The Cheyenne River Indian Reservation was created by the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in 1889 by breaking up the
Great Sioux Reservation
The Great Sioux Reservation initially set aside land west of the Missouri River in South Dakota and Nebraska for the use of the Lakota Sioux, who had dominated this territory. The reservation was established in the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 ...
, following the attrition of the
Lakota
Lakota may refer to:
*Lakota people, a confederation of seven related Native American tribes
*Lakota language, the language of the Lakota peoples
Place names
In the United States:
*Lakota, Iowa
*Lakota, North Dakota, seat of Nelson County
*Lakota ...
in a series of wars in the 1870s. The reservation covers almost all of
Dewey and
Ziebach counties in
South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...
. In addition, many small parcels of off-reservation trust land are located in
Stanley
Stanley may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Film and television
* ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film
* ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy
* ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short
* ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...
,
Haakon, and
Meade counties.
The total land area is 4,266.987 sq mi (11,051.447 km²), making it the fourth-largest
Indian reservation
An Indian reservation is an area of land held and governed by a federally recognized Native American tribal nation whose government is accountable to the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs and not to the state government in which it ...
in land area in the United States. Its largest community is unincorporated
North Eagle Butte, while adjacent
Eagle Butte is its largest incorporated city.
Land status
The original Cheyenne River Reservation covered over 5,000 sq. mi. The reservation has subsequently decreased in size; today it is 4,266.987 sq mi (11,051.447 km²). The original northern boundary was the
Grand River. However, in the early 20th century, land south of the Grand River was ceded to the
Standing Rock Reservation
The Standing Rock Reservation ( lkt, Íŋyaŋ Woslál Háŋ) lies across the border between North and South Dakota in the United States, and is inhabited by ethnic "Hunkpapa and Sihasapa bands of Lakota Oyate and the Ihunktuwona and Pabaksa ...
.
The land was opened up to non-Native settlement in 1909. When the
Land Acts
Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of the planet Earth that is not submerged by the ocean or other bodies of water. It makes up 29% of Earth's surface and includes the continents and various isla ...
took effect, the northern part of the Cheyenne River Reservation was lost. However, the southern section of the Cheyenne River Reservation still remains. It covers 1,514,652 acres or 2,366 sq. mi.
A small number of
White River Utes
White River Utes are a Native American band, made of two earlier bands, the Yampa from the Yampa River Valley and the Parianuche Ute people, Utes who lived along the Grand Valley (Colorado-Utah), Grand Valley in Colorado and Utah.
Historic bands ...
were resettled on the reservation in 1906 and 1907, being allocated 4 townships totaling 92,160 acres. That land remains in the former northern part of the Cheyenne River Reservation. Their communities are Iron Lightning and
Thunder Butte
Thunder Butte (Lakota: ''Wakíŋyaŋ Pahá'') is a prominent butte landmark located in the northwest corner of Ziebach County, South Dakota, in the United States. Thunder Butte is a large, isolated hill that can be seen for many miles in every d ...
.
Four Bear Creek, a tributary of the
Missouri River, is located in the Cheyenne River Reservation.
History
![Photograph of Food Drying Outdoors - NARA - 285276](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Photograph_of_Food_Drying_Outdoors_-_NARA_-_285276.jpg)
The
Treaty of Fort Laramie of 1868 created the
Great Sioux Reservation
The Great Sioux Reservation initially set aside land west of the Missouri River in South Dakota and Nebraska for the use of the Lakota Sioux, who had dominated this territory. The reservation was established in the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 ...
, a single reservation covering parts of six states, including both of the Dakotas. Subsequent treaties in the 1870s and 1880s broke this reservation up into several smaller reservations. The Cheyenne River Indian Reservation was created in 1889.
Chief
Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull ( lkt, Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake ; December 15, 1890) was a Hunkpapa Lakota leader who led his people during years of resistance against United States government policies. He was killed by Indian agency police on the Standing Rock I ...
lived north of the Cheyenne River Reservation on the Grand River, which is the Standing Rock Reservation. In 1890, the United States became very concerned about Chief Sitting Bull who they feared was going to lead an exodus off the Reservation.
Several hundred Lakota gathered on the Grand River on the Standing Rock Reservation in December 1890, preparing to flee the reservation. A force of 39 Indian policemen and four volunteers were sent to chief Sitting Bull's residence near the Grand River on December 16, 1890, to arrest him.
Initially, Sitting Bull cooperated but became angry once led out of his residence and noticed around 50 of his soldiers were there to support him. During some point while outside of chief Sitting Bull's residence, a battle commenced in which the legendary leader was killed. A total of 18 casualties occurred in the battle. Among the killed were Sitting Bull and his son.
Sitting Bull's half brother,
Spotted Elk
Spotted Elk (Lakota: Uŋpȟáŋ Glešká, sometimes spelled ''OH-PONG-GE-LE-SKAH'' or ''Hupah Glešká'': 1826 approx – ), was a chief of the Miniconjou, Lakota Sioux. He was a son of Miniconjou chief Lone Horn and became a chie ...
, led an exodus of 350 people off the Standing Rock Reservation to the south onto the Cheyenne River Reservation. They were captured on December 28, 1890 on the
Pine Ridge Reservation
The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation ( lkt, Wazí Aháŋhaŋ Oyáŋke), also called Pine Ridge Agency, is an Oglala Lakota Indian reservation located entirely within the U.S. state of South Dakota. Originally included within the territory of the Grea ...
, about 30 miles to the east of the settlement of Pine Ridge. Next day they were attacked by over 500 US Army soldiers, and event known as the
Wounded Knee Massacre. Approximately 250 to 300 Natives were killed, including many women and children, and the massacre halted the exodus. Survivors settled on the Pine Ridge Reservation or returned to the Cheyenne River Reservation.
Since then, the Cheyenne River Reservation's northern border has changed. It is no longer the Grand River. The
60th United States Congress
The 60th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1907, to M ...
authorized the sale of
unallotted land on the reservation in 1908, and in 1909
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...
issued a
presidential proclamation
A presidential proclamation is a statement issued by a US president on an issue of public policy and is a type of presidential directive.
Details
A presidential proclamation is an instrument that:
*states a condition,
*declares a law and require ...
which opened up the Cheyenne River Reservation to white settlement.
However, the present day settlements located along the Grand River are predominantly Algonquian.
Beginning in 1948, the US government dammed the
Missouri River for electrical power and flood control. The dam project submerged 8% of reservation land.
[
On August 15, 2018, at 9:06 a.m. MDT, the tribe signed KIPI on the air. The station will serve as an educational and economic opportunity for residents of the reservation.
]
Current conditions
The CRIR is the home of the federally recognized Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) or Cheyenne River Lakota Nation ( lkt, Wakpá Wašté Lakȟóta Oyáte). The members include representatives from four of the traditional seven bands of the Lakota, also known as Teton Sioux: the Minnecoujou, Two Kettle (Oohenunpa), Sans Arc (Itazipco) and Blackfoot ( Sihásapa).
The CRIR is bordered on the north by the Standing Rock Indian Reservation
The Standing Rock Reservation ( lkt, Íŋyaŋ Woslál Háŋ) lies across the border between North and South Dakota in the United States, and is inhabited by ethnic "Hunkpapa and Sihasapa bands of Lakota Oyate and the Ihunktuwona and Pabaksa ...
, on the west by Meade and Perkins
Perkins is a surname derived from the Anglo-Saxon corruption of the kin of Pierre (from Pierre kin to Pierrekin to Perkins), introduced into England by the Norman Conquest. It is found throughout mid- and southern England.
Another derivation com ...
Counties; on the south by the Cheyenne River
The Cheyenne River ( lkt, Wakpá Wašté; "Good River"), also written ''Chyone'', referring to the Cheyenne people who once lived there, is a tributary of the Missouri River in the U.S. states of Wyoming and South Dakota. It is approximately 2 ...
; and on the east by the Missouri River in Lake Oahe. Much of the land inside the boundaries is privately owned. The CRST headquarters and BIA agency are located at Eagle Butte, South Dakota
Eagle Butte is a city in Dewey and Ziebach counties in South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,258 at the 2020 census.
Description
Eagle Butte is the tribal headquarters of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe on the Cheyenne River Indian ...
. The reservation is reached via US-212.
The 2010 census reported a population of 8,090 persons. Many of the 13 small communities on the Cheyenne River Reservation do not have water systems, making it difficult for people to live in sanitary conditions. In recent years, water systems have been constructed that tap the Missouri Main Stem reservoirs, such as Lake Oahe
Lake Oahe () is a large reservoir behind Oahe Dam on the Missouri River; it begins in central South Dakota and continues north into North Dakota in the United States. The lake has an area of and a maximum depth of . By volume, it is the List of l ...
, which forms the eastern edge of the Reservation.
With few jobs available on the reservation or in nearby towns, many tribal members are unemployed. Two-thirds of the population survives on much less than one-third of the American average income. Such dismal living conditions have contributed to feelings of hopelessness and despair among the youth. ''Indian Country Today
''ICT News'' (formerly known as ''Indian Country Today'') is a daily digital news platform that covers the Indigenous world, including American Indians, Alaska Natives and First Nations.
It was founded in 1981 as a weekly print newspaper, ''The ...
'' reports than one in five girls on the Cheyenne River Reservation has contemplated suicide and more than one in ten has attempted it. As of 2009, a modern medical center was under construction in Eagle Butte to replace an outdated facility.
Beginning on January 22, 2010, a blizzard and ice storm swept across the reservation, downing as many as 3,000 power lines and leaving thousands of residents without power, heat or water. Response to the disaster was slow. Although the state government declared a state of emergency, the situation did not initially receive much attention in the media or from legislators. Power was finally restored to most residents as of February 12, 2010, but overall conditions were still grim.
On February 14, 2010, the TV commentator Keith Olbermann
Keith Theodore Olbermann (; born January 27, 1959) is an American sports and political commentator and writer.
Olbermann spent the first 20 years of his career in sports journalism. He was a sports correspondent for CNN and for local TV and r ...
highlighted the situation on his program ''Countdown with Keith Olbermann
''Countdown with Keith Olbermann'' is an hour-long weeknight news and political commentary program hosted by Keith Olbermann that aired on MSNBC from 2003 to 2011 and on Current TV from 2011 to 2012. The show presented five selected news stories o ...
''. Within 48 hours more than $250,000 in donations was raised for the reservation. As of February 24, 2010, more than $400,000 in donations had been raised. No deaths had been reported as a result of the disaster. Several elderly residents dependent on dialysis treatment were evacuated to nearby towns. As of February 26, 2010, tribal representatives are turning attention to raising awareness about the reservation's damaged water infrastructure."Many on South Dakota Reservation Remain Without Power After Storm"
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', 31 January 2010
Communities
![US Army 52068 Korean War vet gets native-American honors](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/US_Army_52068_Korean_War_vet_gets_native-American_honors.jpg)
The communities of Iron Lightning, Thunder Butte, Bullhead, Little Eagle, and Wakpala date back to the original 1889 reservation boundaries. Nearly all communities on the Cheyenne River Reservation, including in the land area settled by white homesteaders after 1908, have a majority population of Native Americans. Most of the communities rank as the lowest income per-capita in the United States. However, Eagle Butte and North Eagle Butte are more economically diverse, and the main business district of Eagle Butte is similar to that of many communities with comparable populations.
*
Blackfoot
The Blackfoot Confederacy, ''Niitsitapi'' or ''Siksikaitsitapi'' (ᖹᐟᒧᐧᒣᑯ, meaning "the people" or " Blackfoot-speaking real people"), is a historic collective name for linguistically related groups that make up the Blackfoot or Bla ...
*
Bridger
*
Dupree
*
Cherry Creek
*
Green Grass
*
Iron Lightning
*
Isabel
Isabel is a female name of Spanish origin. Isabelle is a name that is similar, but it is of French origin. It originates as the medieval Spanish form of '' Elisabeth'' (ultimately Hebrew ''Elisheva''), Arising in the 12th century, it became popul ...
*
La Plant
*
North Bridger
*
North Eagle Butte
*
Red Scaffold
*
Swiftbird
*
Thunder Butte
Thunder Butte (Lakota: ''Wakíŋyaŋ Pahá'') is a prominent butte landmark located in the northwest corner of Ziebach County, South Dakota, in the United States. Thunder Butte is a large, isolated hill that can be seen for many miles in every d ...
*
Timber Lake
*
Whitehorse
Whitehorse () is the capital of Yukon, and the largest city in Northern Canada. It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1426 (Historic Mile 918) on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas ...
*
Bear Creek, South Dakota
Education
Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School Eagle Butte School District 20-1, is a school district with its headquarters in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. The district covers sections of Ziebach County and Dewey County.
The district and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) jointly administer t ...
, which is jointly operated by the
Bureau of Indian Education
The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), headquartered in the Main Interior Building in Washington, D.C., and formerly known as the Office of Indian Education Programs (OIEP), is a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior under the Assistant S ...
(BIE) and the Eagle Butte School District 20-1, is on the reservation.
Notable tribal members
*
Marcella LeBeau, former tribal councilmember, nurse and military veteran
*
Madonna Swan
Madonna Mary Swan-Abdalla (September 12, 1928 – 1993) was a Lakota people, Lakota woman. Born on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, USA, Madonna Swan prevailed over extreme difficulties including the Native American tuberculosi ...
, author
*
Touch the Clouds
Touch the Clouds ( Lakota: Maȟpíya Ičáȟtagya or Maȟpíya Íyapat'o) (c. 1838 – September 5, 1905) was a chief of the '' Minneconjou'' Teton Lakota (also known as Sioux) known for his bravery and skill in battle, physical strength and ...
, chief of
Minneconjou
The Miniconjou (Lakota language, Lakota: Mnikowoju, Hokwoju – ‘Plants by the Water’) are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Native American people constituting a subdivision of the Lakota people, who formerly inhabited an area in west ...
Teton Lakota
*
Heather Dawn Thompson, attorney and Director of the Office of Tribal Relations for the USDA
*
Harold Frazier, chairman 2014 -
*
Jana Schmieding
Jana Schmieding is a Native American ( Cheyenne River Lakota) comedian, actor, podcaster, and writer. She is best known for her roles hosting the podcast ''Woman of Size'', and as a writer and actor on the sitcom ''Rutherford Falls'', and an act ...
, actor and comedian
See also
*
Great Sioux Reservation
The Great Sioux Reservation initially set aside land west of the Missouri River in South Dakota and Nebraska for the use of the Lakota Sioux, who had dominated this territory. The reservation was established in the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 ...
*
Sue (dinosaur)
Sue is the nickname given to FMNH PR 2081, which is one of the largest, most extensive, and best preserved ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' specimens ever found, at over 90 percent recovered by bulk. It was discovered on August 12, 1990, by American explo ...
*
Thunder Butte
Thunder Butte (Lakota: ''Wakíŋyaŋ Pahá'') is a prominent butte landmark located in the northwest corner of Ziebach County, South Dakota, in the United States. Thunder Butte is a large, isolated hill that can be seen for many miles in every d ...
References
External links
Official Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe websiteWilliam Howard Taft, "Proclamation 879—Cheyenne River and Standing Rock Indian Reservations," August 19, 1909
{{Authority control
Sioux
American Indian reservations in South Dakota
Federally recognized tribes in the United States
Geography of Dewey County, South Dakota
Geography of Haakon County, South Dakota
Geography of Meade County, South Dakota
Geography of Stanley County, South Dakota
Geography of Ziebach County, South Dakota
1889 establishments in Dakota Territory