Dignity of Earth and Sky

The physical sculpture, Dignity of Earth and Sky, was a gift to the people of South Dakota from Norm (SD Hall of Fame Inductee) and Eunabel McKie of Rapid City, South Dakota. The sculpture was dedicated to the State of South Dakota on September 17, 2016. Norm and Eunabel commissioned Sculptor and SD Hall of Fame Inductee Dale Claude Lamphere to create Dignity of Earth and Sky. 

Dignity is a soaring sculpture of a Native woman standing high on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River. Dignity’s star quilt is made of 128 steel diamonds in colors of the water and sky around her. She is 50 feet tall, weighing 12 tons, and is made entirely of hundreds of pieces of steel.

Dignity celebrates the Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains, and she does not represent any one individual.  

Dignity brings to light the beauty, resilience, and promise of the Indigenous people of the geographic territory of South Dakota−the Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota−and the people and cultures who still thrive here. Dale Claude Lamphere’s intent is for Dignity to stand as an enduring symbol of our shared bond with this land and our shared belief that all here are sacred and that we are in a sacred place. 

Dignity of Earth and Sky is located on I-90 between exits 263 and 265 at the Lewis & Clark Welcome Center.

FAQ

  • Dale Claude Lamphere and his wife, Jane Murphy, decided to grant Assignment of the Copyright to the South Dakota Hall of Fame, subject to the terms and conditions of a confidential Agreement.

  • Effective with the signatures of the Copyright Assignment being provided to the South Dakota Hall of Fame (SDHoF) by Sculptor and SDHoF Inductee Dale Lamphere and his wife, Jane Murphy, the SDHoF owns the copyright to the image of Dignity. Per the Agreement, select uses will continue to be permitted for Dale Lamphere, as well as the use by the State of South Dakota for the Dignity License Plates. Other proposed uses for the image of Dignity in derivative works should be directed to the SDHoF with the request and description of proposed use to info@sdhalloffame.org. A specific request form will be available soon on the SDHoF website.  All proposed items must honor the intent and aesthetic of Dignity. The SD Hall of Fame will only approve items that respect the Indigenous women, culture, traditions, and community that Dignity is meant to honor. Items must be true to character, likeness, and the spirit of the work. No item shall diminish the image or reputation of Dignity. 

  • Derivative works are new copyrightable creations using the image of the sculpture, Dignity of Earth and Sky. They typically add creative content to the original, and permission from the copyright holder is required to create them. These works typically recast, transform, and adapt existing copyrighted material. The copyright for the derivative work only covers the new, added material. The copyright owner retains rights to the underlying work. Creating a derivative work without authorization from the copyright holder is a copyright infringement. Examples include art and artifacts and other products created using the image of Dignity. 

  • The South Dakota Hall of Fame’s Onsite and Online Gift shop sells Dignity Merchandise as does Black Hills Rally and Gold in Sturgis, SD. River Boutique at Al’s Oasis also carries approved products. Other select vendors in the area may have permission to carry and sell Dignity merchandise. The SD Hall of Fame expects to expand vendors so more people can enjoy Dignity and what she stands for.