| Cheyenne River Indian Reservation | |
|---|---|
| — Reservation — | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | South Dakota |
| Counties | Dewey / Ziebach / Stanley / Haakon / Meade |
| Established | 1889 |
| Government | |
| - Governing body | General Tribal Council |
| Area | |
| - Total | 4,266.987 sq mi (11,051.447 km2) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 8,470 |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| - Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| Website | Official Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Website |
The Cheyenne River Indian Reservation was created in 1889 by the breakup of the Great Sioux Reservation, following the defeat of the Lakota by United States in a series of wars in the 1870s. The reservation covers almost all of Dewey and Ziebach counties in South Dakota. In addition, many small parcels of off-reservation trust land are located in Stanley, Haakon, and Meade counties. The total land area is 11,051.447 km² (4,266.987 sq mi), making it the fourth-largest Indian reservation in land area in the United States. Its largest community is North Eagle Butte.
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History
The terms of the Treaty of Fort Laramie concluded in 1868 granted the Lakota a single large reservation that covered parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, and four other states. After conclusion of the Indian Wars in the 1870s, about one half of this reservation was confiscated by the United States government.
Damming of the Missouri River for electrical power and flood control, started in 1948, submerged an additional 8 percent of the Reservation.
Many famous Lakota chiefs lived here, most notably Touch the Clouds. He lived here until his death in 1905.
Current conditions
The 2000 census reported a population of 8,470 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, which forms the eastern edge of the Reservation. With few jobs available, 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 reports than one in five girls on the Cheyenne River Reservation have contemplated suicide and more than one in ten have attempted it.
The CRIR is the home of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) or Cheyenne River Lakota Nation (Oyate). It includes parts of four (the Minnecojou, Sans Arc, Blackfoot and Two Kettle) of the traditional seven bands of the Lakota, also known as Teton Sioux.
The CRIR is bordered on the north by the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, on the west by Meade and Perkins Counties; on the south by the Cheyenne River; 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. The reservation is reached via US-212.
A modern medical center is under construction in 2009 in Eagle Butte to replace an outdated facility.[1]
Communities
- Dupree
- Green Grass
- Isabel
- La Plant
- North Eagle Butte
- Timber Lake
- Whitehorse
- Swiftbird
- Cherry Creek
- Red Scaffold
- Bridger
See also
- Great Sioux Reservation
- Sue (dinosaur)
- Thunder Butte
- Madonna Swan, Lakota author from Cheyenne River Indian Reservation
References
- ^ Dan Barry, "A Rising but Doubted Dream on a Reservation", The New York Times, 12 July 2009
- Cheyenne River Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, South Dakota United States Census Bureau
External links
Coordinates: 45°04′35″N 101°13′33″W / 45.07639°N 101.22583°W
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