Rosebud-Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

One of several Reservations in the State of South Dakota, the Pine Ridge-Rosebud Indian Reservation is the second largest Reservation after the Navajo Reservation. Quote: The Navajo Reservation was probably eradicated back in the 1980s. According to reports, the Hopi and Navajo were supposedly in a dispute over land which led the United States to take Navajo land to supposedly give to the Hopi. That led to many of the Navajo people being relocated. And we know what relocation means when Native Americans are involved. Land stolen by the whites and less land set aside for Native Americans. The Navajo Reservation is only a fraction of its large size now.

An interesting subject about the Pine Ridge-Rosebud Indian Reservation, is the population controversy. One estimate puts the population of the Pine Ridge District at over 15,000, while another at over 40,000. At the Rosebud District, the population estimate ranges from over 10,000 to over 20,000. At the Rosebud Reservation website their estimate is the one at over 20,000. They also claim over 24,000 citizens. Originally, the Pine Ridge-Rosebud Indian Reservation covered over 9,000 sq. mi., but the United States stole most of the Reservation. Below is a map from 1891 of the correct Pine Ridge-Rosebud Indian Reservation. After stealing most of the Pine Ridge-Rosebud Indian Reservation, the Pine Ridge-Rosebud Indian Reservation was left with only the Pine Ridge Reservation.

A mystery about the Rosebud Reservation is clearly evident. The entire Rosebud Reservation was eradicated. That occurred when the Rosebud Reservation Allotments Acts of 1904, 1907, and 1910 occurred. Several thousand Chippewa's and Dakotas were alloted land with the remaining land sold to whites. In 1906, Anishinabe ogimak (leaders) knew the United States was conspiring to eradicate the Cheyenne River-Standing Rock, Crow Creek-Lower Brule, and Pine Ridge-Rosebud Reservations, They gathered 100s (probably 1,000s) of their people together and agreed with other Chippewa's on other Reservations, to meet near some northern (possibly the Northern Cheyenne Reservation) Reservation, to negotiate about losing their Reservations, or to flee to Mexico. They were captured north of Gillette, Wyoming between the Powder River and Tongue River, just south of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, on October 22, 1906. It is known historically as the Ute Trek of 1906.

Important and reliable maps of South Dakota after 1907, do not show the Rosebud Reservation. It would stay that way for quite some time. In fact, in 1911 a map clearly shows the new Rosebud Reservation (the present day Rosebud Reservation). It is the third one below. It covers Mellette and Todd Counties in South Dakota. Even after 1911, maps did not show the Rosebud Reservation.

The 1906 Ute Exodus

An exodus of Indians supposedly from Utah (it included Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming) occurred in 1906, supposedly to South Dakota but it was Montana. Many of the fleeing Chippewa's were captured just south of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Through negotiations many were granted a 144 sq. mi. Reservation in the Cheyenne River Reservation. Many of the captured Chippewa's requested from the whites to relocate to other South Dakota Reservations. They are the Pine Ride-Rosebud Reservation. That event is probably what saved the Rosebud Reservation.

What is left now is the Pine Ridge District with the land stolen from them by the whites, and the Rosebud District which is made up of Mellette and Todd Counties. The whites stole most of the original Rosebud Reservation land in South Dakota. The Pine Ridge-Rosebud Indian Reservation was carved out of the Great Sioux Reservation. That occurred in 1889. What the whites are resorting to regarding this large Reservation, is quite obvious if you did some research. If you do the research you will nearly always read that only Dakota Indians lived on this Reservation. That is a direct lie or insult to the mighty Native American. Anishinabe people live on this Reservation and have always lived on this Reservation. You can click here to learn that in fact this Reservation is an Anishinabe Reservation. It is the May 10, 1868 treaty.

I have included the Pine Ridge-Rosebud Reservation with all Anishinabe Reservations because of the historical evidence that claims the Arapaho-Cheyenne people settled on this Reservation. However, historians are doing their utmost to erase from Anishinabe memory, that fact that the Pine Ridge-Rosebud Reservation is another Anishinabe Reservation. Both the Arapaho and the Cheyenne are really Anishinabe. They were the Chippewa's who forced their way out to the plains from northwestern Ontario and northern Minnesota. That occurred just before 1700 or shortly after 1700. The Anishinabe conquest over the northern Dakotas, occurred during the early and mid 1700s. From probably northern Minnesota, southern Manitoba, and northwestern Ontario Anishinabe soldiers eventually forced the Dakotas to reach a peace agreement with them. In either the 1720-1730 time period or later, they formed the Iron Confederation then quickly expanded to the west and southwest. They did eventually settle along the Missouri River in both North Dakota and South Dakota, as William W. Warren clearly tells Native Americans in his 19th century book "History of the Ojibway People."

It is the Chippewa's (the Anishinabek or Ojibwa's) who are the famous Sioux Indians of the Great Plains. When the French commenced contact with the Lake Superior Anishinabek in the 17th century, they supposedly named them the Sault-teaux. However, that information was very likely corrupted by the whites. The French really named the Chippewa's who lived along Lake Superiors eastern Shores, the Sault, after the name of a French trading post located along Lake Superiors eastern shores. The name of that French trading post was Sault Ste. Marie. Sault is pronounced identically to Sioux. The English adopted the French name for the Chippewa's but used it to identify the plains Chippewa's. In Canada, the Sault was eventually changed to Saulteaux which is pronounced like "soe-toe." After the Reservation was established and Indian children were forced to go to white Christian schools, the whites eventually forced the Chippewa's living on the Pine Ridge-Rosebud Reservation, to lose their Chippewa Tribal identity.

Whites make up around 7% of the Pine Ridge District's population. Whites also own (over 600,000 acres or near 1,000 sq. mi.) much of the districts land. This Reservation is open. Pine Ridge District covers all of Shannon County, most of Jackson County, south of White River that is, and all of Bennet County. At the Rosebud District the whites make up 11% of the population. The whites own 100,000s of acres (much of the 2,701 sq. mi. the Rosebud District covers) of the Rosebud District's land. In all, the whites own over 1,000 sq. mi. of the Pine Ridge-Rosebud Reservation's 7,054 sq. mi. However, throughout the Pine Ridge District and Rosebud District (the Rosebud District is made up of Mellette and Todd Counties) Native Americans completely surround the whites. The whites are a tiny minority on the Pine Ridge-Rosebud Reservation.

Below are the demographics of this Reservation. Average household size according to official reports is near 4.0, but could be as high as 8.0 persons per household. There is a total of 6,304 housing units on the Reservation, with renter occupied units the majority, while owner occupied units the less. Only one of this Reservations settlements is located in Tripp County which was originally a part of this Reservation. That is Ideal. This Reservation still owns some land in Tripp County. And Tripp County has a Native American population of around 600. About half live in Winner which is the county seat.