CHILDREN'S BURIAL SCAFFOLDS
Burial Scaffolds (5): ($35,000 each) Traditionally many of our people placed the body of our loved ones on a raised scaffold after death. By using this uniquely Lakota burial symbol we hope to unite in prayer and thoughts, our ancestors with the children.
In addition, our medicine people have advised us that this same hill was historically used as a scaffold burial location. Scaffolds were often decorated with items significant to those who passed – such as weapons and headdresses for warriors.
These are scaffolds for the children and will be decorated with cradle boards and traditional toys.
There will be five (5) scaffolds. Four at the top of the hill at the burial location. Four is a sacred number, representing both the four directions and the four stages of life. These four scaffolds will be larger and taller than a regular sized scaffold to create a visual impact from afar.
At the base of the hill a smaller actual child size scaffold shall be built, both to honor their stage in life and to provide an opportunity for elders to view the scaffold that may not be able to climb the hill. Each scaffold shall have their feet facing South, which is the Lakota traditional direction of exit for passage onto the next life.
The scaffold designs are using posthumous inspiration from revered Oglala Lakota elder Wilmer Mesteth’s draft scaffold designs (originally for the Oglala Veteran’s cemetery) that never had the chance to be implemented. Adorned by traditional Lakota children’s toys designed by artist Travis Harden (Winnebago Ho Chunk and Lakota). All designs are being guided by Richard Moves Camp.
