South Dakota - Black Hills

Black Hills

States: South Dakota and Wyoming

The Black Hills, now mostly a National Forest, are a fairly isolated range of hills in the northern Great Plains and on the border between the states of South Dakota and Wyoming, some 125 mi. east of the Rockies as the crow flies.

The highest point is Harney Peak (7242 ft). The crystalline rock is rich in minerals, particularly gold and silver. The Black Hills are also of interest for their flora, lying as they do on the boundary between the western (Pacific) and eastern (Atlantic) plant worlds. By far the commonest conifer is the western yellow pine (Pinus ponderosa). Indian country to the western Dakota Indians (Teton-Sioux or Lakota) the Black Hills are a sacred region, the place of origin of their people. In the past they were also very conscious of the material value of this region with its rich stores of gold, uranium and other ores. In 1868, in the treaty of Laramie, the American government guaranteed the Indians possession of the Black Hills. When gold was found in the area in 1874, however, they were anxious to get it back. Negotiations with the chiefs Red Cloud and Spotted Tail broke down; but in 1876 the Americans compelled the Lakota Indians to hand the land back without compensation. The Indians are still fighting in the United States courts for appropriate reparation for the rich lands they have lost.