Land Stewardship (Video and Activity)

Learn about Native American land stewardship in South Dakota, and raise money for your local food pantry.

Winter Count Lesson Plans

A winter count is a pictographic record of historical/memorable events for a tiospaye (community). The winter count, used by many Plains Indians, is a method of preserving history.

Native American Studies Resources

We provide a rich array of educational content from Oceti Sakowin: The People of the Seven Council Fires to documentaries like Lost Bird of Wounded Knee.

Iron Tail, of Pine Ridge was Featured on the Coin

The most widely distributed coin featuring a Native American, the “Indian Head Nickel” or “Buffalo Nickel,” was minted between 1913 and 1938. Only a few million were produced.

Wolakota Buffalo Project 

Rosebud is moving forward on their Wolakota Project. A forty square mile ranch owned by the reservation is being converted to a buffalo range. 

Quillwork - A Uniquely Native American Art

Quillwork was used to decorate shirts, moccasins, and jewelry. The practice endured over the centuries to become one of the most recognizable art forms of the Great Plains today.

'In Sacred Motion': Five Years Ago, A Lakota Elder Beat The Establishment And Renamed Harney Peak

Brave Heart said he wanted to change the name of South Dakota’s tallest mountain, Harney Peak. He is living proof that one person with an idea – and the courage to act – can inspire a monumental change.

National Archives Native American Photo Library

Approximately 18,000 BIA photographs are now available online. Nearly 13,000 of the photographs were taken on South Dakota reservations.

The Black War Bonnet - Artist Herman Red Elk

The painted bison robe was created by the Yanktonai Sioux artist Herman Red Elk. Red Elk was born in 1918 in Poplar, Montana, on the Ft. Peck Reservation.

Native American Studies

South Dakota War Stories

Image of the Past Series

Social Studies Series