Last month, while we were in South Dakota, we revisited the North American Pole of Inaccessibility. Each continent has such a pole. It represents the middle of the landmass. It’s the place furthest from the ocean in every direction. In 2021, we led a large group of teenagers from the Pine Ridge Reservation to erect a marker on the site. We designed and fabricated the pole in cooperation with the camp and the local Tribal leaders. The pole has a seven petal iron crown. Each petal is connected to one of the Lakota values (Bear-Courage, Eagle-Love, Beaver-Wisdom, Bison-Respect, Turtle-Truth, Wolf-Humility, Foot-Honesty). The four sides of the pole are marked with color blazes connected with the directions (North-White, South-Yellow, East-Red, West-Black).
We looked at the other poles around the world and wanted to create the most unique pole, one that fit the place and the people. The only marked poles currently are Antarctica, marked with a statue of Lenin, and Australia, marked with a small welded iron plate. We were anxious to see how the pole had survived the year. We were thrilled to find it in almost pristine condition.
We wanted to help people find the trail and find the pole, so this year we designed a trailhead sign, a pay pole and two highway signs. We were able to meet the family who oversees the parking area and leads people to the pole. They helped us set the trail sign so that people can visit, make a donation for parking and get the tacit permission needed to cross the land to the pole. We continue to hope that more people will visit the Reservation. Each visit helps connect people together; it often helps the local economy as people stop and spend a little money in the area. It also helps people see the beauty of the land and the people.
The people we meet there are so great. Our goal is to help counter the narrative that is rampant on the Reservation, that they are a forgotten people, that they do not matter to the world. Instead, we want to communicate that they are a valued people who contribute to the strength and beauty of the world. It’s a long term project. They have generations of evidence that we don’t value them. Please join us in prayer for our partners who work every day on the Reservation. Please pray that God will continue to lift up people in our church who will make the long journey to South Dakota to support this amazing work. And if one day you go, please make the short hike to the middle of North America.