Indigenous Peoples of South Dakota

The word South Dakota is a Sioux word meaning 'friend" or "allies".

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, Burle (Sioux), Cheyenne (Northern), Dakota, Gros Ventre, Hunkpapa, Keyauwee, Kiowa, Loafer,Mandan, Minneconjou, Natchez, Oglala, 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, Yankonai (Upper and Lower)

Reservations
Cheyenne River Reservation: Federal, under jurisdiction of the Cheyenne River Agency, Tribe: Sioux

Crow Creek Reservation: Federal, under jurisdiction of the the Crow Creek Agency, Tribe: Sioux

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

Grande River Reservation

Lake Traverse Reservation

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: OglalaSioux

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

Sisseton Reservation: Federal, under jurisdiction of Sisseton Agency, Tribes: Sisseton and Wahpeton Sioux

Spotted Trail Reservation

Standing Rock Reservation (before 1875 Grande River): Federal, under jurisdiction of Standing Rock Agency, Tribe; Sioux

Wowakita Reservation

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

Agencies
Cheyenne River Agency, P.O. Box 325, Eagle Butte, SD, 57625

Crow Creek Agency, P.O.Box 616, Ft. Thompson, SD, 57339

Flandreau Santee Sioux Agency,

Loswer Brule Agency, P.O. Box 190, Lower Brule, SD. 57548

Pine Ridge Agency, P.O. Box 1203, Pine Ridge, SD. 57770

Sisseton Agency, P.O. Box 688, Agency Village, SD. 57262

Standing Rock Agency, P.O. Box E, Ft. Yates, SD.58538

Rosebud Agency, P.O. Box 550, Rosebud, SD. 57570

Yankton Agency, Wagner, SD. 57380

Family History Library
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.

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).

Other Repositories
South Dakota State Historical Society

Sinta Gleska College, Rosebud, South Dakota

Oglala Lakota College

See Also:
South Dakota-History for a calendar of events

South Dakota-Military for a list of forts