American Gam

“I hope people who visit this special place will come away with a better understanding and appreciation of both the legendary bison and tbe incredible buffalo culture that reigned over the Great Plains. I also hope that people will ponder what was almost lost forever.” ~ Kevin Costner

My absolute favorite movie in the history of cinema is the Academy Award-winning film, Dances With Wolves. So when I learned that Kevin Costner created a museum in the nearby town of Deadwood dedicated to the bison, the native Americans, the movie, and that all-encompassing history, I knew I had to go there.

These are the actual costumes worn in the movie, Dances With Wolves. Kevin Costner insisted on saving them for future display in this, his future museum.

There is no other art display like this anywhere in the world. Kevin tried to get investors for this museum and a nearby hotel but too much government red tape and lack of faith in investors sucked the life out of that dream hotel.

While filming Dances With Wolves, Kevin rode amongst three thousand stampeding buffalo. As the first person to do so in over one hundred years, Kevin wanted to share his sense of awe for the power of this majestic animal and the courage of those who revered and were sustained by it so, true to his vision, Costner invested five million dollars of his own money and commissioned the one-and-one quarter scale sculpture, and created the interpretive center and Lakota encampment at Tatanka: Story of the Bison.

Kevin worked with sculptor, Peggy Detmers, to conyey the danger warriors faced and the skills they must have to bring down a powerful bison.

Each one of these bronze statues took six to eight months each to be cast and created; and that’s after all of the planning, sketches, and models were done.

These sculptures came by truck from the foundry in nearby Wyoming and an eighty-five ton crane placed them. The three falling figures (near the middle front) weigh eight thousand pounds and a sixteen thousand pound piece of concrete, attached to them is buried behind them as a counterbalance.

It was over 100° on this day! I had to work fast to get these photos because my camera/iPhone was overheating. Luckily, a tour bus had just left so I had the whole place to myself. It was worth it.

I hope you appreciate “what was almost lost forever.”

The gam continues…