View source for Lake Traverse Indian Reservation

{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Lake Traverse Indian Reservation
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| settlement_type         = [[Indian reservation]]
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| image_map               = 1860R Lake Traverse Reservation Locator Map.svg
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| map_caption             = Location in North Dakota and South Dakota
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| subdivision_type        = Tribe
| subdivision_name        = [[Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate]]
| subdivision_type1       = Country
| subdivision_name1       = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type2       = States
| subdivision_name2       = [[North Dakota]]<br>[[South Dakota]]
| subdivision_type3       = Counties
| subdivision_name3       = [[Richland County, North Dakota|Richland]]<br>[[Sargent County, North Dakota|Sargent]]<br>[[Codington County, South Dakota|Codington]]<br>[[Day County, South Dakota|Day]]<br>[[Grant County, South Dakota|Grant]]<br>[[Marshall County, South Dakota|Marshall]]<br>[[Roberts County, South Dakota|Roberts]]
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| seat_type               = Headquarters
| seat                    = [[Agency Village, South Dakota|Agency Village]]
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| governing_body          = Tribal Council
| leader_title            = Chairman
| leader_name             = J. Garret Renville 
| leader_title1           = Vice-Chairman
| leader_name1            = Lexie Fancher-Lincoln
| leader_title2           = Secretary
| leader_name2            = Curtis Bissonette 
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| population_as_of        = 2024
| population_total        = 14800
| population_density_sq_mi= auto
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| website                 = [https://www.swo-nsn.gov/ swo-nsn.gov]
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}}

The '''Lake Traverse Indian Reservation''' is the homeland of the federally recognized [[Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate]], a branch of the [[Santee Dakota]] group of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe |url=https://aktalakota.stjo.org/tribal-lands/sisseton-wahpeton-sioux-reservation/ |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=Aktá Lakota Museum & Cultural Center |language=en-US}}</ref> Most of the reservation covers parts of five counties in northeastern [[South Dakota]], while smaller parts are in two counties in southeastern [[North Dakota]], United States.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation |url=https://swo-nsn.gov/ |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=SWO |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Providing Guidance to the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe on the Lake Traverse Reservation |url=https://www.fema.gov/case-study/providing-guidance-sisseton-wahpeton-oyate-tribe-lake-traverse-reservation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250202231835/https://www.fema.gov/case-study/providing-guidance-sisseton-wahpeton-oyate-tribe-lake-traverse-reservation |archive-date=2025-02-02 |website=FEMA}}</ref> Its largest community is the city of [[Sisseton, South Dakota]].    

As of 2019, the reservation had an estimated population of 11,095.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lake Traverse (Sisseton-Wahpeton) Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land |url=https://sdtribalrelations.sd.gov/docs/swo-stat-profile.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250226210707/https://sdtribalrelations.sd.gov/docs/swo-stat-profile.pdf |archive-date=2025-02-26 |website=South Dakota Department of Tribal Relations}}</ref>   

== History ==
The reservation was created by treaty on April 22, 1867 [[Anno Domini|A.D.]] and called the [[Clothes iron|Flatiron]] Reservation, in reference to its triangular shape.<ref name="SDSIOUX" /> It was created for the "friendly Dakota" from the Minnesota hostilities of 1862-1866. Signatories of the treaty were [[Gabriel Renville]], [[John Otherday]], and twenty-one other Sisseton and Wahpeton leaders.<ref name="SDSIOUX"> History of Sioux Indians, Chapter XXXVI,  SOUTH DAKOTA GENEALOGY TRAILS [https://genealogytrails.com/sdak/zzHxDakotaSioux/page06.html#chapter30]</ref> Gabriel Renville was the first chief of the reservation. 

==Geography==
The reservation covers 108,589 acres.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe |url=https://sdtribalrelations.sd.gov/tribes/Sisseton-Wahpeton-Oyate.aspx |website=South Dakota Department of Tribal Relations}}</ref> Over 60% of its land area lies in [[Roberts County, South Dakota]], but there are lesser amounts in [[Marshall County, South Dakota|Marshall]], [[Day County, South Dakota|Day]], [[Grant County, South Dakota|Grant]] and [[Codington County, South Dakota|Codington]] counties in South Dakota,<ref name=":1" /> as well as [[Sargent County, North Dakota|Sargent]] and [[Richland County, North Dakota|Richland]] counties in North Dakota.

==Government==
The reservation is governed by a seven-member council, one member elected from each district:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Seven Districts |url=https://swo-nsn.gov/government/seven-districts/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250305015913/https://swo-nsn.gov/government/seven-districts/ |archive-date=2025-03-05 |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=SWO |language=en}}</ref> Big Coulee (Iyakapta), Buffalo Lake (Can Onasa Bde), [[Enemy Swim, South Dakota|Enemy Swim]] (Toka Nuwan), Lake Traverse (Bde hda Kinyan), [[Long Hollow, South Dakota|Long Hollow]] (Kaksize Hanska), Old Agency (Ate Yapi Tipi), and [[Veblen, South Dakota|Veblen]] (Heipa). Councilmembers serve two-year terms.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Revised Constitution and Bylaws of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe, South Dakota |url=https://narf.org/nill/constitutions/sisseton-wahpeton/swconst.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231201202444/https://narf.org/nill/constitutions/sisseton-wahpeton/swconst.html |archive-date=2023-12-01 |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=narf.org}}</ref> 

The executive committee comprises a chairman, vice-chairman, and secretary.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tribal Executives |url=https://swo-nsn.gov/government/tribal-executives/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250304211041/https://swo-nsn.gov/government/tribal-executives/ |archive-date=2025-03-04 |website=SWO}}</ref>

The tribal headquarters are located in [[Agency Village, South Dakota]].<ref name=":1" />

== Economy ==
Major employers include the Dakota Sioux Casino, the Sisseton Wahpeton tribal government, and the [[Bureau of Indian Affairs]].<ref name=":1" />

==Education and media==
[[Sisseton Wahpeton College|Sisseton-Wahpeton College]] was established in Agency Village in 1979.<ref name=":0" /> The newspaper ''Sota Iya Ye Yapi'' ("smoke signals") is published weekly.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sota Iya Ye Yapi ([Agency Village, S.D.]) 19??-???? |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/sn94050913/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250213174941/https://www.loc.gov/item/sn94050913/ |archive-date=2025-02-13 |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Woodrow W. Keeble]] (1917–1982), U.S. Army Medal of Honor recipient
* [[Gabriel Renville]] (1824–1892), chief
* [[Paul War Cloud]], (1930–1973), artist

==Communities==
*[[Agency Village, South Dakota]]
*[[Claire City, South Dakota]]
*[[Goodwill, South Dakota]]
*[[Lake City, South Dakota]] (most, population 46)
*[[Long Hollow, South Dakota]]
*[[New Effington, South Dakota]]
*[[Ortley, South Dakota]]
*[[Peever, South Dakota]]
*[[Rosholt, South Dakota]]
*[[Sisseton, South Dakota]]
*[[Summit, South Dakota]]
*[[Veblen, South Dakota]]
*[[Waubay, South Dakota]] (part, population 15)

==References==
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{{Indian reservations in North Dakota}}
{{Indian reservations in South Dakota}}
{{Navboxes
|list=
{{Codington County, South Dakota}}
{{Day County, South Dakota}}
{{Grant County, South Dakota}}
{{Marshall County, South Dakota}}
{{Richland County, North Dakota}}
{{Roberts County, South Dakota}}
{{Sargent County, North Dakota}}
}}

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[[Category:Geography of Codington County, South Dakota]]
[[Category:Geography of Day County, South Dakota]]
[[Category:Geography of Grant County, South Dakota]]
[[Category:Geography of Marshall County, South Dakota]]
[[Category:Geography of Richland County, North Dakota]]
[[Category:Geography of Roberts County, South Dakota]]
[[Category:Geography of Sargent County, North Dakota]]
[[Category:Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate]]
[[Category:American Indian reservations in South Dakota]]
[[Category:American Indian reservations in North Dakota]]
[[Category:1946 establishments in North Dakota]]
[[Category:1946 establishments in South Dakota]]