Native Americans of South Dakota

This entry was originally written by Laura Hall Heuermann and Marsha Hoffman Rising, CG, FUGA, FASG for Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.

This article is part of the South Dakota Family History Research series.

History of South Dakota

South Dakota Vital Records

Census Records for South Dakota

Background Sources for South Dakota

South Dakota Maps

South Dakota Land Records

South Dakota Probate Records

South Dakota Court Records

South Dakota Tax Records

South Dakota Cemetery Records

South Dakota Church Records

South Dakota Military Records

South Dakota Periodicals, Newspapers, and Manuscript Collections

South Dakota Archives, Libraries, and Societies

South Dakota Naturalizations

Native Americans of South Dakota

South Dakota County Resources

Map of South Dakota

The account of its native peoples is a bedrock of the culture and fabric of South Dakota history. The three major local history collections in the state for native research are the South Dakota State Historical Society (reservation censuses, school reports, photos, maps, manuscripts); Sinta Gleska College in Rosebud, Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota; and Oglala Lakota College on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Kyle, South Dakota.

Records for several agencies are available on microfilm at both the South Dakota State Historical Society and The Family History Library (FHL). Among them are Cheyenne River Agency (1886'1951); Crow Creek Agency (1895'1976); Pine Ridge Agency (1874'1932); Rosebud Agency (1886'1942); and Standing Rock Agency (1876'1939). Types of records vary, but many include census and vital statistics. Both the field branches of the National Archives at Kansas City and Denver hold materials generated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (see page 16).