In 1999, Larry Long came to Spearfish, South Dakota, to help East Elementary School honor elders in the community through songs and spoken narratives.
Since that time Hank, Marianne and several area songwriters have worked with schools in the communities of Spearfish and Custer to honor area elders.
Information on the projects from Spearfish and Custer Elementary Schools can be found by going to:
Elders’ Wisdom, Children’s Song, South Dakota
For information about Larry Long and Community Celebration of Place website go to:
…and check out our 2016 National Park Service 100th Anniversary project with the Custer and Rockyford Schools where students wrote songs about the Park sites in Western South Dakota at:
National Park Service 100th Anniversary
Through owning each other’s story, bridges are built,
understanding is found, respect is developed and reconciliation occurs.
Barriers of age, complexion, religion, gender and class are diminished. -Larry Long