PEACE * To our ancestors and to many contemporary Lakota, the He Sapa, or Black Hills, are regarded as “the heart of all things.” Coincidentally, perhaps, when seen from far above, the outline of these beloved mountains resembles the shape of a human heart. Seen from closer to the ground, they are mystical and shadowy, inspiring outright awe and wonder – even loyalty – and for many of us a sense of connection to something larger than life. But to walk in the meadows and gaze at surrounding granite peaks – to smell the bright, fresh scent of ponderosa pine and feel a cool breeze – is to know the quiet gift from “the heart of all things”: peace. — Joseph M. Marshall