Santee Sioux Reservation

The Santee Sioux Reservation (Dakota: Isáŋyathi) of the Santee Sioux (also known as the Eastern Dakota) was established in 1863 in present-day Nebraska. The tribal seat of government is located in Niobrara, Nebraska, with reservation lands in Knox County.

Santee Sioux Reservation Isáŋyathi (Dakota)
Indian reservation
Seal
Location in Nebraska
Tribe	Santee Sioux Nation
Country	United States
State	Nebraska
County	Knox
Headquarters	Niobrara
Government [1]
• Body	Tribal Council
• Chairman	Roger Trudell
• Vice-Chairman	Sidney Tuttle
Area
• Total	172.99 sq mi (448.0 km2)
Population  (2017)[2]
• Total	1,041
• Density	6.0/sq mi (2.3/km2)
Website	santeesiouxnation.net

Traditional location of Sioux tribes prior to 1770 (dark green) and their current reservations (orange).

History

Established by an Act of the U.S. Congress on March 3, 1863, the Niobrara Reservation was officially recognized in an Executive Order dated February 27, 1866, and in treaties dated November 16, 1867 and April 29, 1868. Additional executive orders applying to the reservation were dated August 31, 1869, December 31, 1873, and February 9, 1885. In those initial years, tribal members selected 32,875.75 acres (133.0434 km²) as homesteads and 38,908.01 acres (157.4551 km²) as allotments; 1,130.70 acres (4.5758 km²) were designated for use as an Indian agency, school, and mission.^[3]

The reservation (shown as Dakota Reservation on the map at right) lies along the south bank of the Missouri River, and includes part of Lewis and Clark Lake. As of the 2000 census, the reservation recorded a resident population of 878, of which 64.1% were Native American and 33.7% White. Its land area is 172.99 mi.² (447.84 km²). The major center of population is the village of Santee, in the northernmost portion of the reservation.^[4]

Other major populations of Oglala Lakota and Brulé Sioux are located to the north on reservations within South Dakota.

Government

Chief Wabasha was the first and last head chief of the Santee Sioux until his death in 1876. The first tribal council election was held on January 22, 1878, following a unanimous vote to end the old chief system.^[5]

Communities

• Lindy
• Santee

See also

• Native American tribes in Nebraska
• Sioux
• Wabasha III, head chief of Santee Sioux
• John Trudell, activist, poet, actor, and musician whose father was Santee Dakota and who grew up near the Santee Sioux Reservation

References

1. "tribal government". Retrieved 2019-07-24.
2. 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. "My Tribal Area". United States Census Bureau.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
3. Santee Sioux, Nebraska Indian Commission. Retrieved 6/28/08.
4. (2005) "Information background sheet", U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved 11/29/08.
5. Meyer, Roy Willard (1967). History of the Santee Sioux. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. p. 169. ISBN 9780803281097.

External links

• Official reservation homepage.
• Reservation tract map from the US Census.
• Santee Normal Training School, Woonspe Wankantu, 1881, 1882, 1884, 1885 from the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.

42°43′35″N 97°49′49″W