Culture of South Dakota
Encyclopedia
The culture of the U.S. state
of South Dakota
exhibits influences from many different sources. American Indians
, the cultures of the American West
and Midwest
, and the customs and traditions of many of the state's various immigrant groups have all contributed to South Dakota art, music, and literature.
A number of annual events celebrating the state's ethnic and historical heritage take place around the state, such as Days of '76 in Deadwood
, Czech Days in Tabor
, the annual St. Patrick's Day and Cinco de Mayo festivities in Sioux Falls
, and Riverboat Days in Yankton
.
Many pow wow
s are held yearly throughout the state, and Custer State Park's
Buffalo Roundup, in which volunteers on horseback gather the park's herd of around 1,500 bison
, is a popular annual event.
Annual arts and crafts festivals include the Brookings
Summer Arts Festival and the Sidewalk Arts Festival in downtown Sioux Falls.
In the annual Crazy Horse Volksmarch near Custer
, nearly 15,000 hikers complete a 6.2 miles (10 km) hike that nears the top of the Crazy Horse Memorial
.
Many counties and towns in the state hold annual fairs. The Sioux Empire Fair
, in Sioux Falls, is the largest fair in the state, with an annual attendance of over 250,000. The South Dakota State Fair is another large annual event; it is held in Huron
at the end of the summer.
The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
is an annual event in Sturgis
. In 2006, the rally was attended by 450,000 people.
Laura Ingalls Wilder
, whose semi-autobiographical books center around her experiences as a child and young adult on the frontier, is one of South Dakota's best-known writers. She used her experiences growing up on a homestead near De Smet
as the basis for four of her novels: By the Shores of Silver Lake
, The Long Winter
, Little Town on the Prairie
, and The First Four Years
. Wilder's childhood home, built by her father, has been preserved and is open to the public in De Smet.
Another author from the state who wrote about the area's early period of settlement was Ole Edvart Rølvaag
. Rølvaag was a Norwegian immigrant who came to Elk Point
to work as a farm hand in 1896, later studying English at Augustana College
(at the time located in Canton
). Rølvaag later wrote a number of novels, many of which centered on the struggles of immigrants in Dakota to simultaneously make a living and preserve their heritage in a foreign country. Rølvaag's novels include Giants of the Earth: A Saga of the Prairie, Peder Victorious, and Their Fathers' God.
Novelist Frederick Manfred, who identified as "Siouxland" a region encompassing western Iowa, southern Minnesota, and eastern South Dakota, set a number of his novels in South Dakota, including The Golden Bowl (Manfred)
(during the Dust Bowl) and King of Spades (during the Black Hills Gold Rush).
Black Elk
, whose narration of the Indian Wars
and Ghost Dance
movement and thoughts on Native American religion forms the basis of the book Black Elk Speaks
.
Paul Goble
, a native of England who has lived in Rapid City
since 1977, is an author and illustrator of children's books, most of which involve American Indian topics. He has published 29 books, and was awarded the Caldecott Medal
for The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
and a Regina Medal
for his body of work.
Beginning in the 1830s several painters and illustrators began producing paintings and sketchs of the area and inhabitants around Fort Pierre
. One of the first non-Indian artists in the area, George Catlin
arrived in the area in 1832 and completed a number of sketches and portraits of local tribes, Indian dances, and bison hunts during the 15 days he spent at Ft. Pierre. Several years later, Swiss artist Karl Bodmer
traveled up the Missouri River and for a time lived among the tribes of central South Dakota. During this period, Bodmer completed a number of highly detailed landscaps and portraits of local Indians.
Harvey Dunn
grew up on a homestead near Manchester
in the late 19th century. After attending college at South Dakota State University
, Dunn enjoyed a successful career as an illustrator for periodicals such as Harper's and The Saturday Evening Post
. While most of his career was spent as an illustrator whose work rarely recalled his rural upbringing, late in life Dunn completed a number of paintings depicting his memories of life in rural Dakota Territory. Dunn agreed to exhibit these painting, mostly depicting scenes of frontier life, at an exhibition in De Smet
in 1950. The exhibition was a great success, with over 5,000 people attending it throughout the summer, and Dunn agreed to donate the works to South Dakota State. They are currently displayed at the South Dakota Art Museum on the campus of SDSU in Brookings
.
Oscar Howe
was born on the Crow Creek Indian Reservation and won fame for his watercolor paintings. Howe was one of the first Native American painters to produce works heavily influenced by abstraction
, as opposed to ones relying on more traditional styles.
There are currently several accomplished artists from South Dakota. Terry Redlin
, originally from Watertown
, is a painter of rural and wildlife scenes. Many of Redlin's works are on display at the Redlin Art Center
in Watertown. Dick Termes
, who resides in Spearfish
, is renowned for his Termespheres. They are scenes painted on a sphere
that can be viewed from any angle. He credits M. C. Escher
and Buckminster Fuller
as having strong influences on his work.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
exhibits influences from many different sources. American Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, the cultures of the American West
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
and Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
, and the customs and traditions of many of the state's various immigrant groups have all contributed to South Dakota art, music, and literature.
Roots and influences
Much of South Dakota's culture reflects the state's American Indian, rural, Western, and European roots.Festivals
Deadwood, South Dakota
Deadwood is a city in South Dakota, United States, and the county seat of Lawrence County. It is named for the dead trees found in its gulch. The population was 1,270 according to a 2010 census...
, Czech Days in Tabor
Tabor, South Dakota
Tabor is a town in Bon Homme County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 423 at the 2010 census.-History:The first Czech immigrants started arriving in Dakota Territory in 1868, and settled west of Yankton. These poor people from Bohemia came to America with hope of improving their...
, the annual St. Patrick's Day and Cinco de Mayo festivities in Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south...
, and Riverboat Days in Yankton
Yankton, South Dakota
Yankton is a city in, and the county seat of, Yankton County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 14,454 at the 2010 census. Yankton was the original capital of Dakota Territory. It is named for the Yankton tribe of Nakota Native Americans...
.
Many pow wow
Pow woW
Pow woW is French musical group. Their biggest hit was "Le Chat" in 1992. Their next single was the French version of song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", titled "Le lion est mort ce soir".- Albums :* Regagner les plaines...
s are held yearly throughout the state, and Custer State Park's
Custer State Park
Custer State Park is a state park and wildlife reserve in the Black Hills of southwestern South Dakota, USA. The park is South Dakota's largest and first state park, named after Lt...
Buffalo Roundup, in which volunteers on horseback gather the park's herd of around 1,500 bison
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
, is a popular annual event.
Annual arts and crafts festivals include the Brookings
Brookings, South Dakota
Brookings is a city in Brookings County, South Dakota, United States. Brookings is the fourth largest city in South Dakota, with a population of 22,056 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Brookings County, and home to South Dakota State University, the largest institution of higher...
Summer Arts Festival and the Sidewalk Arts Festival in downtown Sioux Falls.
In the annual Crazy Horse Volksmarch near Custer
Custer, South Dakota
Custer is a city in Custer County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 2,067 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Custer County.-History:...
, nearly 15,000 hikers complete a 6.2 miles (10 km) hike that nears the top of the Crazy Horse Memorial
Crazy Horse Memorial
The Crazy Horse Memorial is a mountain monument complex that is under construction on privately held land in the Black Hills, in Custer County, South Dakota. It represents Crazy Horse, an Oglala Lakota warrior, riding a horse and pointing into the distance. The memorial was commissioned by Lakota...
.
Many counties and towns in the state hold annual fairs. The Sioux Empire Fair
Sioux Empire Fair
The Sioux Empire Fair is the largest fair in the state of South Dakota. It is held annually at the end of the summer in Sioux Falls at the W. H. Lyon Fairgrounds. Attendance at the 2009 fair was 263,091.-External links:*.*More information can be found at ....
, in Sioux Falls, is the largest fair in the state, with an annual attendance of over 250,000. The South Dakota State Fair is another large annual event; it is held in Huron
Huron, South Dakota
Huron is a city in Beadle County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 12,592 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beadle County. Huron was the home of now-defunct Huron University since 1897. Huron is also the home of the South Dakota State Fair...
at the end of the summer.
The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is an American motorcycle rally held annually in Sturgis, South Dakota, usually the first full week of August.-History:...
is an annual event in Sturgis
Sturgis, South Dakota
Sturgis is a city in Meade County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 6,627 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Meade County. Sturgis is famous for being the location of one of the largest annual motorcycle events in the world, which is held annually on the first full week...
. In 2006, the rally was attended by 450,000 people.
Literature
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American author who wrote the Little House series of books based on her childhood in a pioneer family...
, whose semi-autobiographical books center around her experiences as a child and young adult on the frontier, is one of South Dakota's best-known writers. She used her experiences growing up on a homestead near De Smet
De Smet, South Dakota
-External links:* * * * *...
as the basis for four of her novels: By the Shores of Silver Lake
By the Shores of Silver Lake
By the Shores of Silver Lake, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, was first published in 1939 and is the fifth of nine books written in her Little House on the Prairie series, also known as "The Laura Years." The book begins when Laura is twelve years old and the family moves to what will become De Smet,...
, The Long Winter
The Long Winter (novel)
The Long Winter is a Newbery Honor novel by Laura Ingalls Wilder, first published in 1940. The story is set in South Dakota during the severe winter of 1880-1881, when Laura turned fourteen...
, Little Town on the Prairie
Little Town on the Prairie
Little Town on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, was first published in 1941 and is the seventh of nine books written in her Little House series, also known as "The Laura Years." The book is set in De Smet, South Dakota...
, and The First Four Years
The First Four Years (novel)
The First Four Years is a book written by Laura Ingalls Wilder and found in the belongings of Rose Wilder Lane by Roger Lea MacBride, Rose's heir, upon Rose's death in 1968...
. Wilder's childhood home, built by her father, has been preserved and is open to the public in De Smet.
Another author from the state who wrote about the area's early period of settlement was Ole Edvart Rølvaag
Ole Edvart Rølvaag
Ole Edvart Rølvaag was an American novelist and professor who became well known for his writings regarding the Norwegian American immigrant experience...
. Rølvaag was a Norwegian immigrant who came to Elk Point
Elk Point, South Dakota
Elk Point is a city in Union County, South Dakota, United States. It is part of the Sioux City, IA–NE–SD Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,963 as of the 2010 census...
to work as a farm hand in 1896, later studying English at Augustana College
Augustana College (South Dakota)
Augustana College is a private, liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The campus makes the school the largest private university in South Dakota...
(at the time located in Canton
Canton, South Dakota
Canton is a city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, South Dakota, United States. The city was named by Norwegian settler and former legislator James M. Wahl...
). Rølvaag later wrote a number of novels, many of which centered on the struggles of immigrants in Dakota to simultaneously make a living and preserve their heritage in a foreign country. Rølvaag's novels include Giants of the Earth: A Saga of the Prairie, Peder Victorious, and Their Fathers' God.
Novelist Frederick Manfred, who identified as "Siouxland" a region encompassing western Iowa, southern Minnesota, and eastern South Dakota, set a number of his novels in South Dakota, including The Golden Bowl (Manfred)
The Golden Bowl (Manfred)
Frederick Manfred's The Golden Bowl is his first novel, published under his birth name Feike Feikema. Manfred insisted on his title, which echoes another American novelist, even when his friend Sinclair Lewis argued against it....
(during the Dust Bowl) and King of Spades (during the Black Hills Gold Rush).
Black Elk
Black Elk
Heȟáka Sápa was a famous Wičháša Wakȟáŋ of the Oglala Lakota . He was Heyoka and a second cousin of Crazy Horse.-Life:...
, whose narration of the Indian Wars
Indian Wars
American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
and Ghost Dance
Ghost Dance
The Ghost Dance was a new religious movement which was incorporated into numerous Native American belief systems. The traditional ritual used in the Ghost Dance, the circle dance, has been used by many Native Americans since prehistoric times...
movement and thoughts on Native American religion forms the basis of the book Black Elk Speaks
Black Elk Speaks
Black Elk Speaks is a 1932 book by John G. Neihardt, an American poet and writer, who relates the story and spirituality of Black Elk, an Oglala Sioux medicine man or shaman. It was based on conversations by Black Elk with the author and translated from Lakota into English by Black Elk's son, Ben...
.
Paul Goble
Paul Goble
Paul Goble is an award-winning author and illustrator of children's books, mostly Native American stories. Goble has received a number of honors for his books including the prestigious Caldecott Medal.- Biography :...
, a native of England who has lived in Rapid City
Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid...
since 1977, is an author and illustrator of children's books, most of which involve American Indian topics. He has published 29 books, and was awarded the Caldecott Medal
Caldecott Medal
The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children , a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published that year. The award was named in honor of nineteenth-century English...
for The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses is a book by Paul Goble. Released by Bradbury Books, it was the recipient of the Caldecott Medal for illustration in 1979.-Plot:...
and a Regina Medal
Regina Medal
The Regina Medal is an American Literary award of the Catholic Library Association. It was established in 1959 to recognize "continued, distinguished contribution to children’s literature without regard to the nature of the contribution"....
for his body of work.
Painting and illustrating
The work of some of the earliest painters and artists in South Dakota can be seen in the numerous petrogyphs in many areas of the state, particularly in the Black Hills. Some of these paintings and carvings are between 3,000 and 5,000 years old. The petrogyphs may be classified as painted, incised (scratched into the stone), or pecked (chipped out of the stone). Most of the scenes either depict humans with their arms raised or animal subjects. Although most of the evidence of the culture and identity of these early artists has long since disappeared, the styles used in the petroglyphs bear numerous similarities with later cultures, even as recent as contemporary Sioux artwork.Beginning in the 1830s several painters and illustrators began producing paintings and sketchs of the area and inhabitants around Fort Pierre
Fort Pierre, South Dakota
Fort Pierre is a city in Stanley County, South Dakota, United States. It is part of the Pierre, South Dakota Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,078 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stanley County. Lily Park, in Fort Pierre, is situated at the mouth of the Bad River. The...
. One of the first non-Indian artists in the area, George Catlin
George Catlin
George Catlin was an American painter, author and traveler who specialized in portraits of Native Americans in the Old West.-Early years:...
arrived in the area in 1832 and completed a number of sketches and portraits of local tribes, Indian dances, and bison hunts during the 15 days he spent at Ft. Pierre. Several years later, Swiss artist Karl Bodmer
Karl Bodmer
Karl Bodmer was a Swiss painter of the American West. He accompanied German explorer Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied from 1832 through 1834 on his Missouri River expedition...
traveled up the Missouri River and for a time lived among the tribes of central South Dakota. During this period, Bodmer completed a number of highly detailed landscaps and portraits of local Indians.
Harvey Dunn
Harvey Dunn
Harvey Thomas Dunn was an American painter. He is best known for his prairie-intimate masterpiece, The Prairie is My Garden. In this painting, a mother and her son and daughter are out gathering flowers from the quintessential prairie of the Great Plains.-Early life:Dunn was born on a homestead...
grew up on a homestead near Manchester
Manchester, South Dakota
Manchester was a small unincorporated community in Kingsbury County in the east-central part of the U.S. state of South Dakota. On June 24, 2003, the town was completely annihilated by a large F4-rated tornado, and has since become a ghost town.-History:...
in the late 19th century. After attending college at South Dakota State University
South Dakota State University
South Dakota State University is the largest university in the U.S. state of South Dakota, located in Brookings. A public land-grant university and sun grant college, founded under the provisions of the 1862 Morrill Act, SDSU offers programs of study required by, or harmonious to, this Act...
, Dunn enjoyed a successful career as an illustrator for periodicals such as Harper's and The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
. While most of his career was spent as an illustrator whose work rarely recalled his rural upbringing, late in life Dunn completed a number of paintings depicting his memories of life in rural Dakota Territory. Dunn agreed to exhibit these painting, mostly depicting scenes of frontier life, at an exhibition in De Smet
De Smet, South Dakota
-External links:* * * * *...
in 1950. The exhibition was a great success, with over 5,000 people attending it throughout the summer, and Dunn agreed to donate the works to South Dakota State. They are currently displayed at the South Dakota Art Museum on the campus of SDSU in Brookings
Brookings, South Dakota
Brookings is a city in Brookings County, South Dakota, United States. Brookings is the fourth largest city in South Dakota, with a population of 22,056 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Brookings County, and home to South Dakota State University, the largest institution of higher...
.
Oscar Howe
Oscar Howe
Oscar Howe was an American artist from South Dakota, who became well known for his casein paintings.-Early life and education:...
was born on the Crow Creek Indian Reservation and won fame for his watercolor paintings. Howe was one of the first Native American painters to produce works heavily influenced by abstraction
Abstraction
Abstraction is a process by which higher concepts are derived from the usage and classification of literal concepts, first principles, or other methods....
, as opposed to ones relying on more traditional styles.
There are currently several accomplished artists from South Dakota. Terry Redlin
Terry Redlin
Terry Avon Redlin is an American artist popular for painting outdoor themes and wildlife, often pictured in twilight, as widely collected as prints. For eight consecutive years, 1991 through 1998, Redlin was named America's Most Popular Artist in annual gallery surveys conducted by U.S...
, originally from Watertown
Watertown, South Dakota
Watertown is a city in and the county seat of Codington County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 21,482 at the 2010 census. It is also the principal city of the Watertown Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Codington and Hamlin counties...
, is a painter of rural and wildlife scenes. Many of Redlin's works are on display at the Redlin Art Center
Redlin Art Center
The Redlin Art Center is an art gallery located in Watertown, South Dakota where over 150 of artist Terry Redlin's original paintings are displayed. The center was opened on June 6, 1997 and has welcomed over two million visitors. This brick building was designed by Terry Redlin's son, Charles...
in Watertown. Dick Termes
Dick Termes
Dick Termes is an innovative American artist who uses a six point perspective system that he devised to create unique paintings on large spheres called Termespheres.-Termespheres:...
, who resides in Spearfish
Spearfish, South Dakota
Spearfish is a city in Lawrence County, South Dakota,United States. The population was 10,494 at the 2010 census.- History :Prior to the Black Hills Gold Rush of 1876, the area was used by Native Americans who would spear fish in the creek...
, is renowned for his Termespheres. They are scenes painted on a sphere
Sphere
A sphere is a perfectly round geometrical object in three-dimensional space, such as the shape of a round ball. Like a circle in two dimensions, a perfect sphere is completely symmetrical around its center, with all points on the surface lying the same distance r from the center point...
that can be viewed from any angle. He credits M. C. Escher
M. C. Escher
Maurits Cornelis Escher , usually referred to as M. C. Escher , was a Dutch graphic artist. He is known for his often mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints...
and Buckminster Fuller
Buckminster Fuller
Richard Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller was an American systems theorist, author, designer, inventor, futurist and second president of Mensa International, the high IQ society....
as having strong influences on his work.