Prepare for a Northern United States vacation by visiting the stunning National Parks and ancient Native Trails of the Dakotas. This cross-country journey through the northern United States exposes you to some of its most breathtaking scenery, rich history, and intriguing local stories.
You will be welcomed into Native American communities, educated about Lakota and Sioux culture, invited to participate in MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences that benefit tribal tourism economies, and taken to unique locations. What more can you anticipate from this fantastic trip to the Northern United States?
Meet Indigenous Locals
You will have the fantastic opportunity to meet and interact with members of Native American communities, ranging from market vendors to storytellers and village Elders, on this one-of-a-kind tour we have put together just for you.
Learn about Indigenous culture from locals like Stephen Yellowhawk, a Lakota storyteller, who you can meet in Rapid City, South Dakota. He will be one of the people you can talk to about this. He will discuss significant events in Native American history through the lens of personal anecdotes that have been passed down through the generations.
Learn About Culture Through Connection
These interactions teach culture through genuine human connection. You’ll discover authentic communities and create relationships through CodedHits’s broad network.
Local artists at Pine Ridge Reservation can help you understand Native culture via their fantastic work. Earth Lodge Village and Standing Rock Reservation offer participatory workshops about the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nations. A Local Specialist in Rosebud Indian Reservation will show you the Sicangu Lakota Oyate Nation.
Meet Community Leaders
The appeal of this Northern USA journey is the opportunity to interact with various natives, including everyday villagers and tribal Elders like Victor Douville, a Lakota of the Sicangu Oyate Tribe. He will lecture you on star knowledge and the value of astronomy to the Lakota people, who refer to the stars as the holy breath of the Great Spirit and refer to them as Woniya of Wakan Tanka.
You’ll also get to know other influential members of the community, such as Marla C. Bull Bear, Executive Director of Lakota Youth Development, who will inform you about the future of the Lakota Oyate (Lakota Nation) through storytelling and performance. You’ll also run into Jennifer Martel, a board member of the Indigenous Peoples Movement, also known as Wahukaze Nunpa Win. She will discuss her experience speaking at the UN and her perspective on the Standing Rock Movement with you.
Share A Meal With Local Native Families
Food is a global sign of connection that may be used to share culture with locals. Your Native hosts will look after you properly, such as in Pine Ridge, where you’ll have a lunch box meal lovingly made by a local Lakota family.
At Rosebud Reservation, you’ll visit a Native American Supermarket at Turtle Creek Crossing and dine with residents on excellent real Lakota food. A member of the Rosebud community will next tell you about the reservation’s food sovereignty efforts and economic activities. Did we also mention the traditional feasts and joyous song, dance, and food evenings?
Unique Experiences You Won’t Find Anywhere Else
That’s correct; when you meet these intriguing communities, you’ll have various unique, interactive experiences that will help you learn about their culture. On your Northern USA vacation, you’ll spend joyful evenings with new Native friends like Stephen Yellowhawk or the residents of Earth Lodge Village, who will teach you about Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation culture through song and dance. At Standing Rock, you can participate in historic customs by attending a traditional plant medicine session and making herbal tea utilizing Indigenous traditions passed down through generations.
Visit Sacred Sites Of History & Legend
In addition to your exceptional experiences and the people you will meet, you will also visit significant Native American landmarks. In the Black Hills, you will hike to the Crazy Horse Memorial, a memorial to the Oglala Lakota warrior ‘Crazy Horse’ and a holy site for the Lakota people.
At the Wounded Knee Memorial, you’ll meet our new acquaintance, the storyteller Warren Yellow Hair, who will regale you with fantastic tales of battles and history, providing you with a unique perspective not found in any history book.
Then, at Little Bighorn Battlefield, you will learn about the 1876 conflict between the United States Army and the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes. You will become immersed in Plains Indian history and the great legend of Sitting Bull, one of the most outstanding Native American leaders, as you travel along the Native American Scenic Byway, which passes through reservations and native communities.
Unlock The Great Plains’ Beauty
As you learn about this fascinating society, you are surrounded by the beautiful Great Plains, with its vast rolling hills and endless prairies. This trip takes you through some of the most beautiful places in the Northern United States, like Badlands National Park, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and the Missouri River. You’ll be amazed by the land’s beauty, which includes bison, elk, pronghorns, and wolves, as well as the tall rock formations and tumbling waterfalls. When you’re not learning about Native American history, you’ll see these beautiful animals in their natural environment.
Remember It For A Long Time
The National Parks and Native Trails of the Dakotas tour is more than just a trip to the north of the United States. It is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that you will never forget. You’ll come back with a better understanding of the American past and a deeper appreciation for nature. You’ll also remember the people and places you met along the way. So, why don’t you just do it?
