Cultural Legacy

People have made this area their home for over 10,000 years. In the Paleolithic period, hunters crossed the region hunting ice-age bison and mammoths. Over time, other animals were added to the menu, wild plants became an important food source, and large groups lived together. By 900 AD, predecessors of the Mandan, Arikara, and Hidatsa flourished in earth lodge villages up and down the Missouri. In addition to hunting, they planted corn and sunflowers for food. Cultural distinctions developed between the groups, but all valued the land and river that provided food, clothing, shelter, and recreation. Europeans had arrived by 1700 with beads, knives, and tools to trade. Horses and guns soon followed. The fur trade took off in earnest by the mid-1700s. The villages served as trade centers where different cultures mingled. The Missouri River provided an abundance of wildlife, materials, recreation, and protection to the people living along the water. Skilled American Indian hunters were contracted by fur trade companies to provide pelts. American Indian culture thrives in South Dakota, which is home to nine tribal governments, and powwows held across the state give people the chance to celebrate, practice, and pass on cultural traditions through dance and socializing.

South Dakota · United States