The history of the Black Hills is short and turbulent. In fact, dinosaur bones and some ancient archaeological sites from prehistory are the only hard evidence of happenings prior to 1700. The first trace of modern civilization dates from 1743 when New World explorers claimed the region for France. Sioux Indian tribes achieved dominance of Dakota in the 1780s and there was a brief but legendary Fur Trade Era that flourished between 1817 and 1857.
Homesteading, settlement and railroading were well underway in eastern South Dakota in 1857, but the Black Hills remained an unknown wilderness of Indian Country. The first maps of the Hills were drawn from military reconnaissance in 1856, and Lt. Col. George A. Custer touched off a gold rush to the Black Hills when his expedition discovered gold in 1874. Within 15 years, the Hills were “civilized” with settlements, railroads, institutions, industry and agriculture. In the process, the native peoples of Dakota were relegated to “reservations.”
Here’s a timeline of some noteworthy dates in Dakota history:
1743 French explorers claim the region for France
1794 Sioux achieve dominance over Arikara tribes
1803 United State makes the Louisiana Purchase from France
1804 Lewis & Clark expedition
1858 Eastern South Dakota is opened to white settlement
1861 Dakota Territory (SD, ND, MT, WY) is established
1868 Treaty of Ft. Laramie prescribes Black Hills as Indian Reservation
1874 Gold is discovered in the Black Hills
1876 Gold Rush to Deadwood Gulch lures thousands
1889 South Dakota achieves statehood
1890 Wounded Knee massacre ends the Indian Wars
1906 First railroads from the east reach the Black Hills
1920 Gov. Peter Norbeck establishes Custer State Park
1927 Gutzon Borglum begins work on Mount Rushmore
1941 Mount Rushmore is completed
Where are the Black Hills & Bedlands?
South Dakota
http://www.blackhillsbadlands.com/home/planyourtrip/maps/sdbhprintmap
What is the Connection between the Black Hills and the Lakota Tribe?
erhaps more than any other group, the men and women of the Lakota Nation (better known as The Sioux) — with their graceful tipis, fast horses, warrior societies and richly feathered regalia — have become the international symbol for all of America's native peoples. Their legacy is embedded into South Dakota History. The Sioux gained control of the Northern Plains in the 1700s, and developed a unique culture based on the abundant buffalo herds of that era. The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 (also know as the Sioux Treaty), signed at Fort Laramie in Wyoming Territory between the United States and the Lakota Nation guaranteed the Lakota people ownership and hunting rights of the Black Hills. The treaty brought an end to Red Cloud's War.
Faces and places in Sioux history are legendary: Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Red Cloud, Spotted Tail, American Horse, High Hawk, Gall, Hump, Rain in the Face. Historic landscapes line the banks of the Little Big Horn River and are the tragic backdrop at Wounded Knee, near Kyle on Pine Ridge Reservation. You can learn about the history of the massacre at Wounded Knee Museum in Wall. For another perspective, read the book or see the movie "Dances With Wolves."
Today, the Oglala Sioux Tribe, whose members comprise about about 11% of South Dakota's citizenry, live in the shadows of the Black Hills on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations, and in the cities and towns of western South Dakota. The cultural influence of the Sioux extends to South Dakota's citizens, arts, mass media, fashions, jewelry, architecture, interior design, religion and politics. Various tribal groups hold Powwow Celebrations through the year; make sure to check out the Powwow Schedule to see when everything is happening. Providing news and entertainment to reservation communities and beyond, KILI Radio broadcasts from Porcupine, SD, and the Lakota Country Times offers a weekly newspaper. On the Internet, Lakota Mall offers detailed information about local businesses and organizations throughout Pine Ridge Reservation.
