Tour & Cruise Schedule  •   Terms & Conditions

 Paha Sapa: The Historic Black Hills

July 22–29, 2007

• Overview
• Historian Guide: John D. McDermott
• Click to see PDF map
• Itinerary 8 days / 7 nights
• Cost

To book this tour, call (800) 628-8542

  Overview

The Sioux called them Paha Sapa or “Hills in Shadows.” Isolated and mysterious, the Black Hills were the last uncharted place in the United States. Early home to several Indian tribes, they became the center of Sioux culture and religion. Reports of gold from George Armstrong Custer’s expedition brought thousands of trespassing miners into the Sioux homeland. Many of them gravitated to Deadwood, “the wickedest city in the West.” Your Historian Guide Jack McDermott, noted authority on the American West, will lead you through this exciting story of discovery and conquest. It unfolds as the tour brings you in contact with Sioux interpreters and you view some of the nation’s most memorable historic sites.

John D. McDermott

Jack, a former National Park Service historian, served for many years on the President’s Advisory Council for Historic Preservation. He is the author of A Guide to the Indian Wars of the West and numerous other books and articles and also has been a consultant on many television and film documentaries on the American West.

  Day by Day

Sunday, July 22 – We will gather at the Rushmore Plaza Holiday Inn in Rapid City, SD, for a briefing and welcome dinner hosted by Jack McDermott and HistoryAmerica.

Monday, July 23 – On our quest of Native American history we will visit Bear Butte, where the Cheyenne received the Seven Sacred Arrows. At Mt. Rushmore we will hear Indian interpreters present their history of the Black Hills.

Tuesday, July 24 – We will spend the day retracing the route of the 1874 Custer Expedition through the Black Hills with photographer Paul Horstad, whose book compares modern photos with those of Custer expedition photographer William Illingsworth.

Wednesday, July 25 – We take up the history of the Black Hills Gold Rush, viewing the site of Holy Terror Mine and visiting the Gordon Stockade. At Crazy Horse Mountain we will have an exclusive opportunity to go to the top and stand on the arm of Crazy Horse and gaze out over these disputed lands of Indians and gold.

Thursday, July 26 – En route to Deadwood we visit the site of the Homestake Mine, once the premier gold mine in the Americas. Then on to downtown Deadwood, a National Historic Landmark, where Main Street is lined with gambling parlors and is steeped in a rich and raucous history.

Friday, July 27 – Today we will visit the Pine Ridge Reservation, present day home to many of the Oglala Sioux. You will learn the tragic details of the Wounded Knee Massacre, and visit the cemetery and museum at Red Cloud Indian School.

Saturday, July 28 – We conclude our history of the U.S. and Indian conflicts in the Black Hills at Fort Robinson, NE, where Crazy Horse was killed, and we will follow the story of the Northern Cheyenne Outbreak. Our farewell dinner will be at the Rushmore Plaza Holiday Inn Rapid City.

Sunday, July 29 – Depart at leisure following breakfast.

  Cost ~ 8 days / 7 nights

Historian Guide John D. McDermott
Services of a professional tour director
Deluxe transportation
All admissions to included features
Seven nights hotel accommodations
Seven breakfasts, five lunches, five dinners
Taxes, baggage handling, and gratuities on included features
Suggested reading list

Per person, double occupancy: $2,095
Per person, single occupancy: $2,435