When I first became enamored with the Great Plains some ten years ago, my focus was on its sight-seeing qualities and then the botany and ornithology of the vast grasslands. Later, my attention was drawn to historical issues — learning about the indigenous people, the pioneers on the trails, and the conflicts arising between these two groups which was exacerbated by government policy.

If you share the belief that an understanding of the Great Plains requires knowing something about its people, then you need to visit the Pine Ridge Reservation in southwestern South Dakota. I think you'll find it an eye-opening experience.

A Bit of Background

At 1.7 million acres, the Pine Ridge is the second largest Indian reservation in the country. It is home to the Oglala Lakota nation, and its inhabitants usually refer to it simply as "the Rez." Ranging over the two counties of Shannon and Jackson, it lies just south of Badlands National Park and the Buffalo Gap National Grassland.

The terrain is stunning, made up of hills, cliffs, buttes, mesas, badlands and a surprising number of redcedar dotted valleys. A vast portion of it is wild prairie, which I took to be primarily the shortgrass variety, given the paucity of rain which falls here.

In one of those strange contradictions so common out west, this is one of the loveliest parts of the Great Plains, but it's also one of the saddest. A few figures might give you some idea.

The population of the Rez is around 30,000. Shannon is the poorest county in the nation, with an average annual family income of $3,700. Unemployment hangs around 80%, and life expectancy is 48 for men and 52 for women. About half the people over age 40 have diabetes, tuberculosis is common and the alcoholism rate is the highest in the United States. [footnote]

As sad as these numbers are, they're not what gives the place such a melancholy feel for me. Rather, it's knowing that our government — certainly not the same one we learned about in junior high civics classes — has acted so egregiously over and over, in 1890, in 1973 and yet again in 1975, and probably many other years I'm unfamiliar with.

The Axioms

Given the years of trouble and strife in the Pine Ridge, with many causes open to different interpretations, it is likely this section of my Web site will seem more opinionated than others. For that reason, I feel it's important to explain the axioms that have guided me in writing this up.

But my goal is not to depress or annoy, but to alert you to a part of the world you might not have thought about visiting before, a place full of history every committed American should learn about. So, let's press on with the tour, keeping some of the background in mind.

Our Journey to the Rez

In the summer of 2002, my girlfriend and I packed the minivan for a trip to the Pine Ridge Reservation — and I do mean packed! The interior was stuffed to the hilt with school supplies, clothing and home furnishings...hundreds of items. We were so full (around 1000 pounds I estimate) that the rear springs sagged, and I had doubts we would make it without a major collapse. Why all the crayons, notebooks, pencils, paste, calculators, sweaters, pots and pans?

Well, we had recently heard that the school in Porcupine was in great need of supplies to get the kids going for a new academic year. And then there was the family on the Rez that had lost everything to a fire. So, we decided to help out, and make this into a bit of a vacation/learning experience as well. There were three of us in on the project: my girlfriend, a University colleague and me. (Given all the stuff my former workmate had collected — man, did he come through — there was no room for him to join us on the delivery, even though he's a pretty skinny guy).

So we set out on August 16, 2002 after Marie got off work, in one very saggy and unhappy vehicle. We made it as far as Mitchell, South Dakota the first night, and the leaf springs seemed to be holding. The next day got us to the border town of Gordon, Nebraska, just south of the Rez.

Famous Towns

If you've read anything about the turbulent times out this-away, you'll recognize Gordon, Nebraska for a couple reasons. This was where Raymond Yellow Thunder was viciously persecuted and killed — a key incident which galvanized the attention of AIM (the American Indian Movement). And a friend of mine, with relatives living there, told me that the FBI more or less appropriated the town and all of its motel rooms during the siege of Wounded Knee. There's lots of history in Gordon.

We spent the night here and I had a great chicken fried steak at the nearby restaurant. The other patrons seemed to be mostly ranchers and farmers, and there was a fair amount of hustle and bustle thanks to the county fair that was on. We really wanted to see the Mari Sandoz museum downtown, but it had closed early, this being a Saturday.

The following day, Sunday, we checked out of our room and headed to the local city park to whip up a quick breakfast. But we were far too excited to visit the Pine Ridge Reservation to dawdle; we wolfed down our meal and were soon on the road again. By the way, the minivan was still slogging along somehow under the tremendous load. I briefly considered naming my Plymouth Voyager "Hercules" or "Atlas," monikers that might be given to the patient oxen the Overlanders used on the Oregon Trail.

We decided to take the "scenic" route to the Rez. Which is to say, we went by way of the unincorporated town of White Clay, Nebraska. See the sidebar to the left. It looked like a ghost town to us when we drove through all two blocks of it — nothing but dust, hideous whitewashed wooden buildings and more dust. This was in stark contrast to the gorgeous and brilliant golden sunflower fields we passed several miles earlier. White Clay is smack dab on the border, and a mere sixty pulse beats later (our hearts were racing I can assure you) we could see the town of Pine Ridge.

We pulled into Big Bats, a spectacular filling station, restaurant and gathering place for locals. We had especially wanted to visit this landmark, figuring so prominently as it does in Ian Frazier's masterpiece, On the Rez. This is a must-see when touring the Pine Ridge Reservation; be sure to check out the external link below. And when you're here (right at the intersection of State Road 407 and US 18), look across the street to see the Pine Ridge Agency. I recognized it at once, from pictures which have flashed across the wire services all too often. A chain link fence around it ensnared every paper cup, napkin and candy bar wrapper in the neighborhood. While taking in the view and pondering things, I observed a wheelchair-bound Lakota man pushing along, stopping to hook an aluminum can in the street with a stick. He was accompanied by two rather scraggly looking but gregarious dogs. A few minutes later, east of town, we saw another guy in a wheelchair (missing a leg — diabetes I wonder?). The two scenes joined together and made me think of the three-legged canine in the film Thunderheart.

As we left town, eastward, to pick up the road to Wounded Knee, we saw the SuAnne Big Crow Recreation Center, named after the young Lakota woman so poignantly described in Frazier's book, mentioned above. Several days later, just east of Murdo, we came across the regalia marking where she had tragically perished on Interstate 90.

Following US 18, we eventually came to the jog we were looking for, the Big Foot Trail, which runs north to Wounded Knee. At the intersection, we noticed a large sign and pulled over. (Click the thumbnail at the right to enlarge the photo to full size). One other car with Michigan plates was parked there, but it and its lone occupant soon left.

This was a memorial of sorts, to commemorate Crazy Horse, the great Lakota warrior. The thing had been repainted but was still riddled with nasty bullet holes. Lots of signs out west bear the imprint of frustrated modern-day gunslingers. A bit of graffiti on the other side rounded out the display.

Wounded Knee

Continuing north we came upon the Wounded Knee Cemetery. I have seen so many depictions of this in print and in film that I felt like I had been here before. Atop a pretty hill, the rustic archway announced the final resting place of those who were massacred in 1890, unarmed and attempting to surrender to the U.S. Army. Sadly, the graveyard also holds the remains of later individuals, such as Buddy Lamont who was shot in the head by an FBI sniper in 1973. As old man Prozor in the film Four Friends might have muttered, "This is America."

At the request of a local, we took no photographs of the site out of respect for what it signifies to the Lakota. But I have a crystal clear picture in my mind that will never leave me.

Down by the highway was another large green sign which gave an historical account of the 1890 massacre. It too had suffered from some vandalism. Nearby, local entrepreneurs — two young Lakota women — had set up a sun shelter of pine boughs and were under it selling homecrafted jewelery to the wasichu tourists. It was good looking stuff; I thought the buffalo bone choker was especially pretty. I noticed that the windshield of their car was shattered; a large central hole sent out a thousand spider legs to all four edges. I don't even want to know the cause.

Just across the road, at the base of the Cemetery hill was something I hadn't expected to find. A circular building with a flat tar roof, it was marked as an Information Center. I'd never read about this in any guide book and was curious to see what it was about.

Inside were a number of pictures, a few display cases, some articles from newspapers and magazines, and artistic items. However, it was the hand-decorated walls that caught my attention. Standing back to scan them in full, I noticed they had been labeled with a number of political and human rights statements. Names like Dennis Banks and Russell Means popped up, and then it all fell into place.

The Information Center seemed to be associated somehow with AIM, the American Indian Movement, or perhaps some sympathizers. I have always been intrigued with this organization and so spent a great deal of time examining the documents on display. In particular, I pored over the collection of letters dealing with the Badlands/fossil affair on the Pine Ridge Reservation. You might check the external link below to learn more about this current issue.

After asking to make sure it was okay, we hiked up the hill to the Cemetery. This was a peaceful place, with a breeze rustling the flowers and colorful cloth spiritual memorials ever so slightly. The restful hush contrasted with the stark rectangular concrete-sided mass grave and carved stone marker recalling the bloodshed here a century ago.

Then my thoughts wandered to more recent times. I stood by Buddy Lamont's grave site and looked out at the hills. I tried to imagine the FBI agents completely surrounding Wounded Knee in 1973 with automatic weapons. The irony struck me full force: this is the agency Attorney General John Ashcroft wants to give more powers of domestic surveillance to.

Turning northwestward, we could look past the little rebuilt church here down onto the tiny village of Wounded Knee. The couple dozen prefab houses we saw represented some of the best accommodations on the Rez. Most people live way off the beaten path in shanties cobbled together with anything they can lay their hands on. This is a foreign country.

As we left Wounded Knee that day, my mind turned over the too many events which have made this place a household word. I thought about the Ghost Dance and the 7th Cavalry, I thought about the 73 day siege, I thought about AIM and tribal chairman Dick Wilson, I thought about activist John Trudell's assessment of the FBI: "They were there to make trouble." And I thought about what might have been. [footnote]

The Grand Tour of the Rez

We met our contact to drop off the school supplies and were glad to see quite a few other people had arrived with contributions; it was a bustling place. I was also delighted to relieve my minivan of its load before heading further into the Pine Ridge Reservation. I wasn't sure what kind of roads we would encounter, but as it turns out they were actually pretty good.

We continued on BIA 27 up through Porcupine, passing the local FM radio station. Coming to Sharps Corner, we turned eastward to Kyle. Traffic was pretty light, since we managed to miss the county fair and Pow Wow weekends. Along the drive we noticed an occasional horse or cow, and plenty of litter, trash and rusted automobiles resting peacefully in fields. We also saw quite a few sweaty residents walking the roads, way out in the middle of nowhere, far from any town. Remember, this is a huge reservation, and yet it's clear that a number of people are just too poor to afford a working vehicle.

Next was Potato Creek on BIA 2 and eventually we turned onto State Road 44 northward, ending up at a Cedar Pass Lodge cabin in Badlands National Park. In just a couple short days we had covered a goodly amount of the Rez north-south. But, of course, not really knowing anyone out here, we had seen nothing of the way of life miles off of the paved roads. But I sure would like to...

Musty Documents?

As a former college professor, I had a student not long ago who was from nearby Rapid City. It was her last semester, and she intended to go to law school after graduation.

It was a rewarding trip in many ways. Having read On the Rez, mentioned above, and Mary Crow Dog's Lakota Woman, a lot of things have come into focus for me. Even the videos, Incident at Oglala and Thunderheart actually seem to give pretty accurate descriptions of the Pine Ridge.

I loved what I saw of the Rez (as much as I felt sorrow for it) and want to return.

• Federal
  • The Bill of Rights
  • Constitution of the United States
  • Declaration of Independence
  • Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868
  • 1980: United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians
  
  
• State
  • Guide to the Great Sioux Nation
  
  
• Municipal
  • Town of Gordon, Nebraska
  • City of Mitchell
  • Town of Murdo
  
  
• Other Interesting Sites
  • Badlands fossil dig...opposing views
  • Big Bats
  • The Enduring Mari Sandoz
  • Movie: Four Friends
  • The FBI: At the Pine Ridge Reservation
  • Leonard Peltier: 1975
  • Massacre at Wounded Knee: 1890
  • Raymond Yellow Thunder and Gordon, Nebraska
  • Siege at Wounded Knee: 1973
  • White Clay Protest: 1999
  • The Visions of SuAnne Big Crow