Distinctly Montana Magazine

Timeless q VALUE. CRAFTSMANSHIP. Superb lectures, I have found people have a huge interest in learning about Native ways of life, culture, art and history. The retreats are my way of sharing this knowledge: a week long cultural immersion hopefully bringing about some real under- standing." Growing up between two Lakota reservations in western South Da- kota, Smith discovered a passion for the culture at an early age. "For me the life and stories of Hump and Crazy Horse, as told to me by my great aunt Nellie Two Bulls, were totally magical. I under- stood at a young age that lifestyle was passing, and it was soon to be gone," says Smith. Her com- mitment to learning led her on a YELLOWSTONE CUSTOM COUNTRY HOMES WWW.BIGSKYBUILDERS.COM 406-842-5068 q HOWARD MILLS, OWNER AT YCCH@3RIVERS.NET contact 48 path to participating in the Native cultural life-ways, Hanblecyia's (Vision Quests) and Sun Dances, and earned her the opportunity to apprentice with a medicine man. "He told me it was my job to help teach this way of life, and I've made it my mission to teach it the right way," says Smith. Honoring the teachings of her mentor and instructing in the way she was taught, has made Smith a much sought-after lecturer and historian not limited to Hollywood producers, but also museum curators and international collectors. Locales of her lectures and exhibits on Western Plains art and culture range from the Smithsonian to the Eiteljorg Museum, among many others. Smith has also begun to paint the American West. Her historically accurate collection is titled "Wicaki Ksuya Pi" or "Remembering Them." These original oil paintings, born out of her intimate connection with the Native culture, are showcased in her studio in Nambe, New Mexico, the Black Hills of South Dakota, and numerous galleries across the west. Jerry Fahrenthold, native of Red Lodge is also an historian of Plains culture and an avid re-enactor of tipi life. His beautifully outfitted tipi is the center- piece of the retreat; his experience as a mountaineer guides the adventure. Montana is not the only location to experience a retreat. They are hosted in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and on occasion, Santa Fe. Smith will happily customize retreats, honoring guest requests for privacy or increasing DISTINCTLY MONTANA • SPRING 2012

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