{"id":40334,"date":"2026-07-12T00:45:03","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T05:45:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/dupree-sculpture-honors-lakota-family-who-helped-save-the-buffalo\/"},"modified":"2026-07-12T00:45:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T05:45:24","slug":"dupree-sculpture-honors-lakota-family-who-helped-save-the-buffalo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/dupree-sculpture-honors-lakota-family-who-helped-save-the-buffalo\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Dupree\u2019 sculpture honors Lakota family who helped save the buffalo"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Sculptor<\/a><\/p>\n

Sculptor John Lopez unveiled \u201cDupree the American Bison\u201d in Fort Pierre, where the Wakinyan Maza Drum Group offered an honoring song as community members gathered to celebrate the new metal sculpture recognizing Fred Dupree and the family\u2019s historic role in saving the buffalo from extinction. (Photo by Ernestine Anunkasan Hopa)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

FORT PIERRE \u2014 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 \u201cDupree, Fort Pierre\u2019s American Bison,\u201d along with a companion statue of a water carrying woman.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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, \u201cno taxpayer money is ever involved.\u201d The committee, she said, is charged \u201cto identify the subject, commission the artist, and raise the money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dana<\/a><\/p>\n

Dana Dupris speaks to the audience, explaining the cultural significance of the sculpture and reading a narrative honoring the Dupree family\u2019s pivotal role in preserving the buffalo for future generations. (Photo by Ernestine Anunkasan Hopa)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u2019s history and the Dupree family\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n

Weisgram recalled the city\u2019s 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\u2019 luncheon, she said, that she first learned \u201cof the essential role that Fred and Good Elk Woman played in saving the buffalo from being hunted to extinction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knowing \u201chow 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,\u201d the committee decided \u201cit was kind of a no brainer for our committee to choose a bison for our first sculpture,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"Honoring<\/a><\/p>\n

Honoring sculptor John Lopez, creator of \u201cDupree the American Bison,\u201d and former Fort Pierre mayor Gloria Hanson, community members gathered to recognize their contributions to preserving local history and celebrating the legacy of Fred Dupree\u2019s role in saving the buffalo from extinction. (Photo by Ernestine Anunkasan Hopa)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u2019s ranch in Lemmon. Lopez encouraged her to look inside the bison\u2019s back leg, where she found a memorial piece reading \u201cRon.\u201d \u201cI will be forever grateful for that lasting memorial to Ron,\u201d she said. \u201cYou\u2019ll have to look for it today.\u201d<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

Lanis as a water feature symbolizing \u201cthe sacred relationship that earth has with water.\u201d Lanis briefly addressed the audience, explaining the cultural and spiritual meaning behind the design.<\/p>\n

\"Fred<\/a><\/p>\n

Fred Dupree, Pete Dupree, Mary Good Elk Woman. Fred\u2019s family were French and arrived in the area for the fur trade. He married Good Elk Woman, a Minneconjou from Cherry Creek. Fred was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame and was the first inductee into the National Buffalo Association Hall of Fame for his role in saving the buffalo from extinction. Dupree, South Dakota, is named for Fred and his family. (Courtesy of Donovan Sprague)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

On behalf of the family, Dana Dupris read a prepared narrative tracing the origins of the Dupree herd and its impact. \u201cIn 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,\u201d Dupris said. \u201cRather than letting the last buffalo disappear, they rescued orphaned buffalo calves and raised them with care.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese few calves became part of the foundation for the restoration of the American bison,\u201d he continued. \u201cToday, millions of people can witness buffalo on these prairies, because families like ours believed that they were worth saving.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Lakota people, he said, \u201cthe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dupris emphasized the often overlooked leadership of Mary Good Elk Woman. \u201cWhile history has often credited Frederick Dupree with helping save the buffalo, it was Mary\u2019s 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,\u201d he said. \u201cThis was not the work of one person, but of a family united by love, responsibility, and hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs descendants, we carry this history with great pride and humility,\u201d he added. \u201cMay 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thomas Eagle Staff, Wambli Wapaha, introduced himself and his relatives, linking the story of the buffalo\u2019s survival to his own family tree. He joked about the size of the extended family, \u201cI think it would take the whole buffalo to feed us all if we all got together, \u201c before asking Dupree relatives in the crowd to stand, filling a large portion of the audience.<\/p>\n

Looking beyond his own lineage, Eagle Staff called the recognition \u201ca very special honor, not only for the Dupree family, but for our tribe as well,\u201d and introduced tribal leaders in attendance.<\/p>\n

Chairman Ryman LeBeau of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe delivered remarks and an executive proclamation recognizing Fred and Mary Good Elk Woman\u2019s role in saving the buffalo. He praised the sculptor\u2019s \u201cbeautiful artwork\u201d and the committee\u2019s decision to honor the couple, saying their work went far beyond private ranching.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of them, they were able to save this animal, save this species, save this buffalo,\u201d LeBeau said. In doing so, he added, they were \u201cpracticing our culture, our spirituality, our teachings of our people of thinking seven generations ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

To Lakota people, he said, the buffalo are \u201cculturally significant\u201d and have been paired with them \u201cfrom the beginning of our existence,\u201d providing food, clothing, housing and \u201cour sustenance to exist as Lakota people.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019s appreciation for her years of service and vision.<\/p>\n

Hanson, who was honored with a beautiful satin star quilt alongside sculptor Lopez, reflected on Fort Pierre\u2019s bicentennial descendants\u2019 gathering and the importance of public art in telling the city\u2019s layered history.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis unveiling is not simply about looking back, but it is about looking forward,\u201d Dana Dupris told the crowd. \u201cEvery buffalo that roams these prairies and every child who learns this story is part of that legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

(Contact Ernestine Anunkasan Hopa at editor@nativesunnews.today)<\/p>\n

The post \u2018Dupree\u2019 sculpture honors Lakota family who helped save the buffalo<\/a> first appeared on Native Sun News Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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<\/span><\/div>

Sculptor John Lopez unveiled \u201cDupree the American Bison\u201d in Fort Pierre, where the Wakinyan Maza Drum Group offered an honoring song as community members gathered to celebrate the new metal sculpture recognizing Fred Dupree and the family\u2019s historic role in saving the buffalo from extinction. (Photo by Ernestine Anunkasan Hopa) <\/p>\n

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Shared by Native Sun News Today<\/a> July 12, 2026<\/p>\n

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