauty surrounding us, we have the privilege of meeting people of all ages and backgrounds from around the globe. These encounters enrich our lives and foster meaningful connection and shared understanding. We hope that by sharing our cultural traditions, we have also given visitors an opportunity reflect on many transformative experiences the National Parks have to offer.

Mark your calendars for these dates we hope to see you here!

• June 30-July 6 Colter Bay Visitor Center, Grand Tetons
• July 4 Kelly will give a demonstration of traditional Lakota song and accompanying dance; “Celebration of Life”
• July 27-August 1, 2026 Tribal Heritage Center, Yellowstone National Park

For more Information visit

Colter Bay Visitors Center
https://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/cbvc.htm

Indigenous Arts and Cultural Demonstration Program
https://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/iacdp.htm

Yellowstone Tribal Heritage Center, July 27-August 1, 2026
https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/attend-indigenous-cultural-events.htm

To commemorate the Lunar New Year, year of the horse we share some pictures of our art celebrating the importance horses have in Lakota culture. Contact us if you’re interested in placing a special order.

This year is the year of the fire horse which occurs once in sixty years. We hope that your year is full of endurance, strength and prosperity, that the horse in the Chinese zodiac calendar represents.

Summer’s here and so are our travels west. First we’re headed to Yellowstone and then Grand Teton. We’re honored to be part of the guest artist program at both of these parks. They’re considered crown jewels of the National Parks of the United States. And this year Yellowstone celebrates its 150th anniversary. Each year millions of tourists from throughout the world travel here to see some of the more well known sites; Old Faithful, mountain peaks, lakes, hot springs, bears, elk and bison to name a few. Natural beauty of epic proportions awe us.

But these national parks are more than tourist and recreation destination spots. They are majestic lands and waters important, even sacred to many Native peoples including the Oglala Lakota. For times immemorial which is to say thousands of years and more, before the United States was even thought of, our people have come to these places to pray and gain strength and sustenance shaping our cultural and spiritual memory and identity and who we are today.

Thus, each year returning to Grand Teton and Yellowstone is a homecoming of sorts. We look forward to sharing our stories with the visitors through our presentations, songs and our crafts. We’ll be at Yellowstone Tribal Heritage Center June 25-July 2. Our daughter Kaulouyah will be joining us with her own exhibit of artwork. Then we’ll be at Colter Bay Visitors Center in the Grand Teton July 4-10. We look forward to seeing you!

Aho!  Like the rest of the country arctic winds and snow have stormed through Pine Ridge, as they make there way further east on turtle island. Some days it’s too cold even to go outside, much less travel. Spring seems so far away…

Inside, we’re working on all the crafts we’ll be taking on the road in the spring and later this summer. We continue to make our signature medicine bags. We’re also making traditional umbilical cord pouches.  This year we’re making them with a turtle kéya design. Turtles and tortoises are found on almost every continent come in a variety of sizes and colors. Yet there round shape remain similar and common to all of them are protective domed shells. Turtles have appeared in art and stories throughout the world. Many peoples have relied on turtles for nourishment, medicine and tools. In Lakota culture the turtle is a symbol not only of Mother Earth but also of life itself. Turtles of whatever species have an amazing capacity to live on very little and even in less than optimum conditions. The life span of some species of tortoises exceeds that of humans. Turtles symbolize resilience and longevity; blessings that we wish for all mothers and children.

Contact us for custom orders. You can reach us at info@lakotarednation.com or on FB. Each item is handcrafted here at our home and we can ship almost anywhere. Different colors and designs can be made upon request for bags, drums and moccasins. Prices vary according to size and complexity of design.

Aho!  We’re excited to let you know Kelly finished the first phase of his commissioned artwork  “Cȟaŋgléška-Wakȟaŋ” or “Sacred Hoop,”. It will be placed in the Visitor Center at Wind Cave National Park. On Monday October 10, Indigenous People’s Day, the Visitor Center is hosting a series of events. Kelly will present on the significance of the hoop to the Lakota people. You can find details about the event here. Wind Cave National Park

This project is a milestone event for us; a culmination of many years of developing a creative process that shares the stories, lives and dreams of our people. We have a past, we live in the present and we grow into the future. In that way we’re like a tree; rooted and resilient. Like a hoop, made with flexible but strong branches from a tree, we’re strengthened through our connections with our ancestors, indeed ‘all our relations’ and our hopes for the future. The Sacred Hoop-Cȟaŋgléška-Wakȟaŋ continues to remind us of this.

We look forward to seeing you October 10 at Wind Cave!