The Black Hills And The Sacred Geography

Any discussion of Crazy Horse’s burial must acknowledge the sacred geography within which the Lakota understanding of his life and death was situated.

Pahá Sápa — the Black Hills — was not simply a geographic feature to the Lakota.

It was the heart of their world, a sacred landscape whose significance pervaded their religious and cultural life.

The mountains, the specific formations within them, the places where ceremonies were conducted — all of this was integrated into the Lakota understanding of the cosmos and of their place in it.

Crazy Horse’s connection to the Black Hills was direct: he was born near Rapid Creek, which drains from the Black Hills.