"Black Hills Thunder" by Greg Benson
"Every August the Black Hills of South Dakota
roar to life with thousands of motorcycles from the Sturgis
Rally. When riding through this unique area you can still see hints
of a rich historic past.
This was a sacred area to the Native Americans that inhabited the
hills for thousands of years. Native American leader Sitting
Bull, (hidden image in the trees) certainly saw what the future had in
store for his people once gold was discovered in the hills, (miner
panning in the center pine tree). More people would soon
arrive. Some by stagecoach, (hidden image on the left) and eventually
in droves by train, (locomotive hidden on the right).
This wave of people marked the end of the Native American way of life
and almost completely destroyed what was their most important
resource, "To-tonk-a", or the buffalo. Furtunately buffalo,
(hidden
in the sky) have made a comeback from virtual extinction and today a
large herd can still create their own "Black Hills Thunder".
Greg Benson