This program explores the photographic history and transformation of the Black Hills landscape since 1874, as captured in two works: “Yellow Ore, Yellow Hair, Yellow Pine” by Donald Progulske and Richard Sowell, and the 2023 “Exploring with Custer: The 1874 Black Hills Expedition, Revised 4th Edition” by Paul Horsted and Ernest Grafe. Speakers Paul Horsted and Donovin Sprague will delve into the changes observed in these locations over time, examining both historical and contemporary photographs. Additionally, they will address the profound cultural significance of the Black Hills for the Oceti Sakowin people, shedding light on the deep connections between the land and its Indigenous inhabitants.

This free public event takes place on Sept. 18 at 7:30 pm in the Woster Celebration Hall at the South Dakota State University Alumni Center, 815 Medary Avenue, Brookings, SD. The program can be livestreamed at https://sdstate.zoom.us/j/98631197954

Paul Horsted has photographed South Dakota places and people for more than 40 years. He has published multiple books about the Black Hills, the Dakotas, and national parks.

Donovin Sprague is Minnicoujou Lakota and is a history faculty member at Sheridan College in Wyoming. He has authored 10 books, most relating to Oceti Sakowin history.

A digital version of “Yellow Ore, Yellow Hair, Yellow Pine” is online at https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/agexperimentsta_bulletins/621/

The event is sponsored by the Department of Natural Resource Management; College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences; Hilton M. Briggs Library; and the South Dakota Humanities Council.