Eagle Butte, South Dakota

This community is disorganized and to ascertain it's demographics is very frustrating. There are two communities! North Eagle Butte and Eagle Butte. It's almost as if a line was drawn which told one portion to keep to themselves and the same to the other. This community may have started as a white town. North Eagle Butte is a CDP (Census Designated Place) while Eagle Butte is a city. Boundaries for both communities indicate discrepancies. Look at the satellite images! What has probably caused the confusion is "Fee Land and Trust Land." If a Reservation community is located on "Trust Land," it is not subject to City, County, Federal and State taxes which means it has no source of revenue. If a Reservation community is located on "Fee Land," it is subject to City, County, Federal and State taxes or has a source of revenue. At Browning which is a community of the Ojibwa Blackfeet Reservation, three communities are situated adjacent to each other. Browning which is located on "Fee Land," South Browning which is located on "Trust Land," and North Browning which is also located on "Trust Land." At Eagle Butte the same possibly applies. However, I don't know their land situation. Since Eagle Butte is a city, it is located on "Fee Land." According to 2020's census, Eagle Butte has a population of 1,258. Natives make up 87.4% of the population. Whites 7.2%. Mixed bloods 4.8%. Mexicans 0.9%. Asians 0.3%. Blacks. 0.2%. North Eagle Butte has a population of 1,879. Natives make up 94.9% of the population. Mixed bloods 2.3%. Whites 2.2%. Mexicans 2.1%. Blacks 0.3%. Total population of Eagle Butte and North Eagle Butte is 3,137. There are four distinct communities or communities not adjacent to each other. Eagle Butte and North Eagle Butte are adjacent to each other. I'll refer to Eagle Butte and North Eagle Butte as Eagle Butte. Total land area of Eagle Butte is 10.3 sq. mi. or 26.66 sq. km. Natives living there have long forgotten about Ojibwa author George Copway who is responsible for Great Sioux Reservation. After the 5 million acre Ojibwa Reservation located at Iowa with small portions at extreme south Minnesota and northwest Missouri, was eradicated in 1846, Copway went to work lecturing for a new large Reservation to be located at southeast South Dakota. By mid 1850's, Copway commenced a campaign for a new Reservation adjacent to and west of Missouri River at South Dakota. His proposal was accepted in 1868. Copway knew about Ojibwa migrations west, north and to Mexico and knew a large Reservation would halt the migrations. Other tribes were also included besides the Ojibwa, for settling at Great Sioux Reservation. Their population in 1890 was around 25,000. Since then or after Great Sioux Reservation was diminished to smaller Reservations, their population hasn't even doubled.

Eagle Butte is similar to Browning and Pine Ridge. More so to Pine Ridge. Browning has a larger population and many more businesses. Parts of Eagle Butte are run down and not appealing. Newer parts of Eagle Butte are much more appealing. Houses look new and are well kept. Planting more trees will bring more appeal. Many folks living at Eagle Butte are poor and can't afford to do repair work on their homes. And, of course, wealthy people point the finger of blame at poor folks. You might think there's nothing wrong with that yet there is. If you haven't got wealth you tough it out while the wealthy live their lives of luxury and appoint themselves as the solution or keep ways the way they are! Of course, wealthy people are few while poor folks are quite numerous. It's no different at Eagle Butte. Within a few years or 20 or 30 years, Eagle Butte may be more like Browning. Those three distinct communities will become a part of Eagle Butte. About a 1/2 mile north of Browning is another distinct community that will become a part of Browning. South of Browning by near 1/2 a mile is another community that will become a part of Browning. During late 19th century and early 20th century, whites completely brainwashed Ojibwa's of South Dakota. At Cheyenne Agency Reservation (aka Cheyenne River Reservation) Ojibwa's continued their definance until about 1910. Trying to stop their children from attending white boarding schools nearly led to war in 1908. Ojibwa Parents complained their children would die if they were sent to white boarding schools. And they did die! They no longer know who they are!