A new voice at the Center of Excellence for Bison Studies in South Dakota asks a question few people ask. Dr. Jeff Martin is Assistant Professor of Bison Biology & Management in the Department of Natural Resource Management and the new Extension Bison Specialist stationed at the new SDSU Bison Center of Excellence. Located at South Dakota’s West River Research & Extension Center in Rapid City, SD, his research is interdisciplinary across wildlife biology, climatology and human dimension. He seeks to answer questions of wildlife conservation and production in a changing world. Dr. Martin's research on Buffalo (as a scientist he prefers to call them ‘Bison’) is at the nexus of two paradigms: changing climate and changing cultural values. He attempts to merge understanding of conservation science with direct stakeholder engagement to improve conservation for wildlife across, for example, working ranch herds compared with wildlife parks. In this article Dr. Martin explores both...

"Enhancing Tribal Tourism while Preserving our Tribal Traditions & Sharing our Own Stories"   [This report on Tourism and Powwows is excerpted from publications developed by the 5 North Dakota Native Tourism Alliance tribes. With permission from ND Tourism.]The native tribes of North Dakota are an essential part of the state’s history and we welcome you to explore reservations and experience Native American culture. Learn about each tribe’s history, language and traditions by visiting attractions like reconstructed earth lodge villages or attend a powwow and celebrate the culture through song and dance.  There are approximately 30,000 Native Americans living in North Dakota. Though individual tribes have distinct and different origins, histories and languages, Plains Indians are united by core beliefs and values that emanate from respect for the earth and an understanding of humankind’s relationship with nature.Ni-mi-win: The PowwowPowwows (or "Ni-mi-win" in the Ojibwe language)...

The following is excerpted from the “Guide to Tribal Nations”—the Oceti Sakowin Homelands—developed by the tribes of the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance. Welcome to the land of the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota. There are 9 Native American tribes that call South Dakota home and each of them has a unique story to tell. Working together, they welcome visitors into their communities in order to educate and share. When visiting Native communities, you will experience genuine hospitality, discover authentic art and hear about the fascinating history and unique culture of the people known by many as ‘Sioux.’* People of the Great Sioux Nation prefer the terms Lakota (meaning Friend, Ally, or Brother People), Dakota and Nakota when referring to themselves as a people and a nation. These are the names of the group’s different dialects, regions and economies.The PowwowColorful finery, elaborate feather-work and intricate beadwork describe the visual atmosphere of a powwow or ‘wacipi’...

Prized Knapping Stone of the Northern Plains By Gene GadeNo man’s land on a World War I battlefield? Impact craters on Mars or the Moon? An abandoned bombing range? From the air, certain pastures near the Knife River in central North Dakota are as pockmarked as any of the above. However, these pits are not the result of violence or astronomical cataclysms. They are really hundreds of small mines used by Native Americans to quarry a precious resource over a period of at least 11,000 years. What resource? Native Americans were digging for nodules of a dark brown rock, variously described as caramel or root beer colored, and well known to archaeologists and geologists as Knife River Flint (KRF). KRF was one of the most sought-after materials used to make tools and weapons and was traded over a vast area of the continent. Artifacts fashioned from KRF include Clovis points made more than 10,000 years ago and KRF implements have been found thousands of miles from the quarries . . . from...