Spirit of the Circle – Art on the Land
Visited on site: [10/01/2025] – Crow Creek Reservation, Fort Thompson, South Dakota
Location & Moment
Set on the Crow Creek Reservation overlooking the Missouri River, the Spirit of the Circle Monument honors the unbroken connection between the Lakota people, their ancestors, and the land. Located in Fort Thompson, South Dakota, this sacred site reflects the enduring strength of the Circle of Life — a symbol of unity, time, and rebirth. The monument stands quietly above the plains, echoing prayers and songs carried by the wind across generations.
History & Meaning
The Spirit of the Circle was established to commemorate both loss and resilience. Crow Creek’s history includes the 1863 Dakota exile from Minnesota, when entire communities were relocated to this harsh land. Yet from that hardship rose a spirit of renewal and identity — the circle’s unending form symbolizing survival, teaching, and community. Each stone, each carving represents the balance between earth and sky, body and spirit.
Artist’s Reflection
I painted here at sunrise — the light moving slow and gold
across the monument’s curve, like time remembering itself.
The circle was complete: earth beneath, sky above,
and the silence between them — still speaking.
The wind carried a memory older than the stone,
whispering that art, too, is a form of prayer.