SD: some general research about places in South Dakota

Michael and Larissa had their first engagement visit to South Dakota July 15 through 22. 
I used their itinerary as the starting point for research.


Rapid City is the main airport and so the starting and ending point. 

• Wall.

• Nat’l Grasslands Visitor Cntr, 708 Main St, (at 7^th), Wall.

• Badlands Nat’l Park is 7 miles south of Wall

• Kakoda , pop. 700  and Badlands Petrified Gardens

• 1880 Town (gas til 9pm, diner til 3pm)

•  Okaton (pop. 36), Murdo (pop 461), Draper (pop 75), Vivian (pop 119),…

• Gregory County is all Republican, except in electing Jimmy Carter. Gregory (pop 1254).

• Poet Kathy Lou Schultz is from Burke.

• MILK'S CAMP - a nearly forgotten village founded by the renowned Chief Milk. Most original residences are now gone, but pow wow grounds remain along Ponca Creek as well as an Episcopal Church. Chief Milk is buried on a hill above the old church.

• [ The Corn Palace is not on the way, but rather 2 hours drive from Milk's Camp, in the town of Mitchell. Something to see if you have the time and interest! ]

• Lakota Youth Development / Leadership 

• Lakota Pow Wow is there the last weekend in July.

• AboutMarla Bullbear and youth camps —

It's a 3-Hour Drive (West and South) to Pine Ridge. 

• Dallas (pop 122), Colome (pop 286),

• Winner (pop 2861)- Tripp County seat & serves neighboring Todd County too, and hometown of Delores Taylor, the co-creator and star (as Jean) of the Billy Jack films, was born and raised in Winner;

• Okreek (pop 269, on Rosebud Reservation),

• Mission (pop 1236) on Res, Price is Right’s Bob Barker grew up here. Sinte Glesca University, a private tribal college, is here;

• Martin - Lakota: pažóla otȟúŋwahe; "Knoll City" (pop 1071),

• Swett (It was put up for sale as a ghost town in 2014 and as of Nov2016 had not found a buyer),

• Batesland - Lakota: íŋyaŋ šála; "Red Stone," (pop 115).

• A little info and history about Milks Camp Park-

• Marla Bullbear and youth camps at Milk's Camp

• Oglala (pop 1290) 98.78% Native American.  13.4 sq miles;

• Red Shirt - In 2009, the village consisted of abt 23 houses in two clusters, the Red Shirt School (both the modern school (constructed 2005-2008) with two large domes, and the older school buildings, a dance ring, sports fields, community buildings, and a sewage plant. As the community is the closest on Pine Ridge Reservation to Rapid City, it is a desirable place to live as it offers a relatively easy year-round commute. Red Shirt is the last community (that is, at the end of the pipeline) served by the massive Mni Wiconi water project which pumps water from the Missouri River near Fort Pierre up to the Rosebud and Pine Ridge Reservations. The village is located near the Cheyenne River but outside the flood area of the river.

• Hermosa  - pop 392. 88.7% White. 3.8% American Indian. .48 sq mile.

-->

It is a 4-hour drive (East and South) to Milk's Camp for Youth Leadership Camp. Lodging there was in the town of Gregory.

Some places and possible points of interest along the way-

Along the way from Milk's Camp to Pine Ridge—    

PINE RIDGE--Lakota: Wazí Aháŋhaŋ Oyáŋke--, an Oglala Lakota Native American reservation, created March 1889. Among the poorest US counties.  (pop 3308 in 2010), 94.2% Native American, 3.72% White, 1.36% 2 or more races, <1 3.2="" area-="" miles.="" other="" races.="" span="" sq="">

The Heritage Center at Red Cloud Indian School is likely a partner organization for our project. 

Red Cloud Indian School  - 100 Mission Drive, Pine Ridge

Friends of Pine Ridge Reservation

National Geographic Photo Essay (2010) by Aaron Huey

Wounded Knee is about 20 minutes drive from Pine Ridge. Pop. 382 (2010). The town is named for the Wounded Knee Creek which runs through the region.  Historical Site Museum.

Drive about 90 minutes to Rapid City  – 

Along the way—

-->

Oglala County

--> --> -->