The history of South Dakota
Before it was divided into two states, this area
was the Dakota Territory. In 1889, North and South
Dakota were incorporated into the United States as
the 39th and 40th states. December 29, 1890 was a
fateful day in the history of the Indians, who had
already been largely pushed back into reservations
by the white settlers.
On that day, some of the last Indians who refused
to submit to the white government's restrictive
policies were massacred by the U.S. cavalry at
the Battle of Wounded Knee. More than 300 men, women
and children of the Minneconjou-Lakota-Sioux Indians
fell victim to this massacre.
As in North Dakota, Indian culture is very well
represented in South Dakota. There are numerous
Indian communities and organizations that are
committed to the interests of these indigenous
people.
A well-known Indian resistance organization is
the American Indian Movement. Representatives of
this organization, along with the Indian residents
of the Pine Ridge Reserve, proclaimed an independent
nation of the Oglala Indians at the historic site of
the Battle of Wounded Knee in 1973.
The Indian residents had every reason to be
upset, because not only in the 19th century, but
also in the 20th century, they were forced to
resettle several times and were themselves driven
out of the reserves into which they had been forced
against their will only 100 years earlier were.
In 1944, the Indians had to move repeatedly when
dams were built along the Missouri. The little land
that was left to the Indians disappeared under
several reservoirs.
Tribes affected include the Cheyenne River Sioux,
the Standing Rock Sioux, the Crow Creek Sioux, the
Yankton Sioux and the Lower Brule Sioux. In 1963, a
reserve was flooded by the water in the Big Bend
Dam. The Crow Creek Sioux living here had to move to
the area around the capital Pierre. They not only
lost their land, but also their real estate, because
many Indians had become sedentary due to the limited
possibilities and lived in permanent houses.
For many years, the Indians have been suing the
government for compensation. However, this approach
affects not only South Dakota, but also
other states in which even larger Indian populations
live.
However, the indigenous people complained not
only for compensation for loss of land and property,
but also for a share in tourism revenue. In South
Dakota, some Indian tribes have been quite
successful with their lawsuits, receiving
compensation payments ranging from $ 27.5 to $ 290
million.
In the American War of Independence (1775 to
1781) and the American Civil War (1861 to 1865),
South Dakota, like its northern counterpart, played
no role. Both Dakotas were not among the founding
states of the American nation. The civil war mainly
took place in the southern states and in the states
along the east coast.
Continental climate ensures distinct seasons
This state is geographically divided by the
Mississippi. The two parts of the country are not
only in two different time zones, but also in
different climate zones. To the west of the river is
the extensive, low-precipitation prairie
landscape. In the east, the country is fertile due
to increased rainfall and is therefore ideally
suited for the agricultural cultivation of corn and
cereals.
Since South Dakota is a landlocked country
without the influence of larger water masses with a
moderating influence, the climate is continental
with large temperature differences in summer and
winter.
Population development in South Dakota: a
sparsely populated country
With regard to population development, the Native
Americans are of much greater importance than in
other states. There are seven Indian tribes residing
here, each of which has been assigned its own
reserve by the government.
At 8.5 percent, the Indians make up a
comparatively large proportion of the
population. Therefore, they own large areas outside
of the reserves, which are referred to as "off
reservation trust land". After Alaska and New
Mexico, South Dakota has the third highest
proportion of these Native Americans.
87.7 percent of the population are white
Americans, including Hispanics. At 1.2 percent,
African Americans are rather small. Minorities also
represent Asians, Pacific Islanders, and mixed
ethnicities. In total, just over 814,000 people live
here, most of whom concentrate on small towns by
American standards.
The population has not grown significantly since
1910. At that time, 583,888 people lived in South
Dakota. In between there was also negative
growth. Only in the period between 1870 and 1910
could this region enjoy positive population
growth. The influx rates ranged between 15.2 and
734.5 percent.
This increasing number of residents, like in
other states, was due to the time when the state was
founded, when the Dakota territory became two
sovereign states, in which the living conditions and
prospects of people improved significantly. The
influx rates have been rather modest since 1920. The
values were consistently well below ten percent in
some cases.
Due to the rural and agricultural
characteristics, the population is considered to
be predominantly conservative and
the Republican voters. This is also due to the close
involvement of the regional government and the
important agricultural industry, which receives
legislative grants. However, there is also a split
in political interests, as South Dakota has already
provided several Democratic members for the
Congress. |
