If public opinion follows public comments at a Rapid City hearing Wednesday evening, the name of Harney Peak is going to change. The South Dakota Board on Geographic Names heard arguments for and against renaming the peak, and one of the strongest opinions came from one of General William S. Harney’s relatives.
New Name For Harney Peak Supported By Harney Relatives
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Indigenous people gather at the top of the peak every spring to welcome back the Thunder Beings. This year, Paul Stover Soderman says, 700 people made the climb.
Photo by Victoria Wicks © 2007
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Paul Stover Soderman, a relative of General William Selby Harney, says his family supports changing the name of the peak.
Photo by Victoria Wicks
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Rochelle Rogers supports changing "Harney Peak" to its traditional Lakota name, "Hinhan Kaga." Her suggestion received wide support.
Photo by Victoria Wicks
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Glen Lakner of the Wall area was one of the few people who spoke against changing the name of Harney Peak. He says reports of Harney's brutality are "slander" and "hearsay."
Photo by Victoria Wicks
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Amanda Ruiz gave impassioned testimony emphasizing the need for Native children to have a traditional identity.
Photo by Victoria Wicks
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Vaughn Vargas, a School of Mines and Technology student, supports changing the name while the S.D. Board on Geographic Names listens.
Photo by Victoria Wicks
