The Native American Scenic Byway stretches across the expansive tallgrass plains of the Sioux people, who preserve the history of the shaping of the American West. As you pass through the green-gold hills of this byway, its many memorial markers, monuments, museums, and sacred sites commemorate the heritage of the Sioux Nation and help you hear history from the Native American point of view.
The byway crosses the reservations of four tribes of Lakota Sioux: Crow Creek, Lower Brule, Cheyenne River, and Standing Rock. Near the Crow Creek Reservation, the Akta Lakota Museum in Chamberlain offers hands-on exhibits and authentic Sioux handicrafts, including the intricate weaving of colored porcupine quills.
In the town of Lower Brule, the Big Bend Dam allows you access to Lake Sharpe, the reservoir that stretches between the Lower Brule and Crow Creek Reservations. Cruise the waters, go on a fishing expedition, or relax at the lakeside. Further up the byway is Lake Oahe, another popular water recreation spot. It stretches over the border into North Dakota, forming the eastern boundary of the Cheyenne River and Standing Rock reservations.
Several sites along the byway preserve the heritage of the Sioux Nation. Upon entering the Cheyenne River Reservation, pull out and read signs detailing the tragic history of the Cheyenne River Valley. These riverside plains were the home of Chief Big Foot's tribe, and the site of the Massacre at Wounded Knee when tensions exploded between the tribe and the U.S. Army. The Sioux today hold Memorial Rides, horseback tours of this and other sites in remembrance of their ancestors and the heritage they stood for.
The Standing Rock Reservation Standing Rock is also the final resting place of Sitting Bull, one of the most famous chiefs of the Sioux. Named Tatanka-Iyotanka, which describes a sitting buffalo bull, Sitting Bull was just as immovable in defense of his people. As tensions with American soldiers escalated over their desire to mine gold in the sacred Black Hills, Sitting Bull persistently maintained his people's rights to the land. After surviving battles, exile, and servitude, he was killed in a misunderstanding over a ritual dance. The byway passes near his burial site in Fort Yates.
The Native American Scenic Byway not only lets you experience the rolling plains of South Dakota, but also gives insight into the ancient culture of the Native American: their traditions, their history, their way of life.
