Sitting Bull Crystal Cave
Sitting Bull Crystal Cave was discovered in 1929 by Alex and Mamie Duhamel and their sons, Bud and Pete. They found the cave on their property in Rockerville Gulch.
The family wanted to lead tours through the cave, and so they got help from a friend of the family and Lakota medicine man Black Elk to promote the cave. They organized the Sioux Indian Pageant as a way to bring attention to the cave, which was a colorful display of Lakota custom and culture. Indian families from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation came to spend the summers in the Hills to participate in the pageant.
Black Elk himself chose the name "Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns" and decided to start the Sioux Indian Pageant to honor his friend Sitting Bull (he was the famous Hunkpapa holy man who camped by the cave in the 1800's).
The Duhamel's also started a trading post, with the participation of the Lakota people. It allowed the Lakota people to obtain items such as hardware, clothing, and food in exchange for artwork, crafts, and artefacts.
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