Marty Two Bulls Jr., SURF’s 2024 AiR, hosts land art engagement with azilya

Marty Two Bulls Jr., the 2024 Artist in Residence at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) and an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, led a land art engagement of the traditional Lakota practice of “azilya,” at SURF on Sunday, March 23, 2025. 

Azilya is a traditional practice of the Lakota people that involves burning traditional plants such as sage, cedar, or sweetgrass to create smoke that can be used to cleanse a physical space. Two Bulls says it is often referred to as “smudging” by those outside the Lakota community.

“This azilya is an act of healing, for a physical wound in the land, and for the spiritual wound in the hearts of the people who hold it sacred,” Two Bulls said. 

Two Bulls collaborated with members of his indigenous community to gather donations of sage, this part of his website highlights his outreach effort.  The donated sage bundles were then burned near an opening of the Ross Shaft. This shaft serves as a conduit that feeds air to all the underground workings at the facility. 

“The Lakota believe that to azilya a space, one removes negative energy and spirits, as well as cleanses the air of illness. The azilya practice is rooted in Lakota spirituality and philosophy—all of which are tightly woven together with the Lakota language, sciences, and arts. The Lakota do not separate or compartmentalize their schools of thought but instead embrace a holistic paradigm,” Two Bulls said.

Two Bulls explains, “The Black Hills are sacred to my people, they are the center of our universe. Gold extraction in the Black Hills has been like a scar. These scars created by past mining can never be undone, but by facilitating a Lakota healing ceremony, and acknowledging Lakota philosophy and science, SURF is making a profound step towards friendship as a compassionate steward of this historied site,” he said.

Two Bulls also acknowledges the importance of the site to the miners who labored, sometimes for several generations, in the mine. “I’ve met folks who see the mine as a memorial site because of the friends and relatives they’ve lost down there. I offer azilya out of respect for the many histories at SURF and as a hope for building bridges of understanding between communities.” Two Bulls reflects. The current use and future of the site is dedicated to advancing scientific discovery. Today, SURF houses world-class research in physics, biology, geology, and engineering.

“The scientific research here is seeking to answer the fundamental questions about our world and its beginnings. It is dedicated to benefit all living beings, the two legged, the four legged, the winged, and water nations. We are all related and dependent on each other as the Lakota have always believed,” said Casey Peterson, chairperson of the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority (SDSTA) and an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. “We deeply appreciate that Marty Two Bulls Jr. is conducting an Azilya that will heal the past conflicts over culture, place and the Black Hills. Our hope is to move forward with the right heart, mind, and spirit. We honor Marty for his artistic contributions that reveal the unique Lakota vision of the universe here at SURF.  We also honor the Lakota and their ancestors by recognizing the sacredness of He Sapa.  My dream is that ceremonies for healing will continue at our Čhaŋgléška Wakȟáŋ. This is the Sacred Circle Garden, of native plants at the top of the mountain at SURF. The Circle is our offering to the Lakota People and their sacred lands.”

Mining no longer takes place at SURF, but the facility still relies on the expertise of miners and mining engineers to operate, and the stewardship of the site continues. SURF boasts an excellent track record for its discharge of clean water into local streams and rivers since it began 15 years ago. 

“Events like this azilya are key for SURF’s mission to advance world-class science and inspire learning across generations. This azilya is an extension of our respect for the land, the water, and the environment we all live in. It’s also part of our ongoing relationship-building efforts with our neighbors, who include tribal nations,” said Mike Headley, the executive director of the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority and the Laboratory Director at SURF. 

Two Bulls exhibited a body of work based on his time as a SURF Artist in Residence at Black Hills State University’s Ruddell Gallery in the Fall of 2024. The exhibit, titled Inyan Wakan, is slated for a second showing at the APEX Gallery on the campus of South Dakota Mines beginning April 4, 2025. Two Bulls is also scheduled to be a speaker in Mines’ STEAM Café series on May 20, 2025, with a talk titled, “Art, Science, and History at 4,850 Feet Underground: Perspectives from a Lakota Artist.”

Marty Two Bulls Jr. was born and raised on the high plains of western South Dakota. He is an interdisciplinary artist and educator based in Rapid City, SD. He is also a 2022 United States Artist Fellow, a board member of the Rapid City Arts Council, and an Artist Laureate for the Oglala Sioux Tribe.