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The Sacred Hoop Garden


category : Indian Heritage
The Sacred Hoop Garden

The Sacred Hoop Prayer Garden is a living symbol of the Hoop of the World from the vision of the Oglala Lakota Holy Man Black Elk, found in John G. Neihardt's, Black Elk Speaks. The Prayer Garden was designed by Neihardt. The symbolism is explained on signs along the quiet garden paths.


The Hoop is divided into quarters, each with its own peculiar power, color and symbol. The Hoop itself is a symbol of the vastness of the universe, "so big, " Black Elk said, "it has everything in it."


The West is symbolized by the color blue or black and the power to make live and to destroy. The North is white, symbolizing cleansing and healing. The quarter of the East is symbolized by red and the power of enlightenment which brings understanding and peace. The South is resplendent in yellow to symbolize the power to grow.


Two roads cross the Hoop of the World, one from east to west, and one from south to north.


Like sunrise an sunset, life appears to progress from east to west on a hard black road of worldly difficulty. The red road from south to north is one of spiritual understanding.


Where the two paths cross each other is holy, there springs the tree of life to shield us, filled with leaves, blossoms and singing birds.


Visitors may stroll through the garden and enjoy the detailed explanations of the Garden symbolism as described from Neihardt's, Black Elk Speaks.



Hours: The Garden is open for viewing at all times. The Neihardt Center is open on an hourly schedule.
Address: Elm and Washington Streets, off Hwys 77, 51, and 16 in northeastern Nebraska
Phone: 1-888-777-4667

Come visit us in Bancroft, Nebraska

Attractions and Upcoming Events

John G. Neihardt - Poet Laureate - 1881-1973

Author, lecturer, and award-winning poet, John Gneisenau Neihardt, arrived in Nebraska in 1892 at the age of eleven. Settling in Bancroft from 1900 to 1920

Bancroft, NE Famous People

Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte

Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte was born in 1865 to the last recognized chief of the Omaha tribe. Her father, Iron Eyes, encouraged his children to learn the ways of the majority white culture. Upon graduation from the Philadelphia Women's Medical College in 1889

Bancroft, NE Indian Heritage

The Neihardt Center

The Neihardt Center has been constructed for the study and preservation of the works of John G. Neihardt. The memorial room repeats the symbolism of the Hoop of the World and chronicles Neihardt's life, works and the times in which he lived. See the study where Neihardt began his epic poem

Bancroft, NE Arts

The Sacred Hoop Garden

The Sacred Hoop Prayer Garden is a living symbol of the Hoop of the World from the vision of the Oglala Lakota Holy Man Black Elk, found in John G. Neihardt's, Black Elk Speaks. The Prayer Garden was designed by Neihardt. The symbolism is explained on signs along the quiet garden paths. Bancroft, NE Indian Heritage


Bancroft Notables

-- Joseph "Iron Eye" LaFlesche, last chief of the Omahas. One of his daughters, Susan LaFlesche Picotte, was the first woman doctor in the area.

-- Susette "Bright Eyes" LaFlesche (another daughter)

Bancroft, NE Famous People

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