Misplaced Pages

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106-400: Born in present-day South Dakota around 1840, and orphaned, Gall was said to receive his name after eating the gall of an animal killed by a neighbour. An accomplished warrior by his late teens, Gall became a war chief in his twenties. As a Lakota war leader in the long conflict against United States intrusion onto tribal lands, Gall served with Sitting Bull during several battles, including

212-429: A continental climate with four distinct seasons, ranging from cold, dry winters to warm and semi-humid summers. During the summers, the state's average high temperature is often close to 90 °F (32 °C), although it cools to near 60 °F (16 °C) at night. It is not unusual for South Dakota to have severe hot, dry spells in the summer with the temperature climbing above 100 °F (38 °C) several times

318-591: A farmer, Gall encouraged his people to assimilate to reservation life. He also converted to Christianity, took the additional name Abraham, and served as a judge on the reservation's Court of Indian Affairs. He became friendly with the Indian Agent, James McLaughlin . The 1885 reservation census listed Gall as responsible for 22 lodges and 114 people. Gall lived on the Standing Rock Agency until his death at his Oak Creek home on December 5, 1894. He

424-586: A full Environmental Impact Statement of the pipeline. In August 2016, protests were held near Cannon Ball, North Dakota . In the summer of 2016, a group of young activists from Standing Rock ran from North Dakota to Washington, D.C., to present a petition in protest of the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, which is part of the Bakken pipeline . They launched an international campaign called ReZpect our Water. The activists argued that

530-636: A land area of 3,571.9 square miles (9,251.2 km ), twice the size of the U.S. State of Delaware , and has a population of 8,217 as of the 2010 census . There are 15,568 enrolled members of the tribe. The largest communities on the reservation are Fort Yates , Cannon Ball (both located in Northern Standing Rock) and McLaughlin (located in Southern Standing Rock). Together with the Hunkpapa and Sihasapa bands,

636-460: A largely defensive battle. Within minutes, Gall and his forces took a position north east of Finley Ridge and poured a withering fire down on Companies C, I and L. When Crazy Horse charged through an opening between Lt Calhoun's Company L and Company I in a sudden surprise right envelopment attack, Company L probably began to pull back off the ridge to try to link up with Company I. Companies C and L's tried to redeploy from holding off Gall's men to

742-580: A national rate of 12.8%. The effect of rural flight has not been spread evenly through South Dakota, however. Although most rural counties and small towns have lost population, the Sioux Falls area, the larger counties along Interstate 29 , the Black Hills, and many Indian reservations have all gained population. As the reservations have exercised more sovereignty, some Sioux have returned to them from urban areas. Lincoln County near Sioux Falls

848-547: A police raid ordered by the Trump administration, on charges of "inciting a riot" which is considered a felony and carries up to 5 years in prison. At that time more than 9.2 million Americans had signed a petition against DAPL. On February 7, 2017, the Trump administration authorized the Army Corps of Engineers to proceed, ending its environmental impact assessment and the associated public comment period.[12] The pipeline

954-663: A proposed route near the state capital Bismarck was denied as being deemed too risky for Bismarck's water supplies. The tribe opposed the pipeline to be constructed under Lake Oahe and the Missouri River. On April 1, 2016, LaDonna Brave Bull Allard , an elder member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, and her grandchildren established the Sacred Stone Camp to protest the DAPL, which they said threatens

1060-439: A rural lifestyle, South Dakota has recently sought to diversify its economy in other areas to both attract and retain residents. South Dakota's history and rural character still strongly influence the state's culture. Humans have lived in what is today South Dakota for several thousand years. The first inhabitants were Paleoindian hunter-gatherers, and disappeared from the area around 5000 BC. Between 500 AD and 800 AD,

1166-721: A semi-nomadic people known as the Mound Builders lived in central and eastern South Dakota. In the 14th century, the Crow Creek Massacre occurred, in which several hundred men, women, and children were killed near the Missouri River . By 1500, the Arikara (or Ree) had settled in much of the Missouri River valley. European contact with the area began in 1743, when the LaVérendrye brothers explored

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1272-513: A state dominated by agriculture to one with a more diversified economy. The tourism industry has grown considerably since the mid-twentieth century, with the Black Hills becoming more important as a destination. The financial service industry began to grow in the state as well, with Citibank moving its credit card operations from New York to Sioux Falls in 1981, a move that has been followed by several other financial companies. South Dakota

1378-475: A state first. Key events in the 20th century included the Dust Bowl and Great Depression , increased federal spending during the 1940s and 1950s for agriculture and defense, and an industrialization of agriculture that has reduced family farming. Eastern South Dakota is home to most of the state's population, and the area's fertile soil is used to grow a variety of crops. West of the Missouri River, ranching

1484-504: A year. Winters are cold with January high temperatures averaging below freezing and low temperatures averaging below 10 °F (−12 °C) in most of the state. The highest recorded temperature is 120 °F (49 °C) at Usta on July 15, 2006 and the lowest recorded temperature is −58 °F (−50 °C) at McIntosh on February 17, 1936. Average annual precipitation in South Dakota ranges from semi-arid conditions in

1590-645: Is a landlocked state in the North Central region of the United States . It is also part of the Great Plains . South Dakota is named after the Dakota Sioux tribe, which comprises a large portion of the population — with nine reservations currently in the state — and has historically dominated the territory. South Dakota is the 17th-largest by area , but the fifth-least populous , and

1696-452: Is another privately owned attraction in the Black Hills. It is a working paleontological dig and has one of the world's largest concentrations of mammoth remains. At the 2022 estimate South Dakota's population was 909,824 on July 1, 2022, a 2.61% increase since the 2020 United States census . In 2020, 6.5% of South Dakota's population was reported as under 5, 24.5% under 18, and 17.7% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 49.7% of

1802-565: Is buried in Saint Elizabeth Episcopal Cemetery in Wakpala, South Dakota . In 1991, his remains were exhumed because a Utah state park museum purported to have his skull, but his remains were found intact. South Dakota This is an accepted version of this page South Dakota ( / d ə ˈ k oʊ t ə / ; Sioux : Dakȟóta itókaga , pronounced [daˈkˣota iˈtokaga] )

1908-536: Is home to a large herd of bison . Badlands National Park was established in 1978, and features an eroded, brightly colored landscape surrounded by semi-arid grasslands. Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hills was established in 1925. The sculpture of four U.S. Presidents was carved into the mountainside by sculptor Gutzon Borglum . Other areas managed by the National Park Service include Jewel Cave National Monument near Custer ,

2014-893: Is inhabited by ethnic " Hunkpapa and Sihasapa bands of Lakota Oyate and the Ihunktuwona and Pabaksa bands of the Dakota Oyate," as well as the Hunkpatina Dakota (Lower Yanktonai). The Ihanktonwana Dakota are the Upper Yanktonai, part of the collective of Wiciyena. The sixth-largest Native American reservation in land area in the US, Standing Rock includes all of Sioux County, North Dakota , and all of Corson County, South Dakota , plus slivers of northern Dewey and Ziebach counties in South Dakota, along their northern county lines at Highway 20 . The reservation has

2120-519: Is often considered part of Tornado Alley , and South Dakota experiences an average of 30 tornadoes each year. Severe blizzards and ice storms often occur during winter. South Dakota has several sites administered by the National Park Service . Two national parks have been established in the state, both in its southwestern region. Wind Cave National Park , established in 1903 in the Black Hills , has an extensive cave network and

2226-648: Is the predominant agricultural activity, and the economy is more dependent on tourism and defense spending. Most of the Native American reservations are in West River . The Black Hills , a group of low pine-covered mountains sacred to the Sioux, is in the southwest part of the state. Mount Rushmore , a major tourist destination, is there. South Dakota has a temperate continental climate , with four distinct seasons and precipitation levels ranging from moderate in

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2332-538: The 1858 Treaty , ceding most of present-day eastern South Dakota to the United States. Land speculators founded two of eastern South Dakota's largest present-day cities: Sioux Falls in 1856 and Yankton in 1859. In 1861, the Dakota Territory was established by the United States government (this initially included North Dakota , South Dakota, and parts of Montana and Wyoming ). Settlement of

2438-600: The Battle of Killdeer Mountain in 1864 and the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. Since the early 1980s, archaeological researchers conducted battlefield excavations after a major grass fire. Historians have been studying accounts by participating Native Americans and tribal oral histories. Based on these elements, a contemporary reassessment of the Battle of the Little Bighorn has given Gall greater credit for several crucial tactical decisions that contributed to

2544-474: The Great Sioux Reservation , an area that formerly encompassed the majority of the state. It reduced it and divided it into five smaller reservations. The government was accommodating white homesteaders from the eastern United States; in addition, it intended to "break up tribal relationships" and "conform Indians to the white man's ways, peaceably if they will, or forcibly if they must". On

2650-670: The Lakota there. In 1980 the Supreme Court and Congress ordered compensation to be offered but the Lakota still refuse to accept it, insisting on return of their land. A growing population in the Dakota Territory caused political dissatisfaction between northern and southern territory residents, with the southern half being always more populated. Following the territorial capital being moved from Yankton to Bismarck in

2756-528: The Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore the region. In 1817, an American fur trading post was set up at present-day Fort Pierre , beginning continuous American settlement of the area. In 1855, the U.S. Army bought Fort Pierre but abandoned it in 1857 in favor of Fort Randall to the south. Settlement by Americans and Europeans was by this time increasing rapidly, and in 1858 the Yankton Sioux signed

2862-596: The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail , the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site , which features a decommissioned nuclear missile silo and a separate missile control area several miles away, and the Missouri National Recreational River . The Crazy Horse Memorial is a large mountainside sculpture near Mount Rushmore being built using private funds. The Mammoth Site near Hot Springs

2968-615: The Native American village. After locating the main element of Custer's five companies, Gall correctly determined that they probably intended to force a river crossing and an entrance into the northern end of the village. Riding back down from the bluffs, Gall told Sioux and Cheyenne forces returning from Reno's repulse of his suspicions. With Crazy Horse , he led forces north across the river to drive Company E and F due north up present-day Calhoun Couley to present-day Finley Ridge. There they forced three of Custer's companies to fight

3074-554: The Philippines , Mexico , Sudan and Ethiopia . The center of population of South Dakota is in Buffalo County , in the unincorporated county seat of Gann Valley . According to HUD 's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report , there were an estimated 1,389 homeless people in South Dakota. In 2022, South Dakota had the lowest drug overdose death rate of any US state, at 11.3 per 100,000 people. According to

3180-549: The Pick–Sloan Plan was passed as part of the Flood Control Act of 1944 by the U.S. Congress, resulting in the construction of six large dams on the Missouri River, four of which are at least partially in South Dakota. Flood control, hydroelectricity , and recreational opportunities such as boating and fishing are provided by the dams and their reservoirs. In recent decades, South Dakota has been transformed from

3286-812: The Public Religion Research Institute in 2020, 73% of the adult population were Christian. Per the Pew Research Center 's separate 2014 study, the largest religious denominations in Christianity by number of adherents as a percentage of South Dakota's population in 2014 were the Catholic Church with 22 percent, evangelical Protestants with 25 percent, and mainline Protestants with 32 percent. Together, all kinds of Protestants accounted for 57 percent. Those unaffiliated with any religion represented 18 percent of

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3392-419: The fifth-least densely populated of the 50 United States . Pierre is the state capital , and Sioux Falls , with a population of about 213,900, is South Dakota's most populous city . The state is bisected by the Missouri River , dividing South Dakota into two geographically and socially distinct halves, known to residents as " East River " and " West River ". South Dakota is bordered by North Dakota to

3498-437: The ring-necked pheasant , has adapted well to the area after being introduced from China . Growing populations of bald eagles are spread throughout the state, especially near the Missouri River . Rivers and lakes of the grasslands support populations of walleye , carp , pike , bass , and other species. The Missouri River also contains the pre-historic paddlefish . Due to a higher elevation and level of precipitation,

3604-680: The " water protectors ." A variety of Hollywood celebrities also supported the protests. On September 20, 2016, Standing Rock Chairman Dave Archambault II addressed the Human Rights Council of the United Nations in Geneva, testifying about the United States' violation of treaties with regard to this project. Two days later Energy Transfer Partners purchased the property where protests were being staged, from David and Brenda Meyer of Flasher, North Dakota . Analysts believed

3710-405: The 1930s, several economic and climatic conditions combined with disastrous results for South Dakota. A lack of rainfall, extremely high temperatures and inappropriate cultivation techniques produced what was known as the Dust Bowl in South Dakota and several other plains states. Fertile topsoil was blown away in massive dust storms, and several harvests were completely ruined. The experiences of

3816-406: The 1990 and the 2000 census. During that time, nine counties had a population loss of greater than 10%, with Harding County , in the northwest corner of the state, losing nearly 19% of its population. Low birth rates and a lack of younger immigration has caused the median age of many of these counties to increase. In 24 counties, at least 20% of the population is over the age of 65, compared with

3922-467: The 2022 census estimate, the racial composition of the population was: Source: Ethnically, 4.9% of South Dakota's population was of Hispanic , Latino, or Spanish origin (they may be of any race). Ethnicity for the remainder of the population is not similarly accounted by the federal government. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 25.4% of South Dakota's population younger than age 1 were 'minorities' as of 2011, meaning they had at least one parent who

4028-414: The Black Hills ecology differs significantly from that of the plains. The mountains are thickly blanketed by various types of pines , including ponderosa and lodgepole pines , as well as spruces . Black Hills mammals include deer , elk (wapiti) , bighorn sheep , mountain goats , pine marten , and mountain lions , while the streams and lakes contain several species of trout . South Dakota has

4134-461: The Black Hills, long considered sacred by Native Americans, differs from its surroundings to such an extent it can be considered separate from the rest of western South Dakota. At times the Black Hills are combined with the rest of western South Dakota, and people often refer to the resulting two regions divided by the Missouri River as West River and East River . Eastern South Dakota generally features higher precipitation and lower topography than

4240-607: The Corps of Engineers) stepped in, halting construction of the pipeline around Lake Oahe, 20 miles (32 km) either side of the Lake, but not halting the project altogether. On the weekend of December 2, 2016, approximately 2000 United States military veterans arrived in North Dakota in support of the activists. The veterans pledged to form a human shield to protect the protesters from police. In January 2017, an executive order

4346-399: The DAPL brought in a private security firm. The company used bulldozers to dig up part of the pipeline route that was subject to a pending injunction motion; it contained possible Native graves and burial artifacts. The bulldozers arrived within a day from when the tribe filed legal action. When unarmed protesters moved near the bulldozers, the guards used pepper spray and guard dogs to attack

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4452-559: The Dust Bowl, coupled with local bank foreclosures and the general economic effects of the Great Depression , resulted in many South Dakotans leaving the state. The population of South Dakota declined by more than 7% between 1930 and 1940. Economic stability returned with the U.S. entry into World War II in 1941, when demand for the state's agricultural and industrial products grew as the nation mobilized for war. In 1944,

4558-519: The Indians had won the battle, having completely annihilated Custer's five companies. In later years, Gall recounted his role in the battle. He had mistakenly thought the survivors of Custer's three southeastern companies fled northwest to Custer because they ran out of ammunition. The horse soldiers may also have fled after losing their will to fight, as many men simply ran, even abandoning loaded rifles. The Sioux and Cheyenne picked these up and fired

4664-565: The Indians have the same privilege? If the troops remain, trouble is sure to come." Thousands of additional U.S. Army troops were deployed to the reservation. On December 15, 1890, Sitting Bull was arrested for failing to stop his people from practicing the Ghost Dance. During his arrest, one of Sitting Bull's men, Catch the Bear, fired at Lieutenant "Bull Head", striking his right side. He instantly wheeled and shot Sitting Bull, hitting him in

4770-466: The Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne warring against the United States. Among the many battles and skirmishes of the war was the Battle of the Little Bighorn , often known as Custer's Last Stand, the most storied of the many encounters between the U.S. army and mounted Plains Native Americans. It was an overwhelming Native American victory. The U.S. with its superior resources was soon able to force

4876-538: The Lakota people, killed 300 people, including women and children at Wounded Knee. According to its constitution, Standing Rock's governing body is the elected 17-member Tribal Council, including the Tribal Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, and 14 representatives. As of 2022, the current chairwoman is Janet Alkire . They serve terms of four years, with elections providing for staggered replacement of members. Six members are elected at-large and eight from

4982-411: The Missouri River create four large reservoirs: Lake Oahe , Lake Sharpe , Lake Francis Case , and Lewis and Clark Lake . South Dakota can generally be divided into three regions: eastern South Dakota, western South Dakota, and the Black Hills . The Missouri River serves as a boundary in terms of geographic, social, and political differences between eastern and western South Dakota. The geography of

5088-629: The Native Americans to surrender, primarily by attacking and destroying their encampments and property. The Agreement of 1877 (19 Stat. 254, enacted February 28, 1877) officially annexed Sioux land and permanently established Native American reservations. Under the Agreement of 1877 the U.S. government took the Black Hills from the Sioux Nation . In February 1890, the United States government broke another Lakota treaty by breaking up

5194-420: The Sioux and Cheyenne's overpowering defeat of the five companies of cavalry led by Custer of the 7th Cavalry. Major Marcus Reno 's initial attack on the southeast end of the Native American village killed Gall's two wives and several children. Gall described it: "My heart was very bad that day." During the opening phase of the battle, the Lakota and Cheyenne repulsed Reno's three companies of cavalry from

5300-777: The Standing Rock Reservation and the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota were flooded by the Oahe Dam alone. As of 2015, poverty remains a problem for the displaced populations in the Dakotas. They have sought compensation for their towns submerged under Lake Oahe , and the loss of traditional ways of life. The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) was rerouted near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation after

5406-698: The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is part of what was known as the Great Sioux Nation . The peoples were highly decentralized. In 1868 the lands of the Great Sioux Nation were reduced in the Fort Laramie Treaty to the east side of the Missouri River and the state line of South Dakota in the west. The Black Hills , considered by the Sioux to be sacred land, are located in the center of territory awarded to

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5512-515: The United States surrendering at Fort Buford, Dakota Territory on January 3, 1881. On May 26, 1881, he and his followers were loaded onto steamers (along with Crow King, Black Moon, Low Dog and Fools Heart) and shipped downriver to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation . The first complete census of the Lakota at Standing Rock, taken in the fall of 1881 listed Gall with a band of 52 families, totaling 230 people. Becoming

5618-478: The agency, but here, there is considerably more than a few isolated comments raising insubstantial concerns. The many commenters in this case pointed to serious gaps in crucial parts of the Corps’ analysis — to name a few, that the pipeline's leak-detection system was unlikely to work, that it was not designed to catch slow spills, that the operator's serious history of incidents had not been taken into account, and that

5724-433: The area formed the shoreline of an ancient inland sea. Much of South Dakota (except for the Black Hills area) is dominated by a temperate grassland biome. Although grasses and crops cover most of this region, deciduous trees such as cottonwoods , elms, and willows are common near rivers and in shelter belts . Mammals in this area include bison , deer , pronghorn , coyotes , and prairie dogs . The state bird,

5830-426: The area, mostly by people from the eastern United States as well as western and northern Europe , increased rapidly, especially after the completion of an eastern railway link to Yankton in 1873. In 1874, gold was discovered in the Black Hills during a military expedition led by George A. Custer and miners and explorers began illegally entering land promised to the Lakota. Custer's expedition took place despite

5936-414: The campaign regarding the DAPL. 2016 Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein protested at the site, including spray painting equipment; charges of criminal trespass and criminal mischief were made against both her and her running mate Ajamu Baraka . US Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont, a 2016 Democratic presidential primary candidate, publicly spoke out against the pipeline and in favor of

6042-553: The east and others to the south. This probably looked like a panicked retreat to Gall and his forces. Seeing that the two Cavalry companies no longer had the fire superiority that held the Native Americans at bay, Gall and his men attacked from the east as the other Indians attacked the cut-off elements of Company C from both the east and the south. They soon finished off Companies C and L, and forced survivors and some of Company I to flee towards Custer and his men north of

6148-507: The east to semi-arid in the west. The state's ecology features species typical of a North American grassland biome. While several Democrats have represented South Dakota for multiple terms in both chambers of Congress , the state government is largely controlled by the Republican Party , whose nominees have carried South Dakota in each of the last 14 presidential elections . Historically dominated by an agricultural economy and

6254-571: The east. Encroaching miners and settlers triggered a number of Indian wars , ending with the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. As the southern part of the former Dakota Territory , South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889, simultaneously with North Dakota . They are the 39th and 40th states admitted to the union; President Benjamin Harrison shuffled the statehood papers before signing them so that no one could tell which became

6360-438: The emigration of educated young adults to larger South Dakota cities, such as Rapid City or Sioux Falls, or to other states. Mechanization and consolidation of agriculture has contributed greatly to the declining number of smaller family farms and the resulting economic and demographic challenges facing rural towns. However, the state often ranks highly for its way of life, and Gallup's well-being index in 2018 named South Dakota

6466-588: The end of the 1890 growing season, a time of intense heat and low rainfall, it was clear that the land was unable to produce substantial agricultural yields. As the bison had been virtually eradicated a few years earlier, the Lakota were at risk of starvation. The people turned to the Ghost Dance ritual, which frightened the supervising agents of the Bureau of Indian Affairs . Agent James McLaughlin asked for more troops. He claimed that spiritual leader Sitting Bull

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6572-635: The fact that the Sioux had been granted the entire western half of present-day South Dakota ( West River ) in 1868 by the Treaty of Laramie as part of the Great Sioux Reservation . The Sioux declined to grant mining rights or land in the Black Hills, and war broke out after the U.S. failed to stop white miners and settlers from entering the region. Eventually the U.S. won and broke up the Great Sioux Reservation into five reservations, settling

6678-421: The geology of this area. The Black Hills are in the southwestern part of South Dakota and extend into Wyoming . This range of low mountains covers 6,000 sq mi (16,000 km ), with peaks that rise from 2,000 to 4,000 feet (600 to 1,200 m) above their bases. The Black Hills are the location of Black Elk Peak (7,242 ft or 2,207 m above sea level), the highest point in South Dakota and also

6784-578: The happiest, healthiest state in the United States. South Dakota is in the north-central United States, and is considered a part of the Midwest by the U.S. Census Bureau; it is also part of the Great Plains region. The culture, economy, and geography of western South Dakota have more in common with the West than the Midwest. South Dakota has a total area of 77,116 square miles (199,730 km ), making

6890-417: The highest point in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains . Two-billion-year-old Precambrian formations, the oldest rocks in the state, form the central core of the Black Hills. Formations from the Paleozoic Era form the outer ring of the Black Hills; these were created between roughly 540 and 250 million years ago. This area features rocks such as limestone , which were deposited here when

6996-424: The incident, which she published in support of opposition to the pipeline. Following the publishing of her video, North Dakota Police issued an arrest warrant for Goodman under accusations of Criminal Trespass . Goodman responded, "This is an unacceptable violation of freedom of the press..." The 2016 Democratic and Republican presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump made no comments during

7102-400: The land in the anticipated state of South Dakota belonged to the Sioux. Eventually, in the 1887 general election, Dakota Territory residents voted for the division, so it was divided in half and Republican President Benjamin Harrison signed proclamations formally admitting South Dakota and North Dakota to the union on November 2, 1889. Harrison had the papers shuffled to obscure which one

7208-407: The left side, and both men subsequently died. The Hunkpapa who lived in Sitting Bull's camp and relatives fled to the south. They joined the Big Foot Band in Cherry Creek, South Dakota, before traveling to the Pine Ridge Reservation to meet with Chief Red Cloud . The 7th Cavalry caught them at a place called Wounded Knee on December 29, 1890. The 7th Cavalry, claiming they were trying to disarm

7314-519: The legislature passed a law to make English the "common language" of the state. Since 2019, "the language of the Great Sioux Nation , comprised of three dialects, Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota " is the official indigenous language. As of the 2000 census, 1.90% of the population age   5 or older speak German at home, while 1.51% speak Lakota or Dakota , and 1.43% Spanish. As of 2010, 93.46% (692,504) of South Dakota residents age   5 and older spoke English as their primary language . 6.54% of

7420-476: The name Veterans Stand were camped at Standing Rock along with hundreds of protesters as well as the members of the Sioux Tribe. The veterans vowed to oppose the pipeline and protect the land of the American Indians and the water of the United States. Since August 2016, the total number of protesters arrested had surpassed 700, and on February 3, 2017, 39-year-old American Indian activist Chase Iron Eyes and more than 70 peaceably assembled protesters were arrested in

7526-419: The nation's largest population of Hutterites , a communal Anabaptist group which emigrated in 1874 from German-speaking villages in what today is Ukraine but at that time was part of the Russian Empire . American Indians , largely Lakota , Dakota , and Nakota (Sioux), are predominant in several counties and constitute 20 percent of the population in West River . The seven large Indian reservations in

7632-768: The national average; Ziebach County ranked as the poorest county in the nation in 2009. The unemployment rate in Fort Thompson , on the Crow Creek Reservation , is 70%, and 21% of households lack plumbing or basic kitchen appliances. A 1995 study by the U.S. Census Bureau found 58% of homes on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation did not have a telephone. The reservations' isolation also inhibits their ability to generate revenue from gaming casinos, an avenue that has proved profitable for many tribes closer to urban centers. In 1995

7738-403: The north, Minnesota to the east, Iowa to the southeast, Nebraska to the south, Wyoming to the west, and Montana to the northwest. Humans have inhabited the area for several millennia, with the Sioux becoming dominant by the early 19th century. In the late 19th century, European-American settlement intensified after a gold rush in the Black Hills and the construction of railroads from

7844-476: The northern part, calls for dividing the territory increased. South Dakota held constitutional conventions in 1883, 1885, and 1889. Other account(s) state that the real reason for the split was a political lure for four Republican senators instead of two from the Republican dominated Dakota Territory and in their push to split the territory, Republican congressmen also ignored the uncomfortable fact that much of

7950-429: The northwestern part of the state (around 15 inches or 380 mm) to semi-humid around the southeast portion of the state (around 25 inches or 640 mm), although a small area centered on Lead in the Black Hills has the highest precipitation at nearly 30 inches (760 mm) per year. South Dakota summers bring frequent, sometimes severe, thunderstorms with high winds, thunder, and hail. The state's eastern part

8056-430: The past 100 years. A number of planned arrests occurred when people locked themselves to heavy machinery in civil disobedience . The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe filed an injunction against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to stop building the pipeline. In April 2016, three federal agencies -- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , U.S. Department of Interior , and Advisory Council on Historic Preservation —requested

8162-475: The pipeline, which goes from North Dakota to Illinois, would jeopardize the water source of the reservation, the Missouri River. By late September, it was reported that there were over 300 federally recognized Native American tribes and an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 pipeline resistance supporters residing in the camp, with several thousand more on weekends. A number of planned arrests occurred when people locked themselves to heavy machinery. On September 3, 2016,

8268-645: The population spoke a language other than English. 2.06% (15,292) of the population spoke Spanish, 1.39% (10,282) spoke Dakota , and 1.37% (10,140) spoke German. Other languages spoken included Vietnamese (0.16%), Chinese (0.12%), and Russian (0.10%). Over the last several decades, the population in many rural areas has declined in South Dakota, in common with other Great Plains states. The change has been characterized as " rural flight " as family farming has declined. Young people have moved to cities for other employment. This trend has continued in recent years, with 30 of South Dakota's counties losing population between

8374-601: The population. As of the 2020 census, South Dakota ranked fifth-lowest in the nation in population and population density, only North Dakota , Alaska , Vermont , and Wyoming have fewer residents. Of the people residing in South Dakota, 65.7% were born in South Dakota, 31.4% were born in another U.S. state, 0.6% were born in Puerto Rico, U.S. Island areas, or born abroad to American parent(s), and 2.3% were born in another country. The top countries of origin for South Dakota's immigrants and refugees in 2018 were Guatemala ,

8480-401: The population. The breakdown of other religions was <1% Muslim, <1% Hindu and 1% Buddhist. The number of Jewish people in South Dakota is under 400, the lowest total in any of the fifty states. Standing Rock Indian Reservation The Standing Rock Reservation ( Lakota : Íŋyaŋ Woslál Háŋ ) lies across the border between North and South Dakota in the United States, and

8586-610: The protesters. At least six protesters were treated for dog bites, and an estimated 30 protesters were pepper-sprayed before the security guards and their dogs exited the scene in trucks. The pipeline construction company claimed they hired the security company because the protests had not been peaceful. The Morton County Sheriff, Kyle Kirchmeier, described the September 3, 2016, protest, saying protesters crossed onto private property and attacked security guards with "wooden posts and flag poles." He said, "Any suggestion that today's event

8692-480: The reduced reservations, the government allocated family units on 320-acre (1.3 km ) plots for individual households. Although the Lakota were historically a nomadic people living in tipis , and their Plains Native American culture was based strongly upon buffalo and horse culture , they were expected to farm and raise livestock. With the goal of assimilation, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they were forced to send their children to boarding schools ;

8798-709: The region. The LaVérendrye group buried a plate near the site of modern-day Pierre , claiming the region for France as part of greater Louisiana . In 1762 the entire region became part of the Spanish Louisiana until 1802. By the early 19th century, the Sioux had largely replaced the Arikara as the dominant group in the area. In 1803, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory , an area that included most of South Dakota, from Napoleon Bonaparte , and President Thomas Jefferson organized

8904-566: The regional single-member districts : In the 1960s, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation built five large dams on the Missouri River , and implemented the Pick–Sloan Missouri Basin Program , forcing Native Americans to relocate from large areas to be flooded behind the dams. These dams were for flood control and hydroelectric power generation in the region. More than 200,000 acres (810 km ) on

9010-424: The schools taught English and Christianity, as well as American cultural practices. Generally, they forbade inclusion of Native American traditional culture and language. The children were beaten if they tried to do anything related to their native culture. The farming plan failed to take into account the difficulty that Lakota farmers would have in trying to cultivate crops in the semi-arid region of South Dakota. By

9116-455: The so-called "Last Stand Hill." A few of the soldiers of Companies C, I and L also fled south toward the river. The places where they fell were later marked by white marble monuments, which still stand. Soon the Native Americans finished off Custer and his men in the remaining companies C, E, and F. The last approximately 28 survivors made a dash south for the river. They were trapped in the box canyon called "Deep Ravine". After killing them,

9222-434: The south-eastern end of their large village. Gall was one of the few Native Americans to suspect that Custer's strategy was probably a two-pronged attack. He believed that determining the location of the other half of Custer's attacking force was critical to Native American defense. Gall crossed the river and rode to the northeast, where he spied Custer's chief scout, Mitch Bouyer , returning to Custer from an overwatch of

9328-462: The southeastern corner of South Dakota. Layers deposited during the Pleistocene epoch, starting around two million years ago, cover most of eastern South Dakota. These are the youngest rock and sediment layers in the state, the product of several successive periods of glaciation which deposited a large amount of rocks and soil, known as till , over the area. The Great Plains cover most of

9434-568: The state occupy an area much diminished from their former Great Sioux Reservation of West River, which the federal government had once allocated to the Sioux tribes. South Dakota has the third-highest proportion of Native Americans of any state, behind Alaska and New Mexico . Five of the state's counties are wholly within the boundaries of sovereign Indian reservations . Because of the limitations of climate and land, and isolation from urban areas with more employment opportunities, living standards on many South Dakota reservations are often far below

9540-458: The state the 17th largest in the Union. Black Elk Peak , formerly named Harney Peak, with an elevation of 7,242 ft (2,207 m), is the state's highest point, while the shoreline of Big Stone Lake is the lowest, with an elevation of 966 ft (294 m). South Dakota is bordered to the north by North Dakota ; to the south by Nebraska ; to the east by Iowa and Minnesota ; and to

9646-471: The tribe. In 1874, in direct violation of the treaty, General George A. Custer and his 7th Cavalry entered the Black Hills and discovered gold, starting a gold rush . The United States government wanted to buy or rent the Black Hills from the Lakota people, but led by their spiritual leader Sitting Bull , they refused to sell or rent their lands. The Great Sioux War of 1876 was a series of battles and negotiations that occurred between 1876 and 1877, with

9752-426: The upper Missouri River, the only water supply for the Standing Rock Reservation. The camp was on Allard's private land and served as a center for cultural preservation and spiritual resistance to the DAPL. Protests at the pipeline site in North Dakota began in the spring of 2016 and drew indigenous people from throughout North America, as well as many other supporters. It was the largest gathering of Native Tribes in

9858-511: The weapons to drive off the soldiers' horses, thus depriving them of a key tactical mobility advantage. The native warriors' attacking Greasy Grass Ridge from the southeast came mostly on foot. Gall kept up enfilading fire from the northeast. In late 1876, many of the Hunkpapa bands crossed over the border into Canada , where they struggled to survive for the next several years. Gall came to disagree with Sitting Bull and brought his band back to

9964-676: The west by Wyoming and Montana . The geographical center of the U.S. is 17 miles (27 km) west of Castle Rock in Butte County . The North American continental pole of inaccessibility is between Allen and Kyle , 1,024 mi (1,648 km) from the nearest coastline. The Missouri River is the largest and longest river in the state. Other major South Dakota rivers include the Cheyenne , James , Big Sioux , and White Rivers. Eastern South Dakota has many natural lakes, mostly created by periods of glaciation. Additionally, dams on

10070-970: The western part of the state. Smaller geographic regions of this area include the Coteau des Prairies , the Dissected Till Plains , and the James River Valley. The Coteau des Prairies is a plateau bordered on the east by the Minnesota River Valley and on the west by the James River Basin. Further west, the James River Basin is mostly low, flat, highly eroded land, following the flow of the James River through South Dakota from north to south. The Dissected Till Plains, an area of rolling hills and fertile soil that covers much of Iowa and Nebraska, extends into

10176-512: The western two-thirds of South Dakota. West of the Missouri River the landscape becomes more arid and rugged, consisting of rolling hills, plains, ravines, and steep flat-topped hills called buttes . In the south, east of the Black Hills, lie the South Dakota Badlands . Erosion from the Black Hills, marine skeletons which fell to the bottom of a large shallow sea that once covered the area, and volcanic material all contribute to

10282-463: The worst-case scenario used by the Corps was potentially only a fraction of what a realistic figure would be." The case will continue, but in the meantime the pipeline is fully operational. A video was aired on June 22, 2017, showing how people were treated as part of the pipeline protest in September 2016, which included evidence of Dakota Access guard dogs with bloody mouths after attacking protesters. Democracy Now! journalist Amy Goodman filmed

10388-736: Was a peaceful protest, is false." Shortly thereafter, on September 7, 2016, after the federal court denied the tribe's request for an injunction, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the United States Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation gave the order to halt the construction of the pipeline until further environmental assessments had taken place. There

10494-556: Was completed by April and its first oil was delivered on May 14, 2017.[13] The tribe sued and in March 2020 a federal judge sided with them and ordered USACE to do a full environmental impact statement . In a 42-page decision Judge James Boasberg said the environmental analysis by both the companies behind the pipeline and the Corps was severely lacking. “In projects of this scope, it is not difficult for an opponent to find fault with many conclusions made by an operator and relied on by

10600-400: Was issued by President Donald Trump to streamline the approval to construct the pipeline, on the basis of creating more jobs. The order provoked a new wave of protests and response from leaders of the Sioux tribe. On February 3, 2017, the Army Corps of Engineers announced that it would close lands where protesters were camped near Lake Oahe by February 22, 2017. Over 4,000 U.S. veterans under

10706-512: Was no evidence of what role President Obama himself may or may not have played in this decision. Dakota Access agreed to temporarily halt construction in parts of North Dakota, until September 9, to help "keep the peace." When a federal judge denied the injunction sought by the tribe on the 9th, the Department of the Interior, Department of Justice, and the Department of the Army (which oversees

10812-557: Was not non-Hispanic white. As of 2000, the five largest ancestry groups in South Dakota are German (40.7%), Norwegian (15.3%), Irish (10.4%), Native American (8.3%), and English (7.1%). German Americans are the largest ancestry group in most parts of the state, especially in East River (east of the Missouri River), although there are also large Scandinavian-descended populations in some counties. South Dakota has

10918-479: Was signed first and the order went unrecorded. On December 29, 1890, the Wounded Knee Massacre occurred on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation . Commonly cited as the last major armed conflict between the United States and the Lakota Sioux Nation , the massacre resulted in the deaths of at least 146 Sioux, many of them women and children. 31 U.S. soldiers were also killed in the conflict. During

11024-507: Was the first state to eliminate caps on interest rates . In 2007, the site of the recently closed Homestake gold mine near Lead was chosen as the location of a new underground research facility, the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory . Despite a growing state population and recent economic development, many rural areas have been struggling over the past 50 years with locally declining populations and

11130-679: Was the real leader of the movement. A former agent, Valentine McGillycuddy , saw nothing extraordinary in the dances and ridiculed the panic that seemed to have overcome the agencies, saying: "The coming of the troops has frightened the Indians. If the Seventh-Day Adventists prepare the ascension robes for the Second Coming of the Savior, the United States Army is not put in motion to prevent them. Why should not

11236-402: Was the seventh fastest-growing county (by percentage) in the United States in 2010. The growth in these areas has compensated for losses in the rest of the state. South Dakota's total population continues to increase steadily, albeit at a slower rate than the national average. Religious self-identification, per Public Religion Research Institute 's 2022 American Values Survey According to

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