The Yankton Indian Reservation is the homeland of the Yankton subgroup of the Sioux

Sioux

The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...

 tribe of Native American

Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

s.

The reservation occupies the southeasternmost 60 percent of Charles Mix County in southeastern South Dakota

South Dakota

South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It has a land area of 665.712 sq mi (1,724.186 km²) and a total area (land and water) of 684.406 sq mi (1,772.604 km²), and a resident population of 6,500 persons as of the 2000 census

United States Census, 2000

The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...

. It is the second-largest (to the Osage Indian Reservation) Indian reservation that is located entirely within one county. The largest community on the reservation is the city of Wagner

Wagner, South Dakota

Wagner is a city in Charles Mix County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,566 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Wagner is located at ....

, while Marty

Marty, South Dakota

Marty is a census-designated place in Charles Mix County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 402 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Marty is located at ....

 is the location of the tribal headquarters. The band Indigenous

Indigenous (band)

Indigenous is an American blues-rock group that came to prominence in the late 1990s. The band originally consisted of two brothers, Mato Nanji , Pte , along with their sister, Wanbdi , and their cousin, Horse .Their music is heavily influenced by guitarist...

 is originally from this community.

Tribal Information

• Reservation: Diminished Yankton Reservation; part of Charles Mix County
• Division: Yankton
• Bands: Ihanktonwan
• Land Area: Approximately 40,000 acres (without boundaries)
• Tribal Headquarters: Marty, SD
• Time Zone: Central
• Traditional Language: Dakota
• Enrolled members living within diminished area: 6,500
• Major Employers: Fort Randall Casino, Indian Health Service, tribal office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Marty Indian School

Tribal Government

• Charter: None; Constitution and Bylaws: Yes - non-IRA
• Date Approved: April 24, 1963
• Name of Governing Body: Yankton Sioux Tribal Business and Claims Committee
• Number of committee members: (5) five committee members
• Dates of Constitutional amendments: March 20, 1975
• Number of Executive Officers: (4) Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer

Tribal Elections

• Primary election is in July and the General is every two years on the first Thursday in September. Executive officers are elected at large and serve two year terms in office.
• Number of Election districts or communities: 5

Tribal Meetings

• Regular business meeting are held once a week usually on Tuesday. An annual General Council Meeting is set for the third Tuesday in August each year.
• Quorum number: 5 members

Famous Leaders: Past and Present

• Chief Struck By The Ree, (1804-1888) a Yankton chief, was wrapped in an American flag by Meriwether Lewis. Lewis and Clark were in the area exploring Louisiana Purchase lands. As a leader, Struck By The Ree managed to befriend the whites, yet remain dedicated and loyal to his people. He died in 1888 at Greenwood.
• Chief Smutty Bear, Mato Sabi Ceya (1790? - 1865) which has been said to mean He Paints Himself Dark Like A Bear, a Ihanktonwan Chief, was a signer of four treaties. He signed the Treaty of 1825 Treaty of 1825, the Fourth Treaty of Prairie Du Chien of 1830 Treaty with the Sauk and Foxes, etc., 1830., the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie and the Treaty of 1858 Treaty of 1858. He was a strong defender and believer in tribal sovereignty. Spellings of Chief Smutty Bear's name, following the chronological order of the treaties, are as follows : Maw-too-an-be-kin, Matto-sa-becha, Mak-toe-sah-bi-chis and Ma-to-sa-be-che-a.

Communities

• Dante
  Dante, South Dakota
  Dante is a town in Charles Mix County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 84 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Dante is located at ....
  
  
• Lake Andes
  Lake Andes, South Dakota
  Lake Andes is a city in, and the county seat of, Charles Mix County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 879 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Lake Andes is located at ....
  
  
• Marty
  Marty, South Dakota
  Marty is a census-designated place in Charles Mix County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 402 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Marty is located at ....
  
  
• Pickstown
  Pickstown, South Dakota
  Pickstown is a town in Charles Mix County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 201 at the 2010 census. It was named after Lewis A. Pick, director of the Missouri River office of the United States Army Corps of Engineers.-Geography:...
  
  
• Ravinia
  Ravinia, South Dakota
  Ravinia is a town in Charles Mix County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 61 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Ravinia is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land....
  
  
• Wagner
  Wagner, South Dakota
  Wagner is a city in Charles Mix County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,566 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Wagner is located at ....