The Great Lakota Nation
South Dakota, the land of the great Lakota Nation, is home to nine (9) Indian Reservations:
- The Pine Ridge Reservation, home of the Oglala (They Scatter Their Own)
- The Rosebud Reservation of the Sicangu (Burnt Thight)
- The Standing Rock Reservation of the Hunkpapa, “Camp At The Entrance” and the Sihasapa (Blackfeet)
- The Cheyenne River Reservation, home of the Minnecoujou (Planters By The Water), the Oohe Nunpa (Two Kettle) and the Itazipco (Without Bows)
- The Crow Creek Reservation is home to the Dakota: Mdewakanton (people of the Spirit Lake) and the Ihanktonwan (people of the end)
- The Lower Brule Reservation of Sicangu (Burnt Thight or Brule) or also called Kul Wicasa Oyate
- The Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Reservation (formerly known as Lake Traverse Reservation), home of the Sisseton (People of the Fish Village/Peninsula) and the Wahpeton (People among the Leaves)
- The Yankton Reservation, home of the Ihanktonwan Dakota Oyate
- The Flandreau Santee Reservation, home of the Mdewakanton and Wahpekute Dakota
The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation: Key Facts & Figures
The Lakota Waldorf School sits in the heart of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (PRIR) – home to the federally recognized tribe of the Oglala Lakota people known as the Oglala Sioux Tribe (OST). Listed below are facts and figures about the reservation and its people that help to give a fuller picture of the importance of LWS’s indigenous mission. [NOTE: The facts and figures stated are taken from 2018-2020 state, federal, and tribal data sources.]
- The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is the second largest in the United States with 2.1 million acres (or 3,468.85 square miles).
- Only 84,000 acres of PRIR’s 2.1 million acres are considered suitable for agriculture.
- The estimated population of the reservation ranges from 19,895 (per the 2019 US Census) to 45,000 (per the tribal office with numerous enrolled members of the tribe living off the reservation).
- Located primarily in southwestern South Dakota, PRIR encompasses the entirety of Oglala Lakota County and Bennett County, the southern half of Jackson County, and a small section of Sheridan County.
- The Lakota Waldorf School is located in Oglala Lakota County (formerly known as Shannon County), which includes 2,093 square miles of the reservation and has a population of 14,177 according to the 2019 US Census records.
- Of the 3,142 counties in the United States, Oglala Lakota County is known as one of the poorest. County statistics show that:
- 80% of the population is unemployed
- 54% of residents live below the federal poverty line
- The per capita income is $10,148
- Only 48.5% of households have a broadband internet subscription
- The high school dropout rate is over 60%
- Infant mortality is 3.4 times the national average
- Life expectancy is the lowest age of all US counties
- The suicide rate is the 4th highest in the US
- Lakota people suffer from high incident rates (vastly disproportionate to the national average) in alcoholism, drug abuse, substandard housing, homelessness, and chronic health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease
- Food security is also a major concern. Over ninety percent (90%) of food on the reservation is shipped in. At LWS, staff members drive 1.5 hours one way to Rapid City to buy food for the school’s Healthy Meal Program.
Without a doubt, the level of poverty at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is abject, and its related problems are complex. And, like many other Indian reservations in North America, these issues are rooted in America’s colonial history and the US government’s attempt to dominate indigenous people.
However, the Oglala Lakota Tribe continues to stand as a sovereign nation (recognized by the US Constitution) and finds strength in its cultural traditions and history. For the Lakota people, this rich history includes the enduring legacies of tribal chiefs and medicine men like Tasunke Witko (Crazy Horse), American Horse, Red Cloud, Young Man Afraid of His Horse, Little Wound, Fools Crow, Black Elk, Black Crow, Kills Ree, and Big Road.
In addition, inspiration and encouragement for the future is being generated today by tribal members who are activists, educators, writers, artists, and more. Some notable examples that are listed alphabetically by last name include: Arthur Amiotte (Artist, Historian, Educator), Reginia Brave (Activist), Keith Braveheart (Artist), Scotti Cliff (Singer-Songwriter), Kirie Irving (Basketball Player), Layli Long Soldier (Oglala Lakota Poet, Writer, and Artist), Billy Mills (Track Runner /1964 Olympic Champion), Kevin and Valerie Pourier (Artists), Buddy Red Bow (Musician and Actor), Delphine Red Shirt (Author, Educator), Sean Sherman (Sioux Chef and co-author of The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen), JoAnn Tall (Environmental Activist), and Dwayne Wilcox (Artist).
LWS’s long-term vision is that our students, empowered by their indigenous-Waldorf education, will also contribute to the future of the Lakota people.
Red Shirt is an author and lecturer in Native American studies and the Special Languages Program (Lakota) at Stanford University.