The total number of native North Americans is approximately 1,5 million, of which around 100,000 are Lakota. More than 62,000 American Indians live in South Dakota and neighboring states. Most of them are Dakota, Lakota or Nakota people, also known collectively as Sioux. In North America the territory of the Sioux Nation covers some 200,000 km2 in the present day.

Sioux Falls is a city of 134,600 progressive citizens, and we boast of great schools, a booming economy, fresh air, clean water, safe neighborhoods, high-quality medical care, excellent transportation services, enthusiastic community spirit, and weather of all seasons.

The largest of the Sioux bands, representing the majority of the Teton Sioux - the Lakota of the Pine Ridge Reservation have one of the best known Indian tribal flags. The 2,782 square mile reservation in southwestern South Dakota (NAA, 36-43) is bordered by the State of Nebraska to the south, the Rosebud Sioux Reservation to the east and Badlands National park to the west.
The Oglala Band of the Teton have given the Sioux, and the United States two of the most famous Indians of all times. Both Chief Red Cloud and Chief Crazy Horse were Oglalas
The 14,500 plus residents of the reservation utilize a red flag that, when fringed for indoor or parade use, employs a deep blue fringe to incorporate the colors of the United States into the design. This red flag bears a circle of eight teepees representing the eight districts of the reservation. They stand for the Porcupine, the Wakpamni, the Medicine Root, Pass Creek, Eagle Nest, White Clay, LaCreek and Wounded Knee districts.
The flag of red, symbolizes the blood shed by the Sioux in defense of their lands and the very idea of the "red men". The flag is a very common sight at all Native American powwows, not just at Sioux gatherings. Since its inception in 1961, the flag of the Oglala Sioux has taken on a larger role. More than any other flag, the flag of the Oglala Sioux could be considered "the" flag of the Native American peoples.

1890 to Present - Lakota reduced to chronic conditions of poverty, poor health and despair
1934 - Traditional tribal form of government abolished and replaced with Bureau of Indian Affairs (federally managed elected tribal councils)
1980 - United States Supreme Court opinion "The taking of the Black Hills [60 billion dollars in gold] is the most ripe and rank case of dishonorable dealing ever perpetrated on a people by the United States Government
Nowadays
1999 - Shannon County, South Dakota, home of the Oglala Lakota on Pine Ridge Reservation is identified as the poorest place in the country
US federal and state policy appears to continue to dissident and to prevent any form of unity from arising. At worst, the policy today is still genocidal. At best, it is shockingly intensive. In many reservations, there is violence, drunkenness, apathy and despair. Schools drop-outs rates range from 45 to 62%. Suicide among the indigenous people is twice the US national average and unemployment runs around 80%. The Lakota have formed The Alliance of Tribal Tourism Advocates, whose goal is to enhance prospects of tourism development in accordance with the nation’s organisations, beliefs and priorities. The Sioux people once lived in an extended family called a “Tiyospay,” a supportive family structure that helped the Sioux survive for hundreds of years.

Today the Sioux who live on reservations face harsher conditions than people in many third world countries.

• Economics. The Sioux Indians in South Dakota are worse off economically than citizens of many third world countries. Local reservation economies are often devastated and the economic disparity between the Sioux Indians in South Dakota and the rest of American society is growing.

• Health. There are no easy answers for improving Indian health care in the future. Preventive programs are almost non-existent, and there is little hope for increased funding for Indian health care. In South Dakota the severe lack of quality education has long been a root cause of the economic crisis affecting Sioux tribes Today, the housing conditions on the Sioux reservations in South Dakota are some of the worst in the United States.

THE SEVEN RITES OF THE LAKOTA SIOUX

• The Keeping of the Soul
• Inipi: The Rite of Purification
• Hanblecheyapi: Crying for a Vision
• Wiwanyag Wachipi: The Sun Dance
• Hunkapi: The Making of Relatives
• Ishna Ta Awi Cha Lowan: Preparing a Girl for Womanhood
• Tapa Wanka Yap: Throwing of the Ball

Sioux heritage

In 1995, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal members felt the need for a presence on the Internet
They built their own web site where everybody can find the information about language and culture he can trust. There are also learning language programs. We can also find much needed tribal information from enrolment to spiritual resources. Toward the end of the year 2000, they were commissioned to add the Spirit Shield, which offers great insight into every area of your life. They encourage you to take the Spririt Quest.
According to the Sioux: “Just as our culture continues to grow, Sioux Heritage website also grows.”

Ogala

The remains of Chief Smoke were included in the Oglala Sioux Tribe's 1988 request for the return of all human remains associated with the Oglala Sioux, either by cultural affiliation or by association with the tribe's traditional territory. Subsequently, the late Severt Young Bear, a lineal descendent of Chief Smoke, requested the return of the Chief's remains. He supplied the Repatriation Office with an affidavit containing his formal request for repatriation of Smoke's remains and any associated funerary objects, and the names of his forefathers back to the Chief. He asserted that any other lineal descendants were aware of and did not contest his claim, and provided verification that power of attorney resided in his nephew, Mr. Donald M. Ragona. The Tribal Council has not responded to telephone calls and correspondence from the Smithsonian asking for clarification of their position regarding Mr. Young Bear's claim. Mr. Young Bear died before the repatriation documentation could be completed. His sister, Elizabeth Young Bear, now the senior lineal descendent of Chief Smoke, desires to resolve the issue and has become the new claimant. Mr. Ragona has revised Severt Young Bear's affidavit, as Elizabeth is now the requesting party.
Examination of museum and archival records has confirmed the identity of the remains as Chief Smoke, and, beyond a reasonable doubt, the relationship of the claimant as a lineal descendent. No funerary objects or other cultural materials are present. The remains were returned in 1993 to Mr. Donald M. Ragona, the legal representative of the claimant.

American Indian Relief council

The American Indian Relief Council provides emergency relief and self-help programs to Sioux Indians living on the reservations of South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming.
In doing so, AIRC hopes to improve the quality of American Indian lives by providing opportunities for them to bring about positive changes in their communities.
AIRC works with thousands of volunteers over a five state region of the upper Midwest. These volunteers assist AIRC in getting Christmas presents and stockings to thousands of children. They also assist with the community meals that are served for Christmas, parties, foster children, and with disbursing fruit baskets to the elders. The Children’s Snack Project provides healthy snacks to children. AIRC’s annual weatherization program helps alleviate the hazards of harsh winters in needy reservation communities. "The Main" is an after school and weekend activity center for children of all ages. Children go there after school for a nutritious snack and dinner. Its all volunteer staff assists the kids with their homework and insist upon library time. Children who can read have access to books, while those who can't read, are read to. Later in the evening there are plenty of activities for all who show up.
On weekends, "The Main" staff often sponsors trips off the reservation. Volunteers and kids go camping, roller skating, or to the movies. Children who show up are always fed a nutritious meal.
AIRC helps to ease the financial burden families from the reservation experience when they need to travel to Rapid City for medical emergencies
AIRC assistance also makes it possible for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe to run feeding centers at remote sites on the reservation which feed an additional 60 elders each weekday

Contemporary problems

Poverty and Unemployment

1999 - Shannon County, South Dakota, home of the Oglala Lakota on Pine Ridge Reservation is identified as the poorest place in the country US federal and state policy appears to continue to dissident and to prevent any form of unity from arising. At worst, the policy today is still genocidal. At best, it is shockingly intensive. In many reservations, there is violence, drunkenness, aphaty and despair. Schools drop-outs rates range from 45 to 62%. Suicide among the indigenous people is twice the US national average and unemployment runs around 80%. The Lakota have formed The Alliance of Tribal Tourism Advocates, whose goal is to enhance prospects of tourism development in accordance with the nation’s organisations, beliefs and priorities. The Sioux people once lived in an extended family called a “Tiyospay,” a supportive family structure that helped the Sioux survive for hundreds of years. Today the Sioux who live on reservations face harsher conditions than people in many third world countries. Christmas Stockings Many families on the Reservations in Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota find the month of December very stressful. Many live in such economic poverty that paying for Christmas dinner or a Christmas stocking or toy is not a realistic alternative. Many children become have hope that their parents will come through on Christmas morning, but thousands do not. It's a depressing situation for these children and their parents. But paying for heat, or housing, or food comes first. Believe it or not, it is a reality here that far too many Indian children never celebrate Christmas even though they would like to.

            The Growing Economic Gap

Reasons for the growing economic gap between the South Dakota Indians and the general U.S. population include:
• Treaties forced the Indians onto land that had few natural resources and was agriculturally unproductive.
• Essentially no industry exists to support employment on tribal lands in South Dakota.
• Banks will not underwrite loans to reservation enterprises because of difficulty obtaining collateral.
• A student drop-out rate exceeding 76% means the work force is not well educated.
• Reservations far removed from towns of any size means jobs are too far away to commute.
• Federal social policies for several decades have made it easier for Sioux Indians to choose welfare over work.

Poverty and Unemployment

The unemployment and poverty rates for the Sioux are astoundingly high. Because the social environment and the problems on the reservations are so dramatic, it’s very difficult to have normal employment relationships and normal business practices with large segments of the population.
The Pine Ridge Reservation
A visit to the Pine Ridge reservation <..\reservations\pineridge.html> is a striking reminder that reservations here remain places of bone-crushing poverty.
• Ninety percent of the population is unemployed, alcoholism is rampant. (St. Louis Post Dispatch)
• Most people live without roads in remote rural villages with no electricity or running water. (Indian Country Today)
• About 25,000 people live here in shacks, trailers and small, shoebox-like ranch houses subsidized by the government. (New York Times)
• No car here usually means unemployment because of the vast distances between home and work. (New York Times)
Social workers in Pine Ridge estimate that between 60% and 80% of babies on the reservation are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). FAS is a leading cause of retardation and makes it difficult for a substantial portion of the population to function successfully in an educational or work environment. Alcoholism affects nearly every family and often starts early in life. Those people who do not abuse alcohol experience difficulty functioning in an environment so dramatically affected by alcohol abuse.

            Health

The health of American Indians is far worse than it is for any other minority group in the United States. And, the Sioux Indians in South Dakota have the worst health statistics of any Indian population in America. A number of factors contribute to the poor heath among American Indians, and the Sioux in particular:

• distrust of western medicine, which discourages many Indians from seeking preventive care
• inadequate funding of Indian medical care
• few trained physicians in reservation communities
• limited access to health care due to poor transportation and remote living conditions
• poor health practices and education
• poor eating habits and a low fiber/high fat diet
• substantial use of alcohol
• high incidence of diabetes

Land for a Promise of Health Care
In most of the treaties between the U.S. Government and Indian tribes, the government agreed to provide adequate medical care for Indians in return for vast quantities of land.
The Indian Health Services (IHS) was set up to administer the health care for Indians under these treaties. The IHS receives an appropriation each year to fund Indian health care, and generally does a fine job. Unfortunately, the appropriation is very small compared to the need. The IHS is understaffed and can’t possibly address the needs of Indian communities beyond the most dire emergencies.
There are no easy answers for improving Indian health care in the future. Most health-related trends are declining over time, rather than improving. Preventive programs are almost non-existent, and there is little hope for increased funding for Indian health care.

Why are American Indian students so far behind?
Dr. Dean Chavers, the leading expert on Indian education points out these problems:

• American Indian students do not attend school regularly.
Data shows that graduating students are in school only 70% of the time.
• American Indian students do not read and reading is essential to success in college.
Data shows that 93% of all 10th graders in reservation school systems did not read a single book outside the classroom in the past year.
• American Indian students do not have exposure to college-prep courses in high school.
• American Indian students are not being challenged.
Courses are easy; expectations are low; the amount of homework assigned is light.
• American Indian parents are not assisting much in the process.
Reading to children, monitoring and helping with homework, meeting with teachers are essential to school success, but are not being done in many Indian homes.
• American Indian students are not writing enough.
Data shows that just over 1% have above average writing skills.
Numerous conditions work against reservation students
It would be easy to say that any of the above problems could be easily solved if only parents and teachers cared enough. However, numerous conditions work against reservation students and keep them from improving their scholastic abilities.
• There is little or no continuity for these students.
Many are homeless.
Many will live in several different overcrowded houses during the course of a single year.
Many switch schools several times during their lives.
• Poverty overwhelms many Indian households.
Obtaining a decent meal can be a problem for students.
Over a third of reservation households do not have electricity, making it difficult to do homework after dark.
Lack of transportation to and from school is a major roadblock to regular attendance.
• A large number of students have learning disabilities because of prenatal drug and alcohol abuse.
These students are mainstreamed into regular classrooms and teachers end up spending inordinate amounts of time with them at the expense of non-special education students. Expectations and standards of achievement tend to be lowered as a result.
• American Indian students are usually taught by young and inexperienced non-Indian teachers.
A significant difference in cultural background exists between students and teachers that is difficult to bridge.
Turnover among teachers in reservation schools is significantly higher than in non-reservation schools, with a resulting loss of continuity.
• Reservation classrooms in general are in dire need of repair.
Many Indian students attend school in classrooms with no heat in the winter and no air conditioning in the summer, when temperatures outside exceed 100 degrees.
Money for basic supplies such as textbooks and paper doesn't exist in many school systems.
• Distrust towards schools runs high in many reservation communities.
For several generations, Sioux Indians were taken away from their families and placed in boarding schools where they were badly abused.

Tourism can bring money to South Dakota Sioux and tourism is developing. In the internet you can easily find Travel information for South Dakota <http://www.sddot.com/travinfo.cfm>, maps <http://www.travelsd.com/travel/maps.htm>, weather <http://www.travelsd.com/travel/weather.htm>, travel tips <http://www.travelsd.com/travel/travtips.htm>, and a list of the Information Centers <http://www.travelsd.com/travel/index.htm>. T

he Black Hills region is home to national treasures. These parks, forests and memorials encompass some of the West’s most stunning landscapes, and they preserve America’s colorful history. In addition, the state park system includes glacial lakes, historic forts and sprawling stretches of riverfront.

"Navajo Fry Bread"

 

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 cup vegetable shortening

In a bowl whisk together the flour, the baking powder, and the salt, stir in the
water, and knead the mixture on a floured surface until it
forms a soft but not sticky dough. Let the dough stand, covered with a kitchen
towel, for 15 minutes. Pull off egg-size pieces of the dough
and pat and stretch them into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Poke a hole with a finger
through the center of each round so that the breads will
fry evenly. In a large heavy skillet heat the shortening over moderately high heat
until it is hot but not smoking, in it fry the rounds, 1 at
a time, for 2 minutes on each side, or until they are golden, and transfer the
breads as they are fried to paper towels to drain.

Yield: 8 fry breads

"Indian Pudding"

- A great pudding -

INGREDIENTS:

Serving Size : 6
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 cups whole milk -- cold
2 cups whole milk -- scalded
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons white rum

STEP ONE:
Mix the cornmeal with enough of the cold milk to pour easily. Stir until
smooth. Add slowly 2 cups scalded milk and cook in the top of a double
boiler for 20 minutes, or until thick

STEP TWO:
Add molasses, salt, sugar, cinnamon (or ginger), and butter. Pour into a
buttered pudding dish and pour over the balance of the cold milk and the
rum

CHEF'S NOTE: You may use one teaspoon cinnamon, or one teaspoon ginger, or
1/2 teaspoon of each.

STEP THREE:
Set in a pan of hot water and bake 3 hours in a 250-degree oven. Let stand
1/2 hour before serving.

TO SERVE:
Serve topped with vanilla ice cream. This pudding should be very soft, and
should whey, or separate.

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