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Contact: Mark Calamia, 507-825-5464 ext. 216
Pipestone National Monument Guest Speaker Series Pipestone, MN: Glen Livermont, Superintendent, at Pipestone National Monument, announces the forth presentation in this year's Guest Speaker Series. Guest speakers, Sidney H. Byrd and his daughter Pam S. Byrd, will be speaking on "Dakota Sioux Culture and History; Some Personal Reflections" at the Pipestone Performing Arts Center, Pipestone, Minnesota, on Saturday, March 30, 2013 from 2:00 pm to 4:00pm. Sidney H. Byrd will speak on several topics of interest to the public, but will focus on his Dakota and Lakota Indian heritage from his experiences and research. He will speak on the Dakota War of 1862 and what it means for many Dakota Indians then and now. He will also share some of his experiences from the government Indian boarding school in Genoa, Nebraska. His work as a Dakota minister with the Presbyterian Church will be another topic of sharing. For children and adults, he will sing a few Indian songs as well as share American Indian stories with help from hisdaughter, Pam. Sidney is a full-blooded Dakota,Santee, Sioux Indian born in 1919. While on the Pine Ridge Reservation Sidney became fluent in the Lakota dialect. During his youth, he was educated in government Indian bordering schools. Sidney is a retired and ordained Presbyterian minister now living on the Flandreau Sioux Indian Reservation. Heis tribal elder and historian who has lectured and published on the Dakota and Lakota people. Pam S. Byrd also resides on the Flandreau Indian reservation. She has devoted her life to making and promoting American Indian art of all kinds. On weekends and during her free time, Pammakes and sells "Dakota Dolls." The dolls are an inspiration from her great grandmother. After the passing of her mother, Pam began making the dolls, which now number almost 6,700. For her presentation at Pipestone, she will sharestories about her hand-made dolls and their important message. This will include a history of their hair, cloths, and why they are designed the way they are. She notes that their hand-painted smiles silently teach their lessons of Pam's people. Pam's dolls have been distributed throughout the world and, according to her, "serve as small ambassadors for her people to teach about Dakota history and culture." Pam Sue Byrd was born in Phoenix Arizona in 1953 to Sidney and Carolyn (Sue) Byrd. When Pam was six years of age, she and her parents moved to live in Montana. She graduated from high school in Bishop California and later attended college at California State University in Long Beach. From 1974-1975 she attended a Study Program for Art Curator in Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and France. Much of her time was devoted to studying Renaissance Art while in Europe. For additional information contact Pipestone National Monument at 507-825-5464 ext. 214, or view the Monument's web site at www.nps.gov/pipe. About the National Park Service. More than 20,000National Park Service employees care for America's 398 national parks and workwith communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov |
Last updated: April 10, 2015