About the Logo

A great race was held between the two legged and the four legged as the world was deciding its order. A young female bison was favored to win for the four legged, a young Lakota man and the birds ran for the two legged. In the end the young man fell behind as had all the birds except one. The magpie, who during all the racing and competing was forgotten about, rode on the back of the bison and in the end flew ahead and won the race for the two legged. The race also created the red race track around the Black Hills and pushed up the He Sapa at the same time, adding to its place as “the heart of all that is”.

This formational story is at the heart of the name and logo of Racing Magpie. In our logo, we echo the transcendent and abstract aesthetics used in the painted hide designs and containers that have been a part of Očhéthi Šakówiŋ culture for many generations. This story and logo highlight the responsibilities we all have to each other and to the world, as well as root us in and acknowledge our surroundings and the place where we live and work. We strive to embody the resourcefulness of the magpie and the sacrifice of the bison, and to be good relatives. It also roots us in the land and the world around us.