‘Dupree’ sculpture honors Lakota family who helped save the buffalo

FORT PIERRE — On July 3 at the Drifters Event Center in Fort Pierre, tribal leaders, descendants and community members gathered to honor the Lakota family whose courage helped save the American bison from near extinction, dedicating a new sculpture titled “Dupree, Fort Pierre’s American Bison,” along with a companion statue of a water carrying woman.

The event, organized by the Fort Pierre Historic Sculptures Committee Project and modeled after the Trail of Governors initiative, brought together descendants of Frederick (Fred) Dupree and his Lakota wife Mary Good Elk Woman (Umpa Waste Win), leaders of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, and residents of Fort Pierre, which calls itself the oldest continuous European settlement in the Dakotas.

Committee Chair Judy Weisgram opened the ceremony by introducing the members responsible for commissioning and funding the works, emphasizing that, as with the Trail of Governors statues, “no taxpayer money is ever involved.” The committee, she said, is charged “to identify the subject, commission the artist, and raise the money.”

A brief opening prayer in the Lakota tradition was offered by Francis White Bird, followed by a Lakota honor song that centered the gathering before the focus shifted to Fort Pierre’s history and the Dupree family’s legacy.

Weisgram recalled the city’s 2017 bicentennial celebration, when organizers invited descendants of Pierre Chouteau Jr., Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, Chief Black Buffalo, Lt. Cmdr. John Waldron, Scotty and Sarah Philip, Fred Dupree and Good Elk Woman, and Casey Tibbs. It was at that descendants’ luncheon, she said, that she first learned “of the essential role that Fred and Good Elk Woman played in saving the buffalo from being hunted to extinction.”

Knowing “how important the American bison was in the lives of the tribes who occupied this land first, and how important it was in the lives of the people who journeyed here to start a new life,” the committee decided “it was kind of a no brainer for our committee to choose a bison for our first sculpture,” she said.

The bison sculpture was created by renowned South Dakota artist John Lopez, celebrated for his detailed hybrid metalwork. Weisgram shared a personal connection to the piece, recalling trips with her late husband, Ron, to visit Lopez’s ranch in Lemmon. Lopez encouraged her to look inside the bison’s back leg, where she found a memorial piece reading “Ron.” “I will be forever grateful for that lasting memorial to Ron,” she said. “You’ll have to look for it today.”

A second sculpture, a water carrying woman inspired by a victim of the Blue Water Creek raid in Nebraska, was gifted by Leroy and Charlie Foster and Scott and Julia Jones, and designed by artist Matthew

Lanis as a water feature symbolizing “the sacred relationship that earth has with water.” Lanis briefly addressed the audience, explaining the cultural and spiritual meaning behind the design.

On behalf of the family, Dana Dupris read a prepared narrative tracing the origins of the Dupree herd and its impact. “In 1883 when the buffalo were nearly gone from these plains, my relatives, Frederick Dupree and his Lakota wife, Mary Good Elk Woman, made a decision that would impact generations to come,” Dupris said. “Rather than letting the last buffalo disappear, they rescued orphaned buffalo calves and raised them with care.”

“These few calves became part of the foundation for the restoration of the American bison,” he continued. “Today, millions of people can witness buffalo on these prairies, because families like ours believed that they were worth saving.”

For Lakota people, he said, “the buffalo were not just, or never been just wildlife. The buffalo are everything. They gave us food, they gave us shelter, clothing, tools, and spiritual teachings. The buffalo taught us generosity, sacrifice, and how to live in balance with the earth.”

Dupris emphasized the often overlooked leadership of Mary Good Elk Woman. “While history has often credited Frederick Dupree with helping save the buffalo, it was Mary’s deep love for the Buffalo Nation, her Lakota heritage, her Lakota teachings, and her unwavering commitment to her people that gave this work its purpose,” he said. “This was not the work of one person, but of a family united by love, responsibility, and hope.”

“As descendants, we carry this history with great pride and humility,” he added. “May every young person who stands before these sculptures understand that one family acting with courage and love for the land can make a difference that lasts for generations. On behalf of the Dupree family, thank you, Wopila, for honoring our family.”

Thomas Eagle Staff, Wambli Wapaha, introduced himself and his relatives, linking the story of the buffalo’s survival to his own family tree. He joked about the size of the extended family, “I think it would take the whole buffalo to feed us all if we all got together, “ before asking Dupree relatives in the crowd to stand, filling a large portion of the audience.

Looking beyond his own lineage, Eagle Staff called the recognition “a very special honor, not only for the Dupree family, but for our tribe as well,” and introduced tribal leaders in attendance.

Chairman Ryman LeBeau of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe delivered remarks and an executive proclamation recognizing Fred and Mary Good Elk Woman’s role in saving the buffalo. He praised the sculptor’s “beautiful artwork” and the committee’s decision to honor the couple, saying their work went far beyond private ranching.

“Because of them, they were able to save this animal, save this species, save this buffalo,” LeBeau said. In doing so, he added, they were “practicing our culture, our spirituality, our teachings of our people of thinking seven generations ahead.”

To Lakota people, he said, the buffalo are “culturally significant” and have been paired with them “from the beginning of our existence,” providing food, clothing, housing and “our sustenance to exist as Lakota people.”

Todd Bernhard, a Fort Pierre City Council member, also addressed the gathering, noting that every step of the project had received unanimous council support. He praised the leadership that made the park possible and publicly committed to working toward having the new park named in honor of former Fort Pierre mayor Gloria Hanson, underscoring the city’s appreciation for her years of service and vision.

Hanson, who was honored with a beautiful satin star quilt alongside sculptor Lopez, reflected on Fort Pierre’s bicentennial descendants’ gathering and the importance of public art in telling the city’s layered history.

Before the ceremony closed, organizers offered special recognition to Doug Dupris and Dew Bad Warrior Ganje for their essential contributions to planning, coordinating, and ensuring the success of the unveiling. Their work helped bring together family, tribal leaders, artists, donors, and the community for a ceremony worthy of the Dupree legacy.

The twin dedications, of the bison sculpture bearing the Dupree name and of the water carrying woman, closed with a message that blended history, art and responsibility to the land.

“This unveiling is not simply about looking back, but it is about looking forward,” Dana Dupris told the crowd. “Every buffalo that roams these prairies and every child who learns this story is part of that legacy.”

Attendees and the Dupris family were invited to enjoy a dinner provided by the Dupris family at the Fort Pierre Community & Youth Involved Center, where relatives and community members continued visiting, sharing stories, and celebrating the legacy of Fred Dupree and Mary Good Elk Woman.

(Contact Ernestine Anunkasan Hopa at editor@nativesunnews.today)

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