'Scaffold' to be buried, not burned
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Tribal elders have decided that wood from a sculpture that sparked protests at a Minneapolis art museum will be buried, not burned.
"Scaffold" ignited a firestorm of criticism after it was built this spring at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden outside the Walker Art Center. Artist Sam Durant intended it as a commentary on capital punishment. It depicted elements of gallows used in seven hangings, including the mass execution of 38 Dakota men in Mankato in 1862.
Dakota leaders denounced the work as disrespectful. The Walker ordered it removed and turned over to the Dakota. The initial plan was to burn it.
But Donald Leith, a Dakota involved in the negotiations, says they're going to bury it in a secret place instead on the advice of a Dakota spiritual leader.