The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe ( dak, Wakpa Ipakṡaƞ oyáte) are a

federally recognized This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States of America. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes were legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United ...

tribe of

Santee Dakota people The Dakota (pronounced , Dakota language: ''Dakȟóta/Dakhóta'') are a Native American tribe and First Nations band government in North America. They compose two of the three main subcultures of the Sioux people, and are typically divided in ...

. Their reservation is the

Flandreau Indian Reservation The Flandreau Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation, belonging to the Federally recognized tribe, federally recognized Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. They are Santee Dakota people, part of the Sioux tribe of Native Americans i ...

. The tribe are members of the

Mdewakanton The Mdewakanton or Mdewakantonwan (also spelled ''Mdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ'' and currently pronounced ''Bdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ'') are one of the sub-tribes of the Isanti (Santee) Dakota ( Sioux). Their historic home is Mille Lacs Lake (Dakota: ''Mde W� ...

wan people, one of the sub-tribes of the Isanti (Santee) Dakota originally from central

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. In 1934, the Tribe was recognized under the

Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 The Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) of June 18, 1934, or the Wheeler–Howard Act, was U.S. federal legislation that dealt with the status of American Indians in the United States. It was the centerpiece of what has been often called the "Indian ...

. Today the Flandreau Santee Sioux Reservation is located on of land 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 ...

. Notable tribal member Chief

Little Crow Little Crow III (Dakota: ''Thaóyate Dúta''; 1810 – July 3, 1863) was a Mdewakanton Dakota chief who led a faction of the Dakota in a five-week war against the United States in 1862. In 1846, after surviving a violent leadership contest ...

participated in the

Dakota War of 1862 The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, the Dakota Uprising, the Sioux Outbreak of 1862, the Dakota Conflict, the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, or Little Crow's War, was an armed conflict between the United States and several ban ...

Tribal information

* Reservation: Flandreau Reservation; in

Moody County, South Dakota Moody County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota, United States. The population was 6,336 at the 2020 census. Its county seat is Flandreau. The county is named for Gideon C. Moody. Geography Moody County lies on the east side of So ...

* Division: Santee * Bands: Mdewakanton, Wahpekute * Land Area: 5000 acres (without boundaries) * Tribal Headquarters:

Flandreau, South Dakota Flandreau is a city in and county seat of Moody County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 2,372 at the 2020 census. It was named in honor of Charles Eugene Flandrau, a judge in the territory and state of Minnesota. He is credit ...

* Time Zone: Central * Traditional Language:

Dakota Dakota may refer to: * Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux ** Dakota language, their language Dakota may also refer to: Places United States * Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Dakota, Illinois, a town * Dakota, Minnesota, ...

* Enrolled members living on reservation: 726 * Major Employers: Flandreau Indian School, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, Royal River Casino

Tribal government

* Charter: Yes; Constitution and Bylaws: Yes - IRA * Date Approved: April 24, 1936 * Name of Governing Body: Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribal Council * Executive Committee: (4) President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and 4 additional Trustees who are elected by the tribal members. Tribal Treasurer is appointed. * Dates of Constitutional amendments: October 16, 1967, November 14, 1984, May 23, 1990, May 13, 1997

Tribal elections

* Primary Election is at least forty-five days prior to the general election and General Election is held in conjunction with the August General Council meeting. * Number of Election districts or communities: 1 * Executive Officers and Trustees serve four year terms. Trustee terms of office are staggered.

Tribal council meetings

* Quorum number: Executive Committee: 4 Executive members. * General Council meetings must have fifty percent of qualified voters. General Council meeting are the first Saturday of February, May, August, and November of each year. Executive Committee holds meetings at least once a month established by the President.

Education and media

* Newspaper: Moody County Enterprise, Flandreau, SD

Notable tribal members

* Chief

(1810-1863) spent much of his life in Minnesota, where he was the head of a Santee band. Little Crow, a bold and passionate orator, established himself as a spokesman for his people. After becoming chief around 1834, he sought justice for his people, but also tried to maintain relations with the whites. In 1862, he led the fight now known as the Minnesota Santee Conflict. In fact, this war was launched only in the face of starvation and only after the federal government didn't present land payments as promised. Little Crow was killed the following year. He is buried near Flandreau.

Legalization of cannabis

In mid-2015, the Tribe stated their intent to begin growing cannabis on one authorized site on their reservation, and commence selling the product on 1 January 2016, following a vote of tribal authorities which decided 5–1 to legalize cannabis.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe Native American tribes in Minnesota Native American tribes in South Dakota Federally recognized tribes in the United States Dakota 1934 establishments in the United States