As the sun rises over Badlands National Park shedding light on its seemingly endless canyons and rugged peaks, it is impossible not to gaze at its sublime landscape with both admiration and respect. The jagged ridges and winding channels of this South Dakota national park were formed by layers of rock millions of years old. Beyond this ancient rock-scape lies the largest undisturbed mixed prairie in the United States that has been refuge to animals for centuries. The Badlands are resilient, and it takes an equally resilient community
of national park locals to thrive here.
Though the climate is extreme and the terrain difficult to navigate, local communities in the Badlands area have been living here for generations, shaping their lives around the magnificent landscape. These locals include the Lakota people who have lived in the Badlands since before it became a national park. To learn more about their roots in the Badlands and the importance of the land in their culture, we connected with Oglala Lakota members Scotti Clifford
and his niece, Kansas.
Surviving in the Badlands
The Badlands name pays homage to its Lakota name Mako Sica, which translates to English as bad land.
Despite its desolate reputation, Scotti and Kansas explain that the land is rich in spiritual and cultural importance to the Lakota. For me, the Badlands represents a sanctuary,
says Scotti. Historically, it was a sanctuary for the Cheyenne and Lakota people.
Multiple generations of Lakota people have lived on the same land that Scotti and Kansas reside on today, and they hold the Badlands with the highest respect. Scotti tells us, ‘My land is where my dead lay,’ meaning that they lived a whole lifetime in that area. That's where they lived and died, and that's where their bodies remained. But they were completely spirits on
a human journey that journeyed upon that area.
Kansas adds, The land that I grew up on is the same land that my ancestors relentlessly protected. Our relationship with Uŋči Maka (grandmother earth) is still alive through their strength and fortitude. It’s through my ancestors’ passed-on wisdom and knowledge that I can understand this land is alive. It’s best cared for through a non-extractive, harmonious, and respectful relationship.
Through this relationship with the Badlands, the Lakota have built a culture around the land that has thrived for centuries. How could you thrive in a place called the Badlands? If you're paying attention to it, it gives you the culture, and how to survive on it,
Scotti explains. You are really forced to get in touch with your own self sooner than later for your own survival.
Kansas agrees, adding her own personal experience of how the land has helped shape her identity. The land has been one
of my greatest teachers throughout my life. It has taught me about the struggles as well as the beauty of life and how one
cannot exist without the other. As a Lakota, the land is immensely significant and holds cultural and spiritual importance to me. The land is often viewed as a part of our identity because of our traditions and oral teachings. So, I am more conscientious
in how I treat and look after the land.
A Community Rooted in the Land
For the Lakota community, the deep connection formed between oneself and the land transfers to relationships with others. People find out really fast whether they can be in such a hostile environment or not,
explains Scotti. A lot of that is based on a relationship of trust and respect, honest and compassionate behavior. Finding that trusting, respecting relationship between you and others is something that also is a revelation of the Badlands. You need that bond of trust and respect to thrive in such a hostile environment.
It is also about passing on the wisdom of the land from one generation to the next. Kansas says, Traditional practices, ceremonies, and
our oral history are woven into our landscape. It is not just a physical space to us but a source of life and spirituality. The generations who came before us taught us to live in harmony with nature, and it will provide for us.
She also hopes to share the wisdom she has
learned about the historical native connections to the land with others. A personal interest of mine has been restoring indigenous environmental knowledge. Indigenous people, being the
original stewards of these lands, deserve consideration and consultation regarding solutions on how to properly care for and live with the land.
A Living Legacy
The Badlands may have once been considered unlivable and impossible to cultivate, but today it is a unique national park rich in history and culture. The culture of respect for the land and one another that the Lakota have established here is integral to the legacy of the Badlands.
Every year, more than a million people visit Badlands National Park to experience the park’s natural wonders, discover archaeological sites, and gaze at its awe-inspiring unpolluted night skies. Looking up into the planets and constellations above, it is impossible not to feel moved by the vastness of the Badlands and all that it has to offer.
It is not just a physical space but a source of life and spirituality.
– Kansas Clifford
