Back on the Wagon

I've ignored this for too long. I am finally completely moved into my house, my roommates are here, my car is back in Vermillion and I have a routine. Fun fun, I know. Well, here are some highlights and soon I will be putting up pictures and updating regularly and you will all benefit with increased South Dakotan knowledge.

Since my last post I've traveled to Minneapolis and West River South Dakota. Minneapolis is a surprisingly hip city. I saw some amazing art and walked everywhere (a good thing because my driving is not so great and I get VERY stressed out) and bought food at the Farmer's Market. Their market doesn't hold a candle to Ithaca's, but it's very funny because they recently passed a law that concealed weapons are allowed so there was a sign up that said "Guns are Banned at the Farmer's Market" and it was framed with the requisite hippy dippy clothes. Gotta love republican logic.

My parents (hi mom! hi dad!) were in town over Labor Day weekend. We went West River where we: got my car towed back to Vermillion, saw the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park, Deadwood and about five hundred buffalo. Western South Dakota is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. The Badlands look like you are looking into the center of the Earth. I half expected dinosaurs or something to be walking around. Pictures are coming soon. Mt. Rushmore is, you know, Mt. Rushmore. I have to say that it kind of upset me to see it, especially in retrospect. I'm taking a course at USD about women in the Red Power Movement, so basically I'm taking a crash course in modern American Indian history. Learning about the American Indian Movement which staged a take over of Mt. Rushmore in the 70s because all of the Black Hills (where it's located) are Indian land based on Treaties. It's a little upsetting to realize that all of Western South Dakota is so much more beautiful and interesting than Mt. Rushmore, but it's the only place that people know about. That plus the fact that it's four white men carved into land that Indian's claim rights over and most Americans don't even think about.

Ok, more to come...