Mike Ponyah Badlands Image 2011

While driving back from the 4th of July, 2011 weekend Rosebud Casino Powwow Mike, Emily and the kids stopped for a quick look over the amazing scenery at the Badlands National Park in western South Dakota. “A penny for your thoughts Mike.” What was really cool is we had just passed a huge herd of buffalo grazing in the green open land. It was truly a wonderful sight to see that is for sure! This was one of the last photographs that I would create and shoot on the Northern Great Plains. From Trek America in 1981 and fifteen road trips over the next three decades and 200,000 miles driven on Interstates and Highways this is one of my lasting images of 2011 and memories of a life well lived! What makes this image even more interesting is that directly to the right of Mike on the grassy open Badlands plain is a gracing herd of around twelve hundred bison. It was a fun and rewarding powwow road trip with both Mike and Emily Ponyah and their extremely talented six children Kelly, Camille, Grace, Evan, Aiden and Liam called Peanut by his friends!

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