Indigenous Peoples of South Dakota

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) established several field agencies in South Dakota to administer Indian programs on eight different reservations. Various Sioux tribes lived on those reservations, including the Santee, Teton (Brule and Oglala), Yankton, and Yanktonnais. Other Indian tribes who lived in South Dakota in the early nineteenth century included the Arikara, Cheyenne, Omaha, and Poncas.

Tribes and Bands of South Dakota
Arapaho, Arikara, Blackfeet, Brule (Sioux), Cheyenne (Northern), Dakota, Gros Ventre, Hunkpapa, Keyauwee, Kiowa, Loafer,Mandan, Minneconjou, Natchez, Oglala (Sioux), Northern Oglala, Omaha, Pedee, Ponca, Red Cloud Band, Red Leaf Band, Saluda, Santee Sioux, Sewee, Shakori, Shawnee, Siouan, Sisseton Sioux, Sissipahaw, Sugaree, Brule Teton Sioux. Black Pape Sioux, Sioux, Sutaio, Wahzhaghe, Thankton, Two Kettle, Waccamaw, Wahpeton, Wateree, Waxhaw, Winnebago, Winyaw, Wowakita, Yamasee, Yankton (Sioux) Yanktonai (Upper and Lower)

Four Bands of Lakota Sioux: Minnecoujou, Two Kettle, Sans Arc, and Blackfoot

Sioux Tribes: Cheyenne River, Crow Creek, Flandreau Santee, Lower Brule, Oglala, Rosebud, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, Standing Rock and Yankton

= Reservations =

Flandreau Reservation
Federal, under jurisdiction of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Agency, Tribe: Flandreau Santee Sioux

Lower Brule Reservation
Federal, under jurisdictiton of the Lower Brule Agency, Tribe: Sioux

Pine Ridge Reservation or Wowakita Reservation
Federal, under jurisdiction of the Pine Ridge Agency, Tribe: Oglala Sioux

Rosebud Reservation (before 1878 Spotted Trail)
Federal, under jurisdiction of the Rosebud Agency, Tribe: Sioux

Standing Rock Reservation
Standing Rock Reservation is located in south-central North Dakota and in north-central South Dakota. It consists of over 3500 square miles in Sioux County, North Dakota and Corson County, South Dakota, along with small parts of Dewey and Ziebach Counties, South Dakota, The population of 8250 (2000 pop. figures) are Dakota and Lakota Sioux.

Turtle Mountain Reservation
The Turtle Mountain Reservation was established in Dec. 1882 and is located primarily in the Turtle Mountains in Rolette County, North Dakota. This federeally-recognized reservation consists of approximately 70 square miles. The population on the reservation is about 6,000 (2000 pop. figures).

In addition to the main portion of the reservation, the Turtle Mountain Chippewa also hold title to approximately 170 square miles of trust lands scattered throughout some 22 counties in North Dakota and Montana, with a smaller portion in South Dakota.

Yankton Reservation
Federal, under jurisdiction of the Yankton Agency, Tribe Yankton Sioux

Agencies of the Bureau of Indian Affairs

 * Cheyenne River Agency
 * Crow Creek Agency
 * Pierre Agency
 * Pine Ridge Agency
 * Rosebud Agency
 * Sisseton Agency
 * Whetstone Agency 1871-1874
 * Yankton Agency, 1859-1876

Indian Schools

 * Chamberlain School
 * Flandreau School 1906-1937 (Family History Library film 1017424 )
 * Holy Rosary Mission School
 * Hope School
 * Indian Training School
 * Oglala Boarding School
 * Oglala Lakota College, near Kyle, four year accredited
 * Pierre School (record group 75 roll 167 Family History Library 1205162 )
 * Rapid City School (Family History Library film 1204882)
 * Sisseton-Wahpeton College.
 * Springfield School

In addition to government schools for the Native Americans, several churches established educational institutions for them. Among them were:


 * Catholic Mission Schools (Family History Library has some records)
 * Protesant Mission Schools (Family History Library has some records)

Records
The Family History Library has 130 microfilms of BIA records from the Cheyenne River, Pine Ridge, Rosebud, Sisseton, Standing Rock, and other agencies. These include birth, marriage, death, adoption, census, school, land allotment, probate, military, and miscellaneous records. Most of the records were created between 1870 and 1970.

Major James McLaughlin records 1855-1937 (Family History Library 1st film 0541380)

Central Superintendency of Indian Affairs 1813-1878 (108 films M 856 Family History Library 1st film 1602893)

Dakota Superintendency (13 films M1016 Family History Library 1st film 1549632)

1880 Rosebud Census and 1886 - 1842 Supplemental Vital records M 59(Family History Library1st film 0573847 )

These records are listed in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under NATIVE RACES and other subjects such as CENSUS, VITAL RECORDS, and LAND AND PROPERTY. You will also find records listed in the subject section of the Family History Library Catalog under the names of the tribe, such as SIOUX INDIANS.

The original BIA records are at the National Archives—Central Plains Region at Kansas City, MO (see Archives and Libraries Section above for address).

= See Also =

South Dakota_Church Records

South Dakota_History

South Dakota_Military Records

Category:South_Dakota