Page 9 - Brookings, SD Historic Preservation Plan

CHAPTER 2

HISTORY OF BROOKINGS

The story of Brookings’ cultural landscape begins with the land and
its geology. Primeval Lake Agassiz influenced the earth’s present
form and condition in the eastern half of South Dakota. Later, ancient
glaciers from the northeast pushed south, filled river valleys, leveled
hills and mountains, and formed ridges of earth and boulders. When
the glacial ice melted and receded, Big Stone Lake, Lake Poinsett,
and others formed, and subterranean aquifers stored glacial ice. This
ancient geological activity produced fertile soil, and created rolling
plains of semi-arid grassland cut by verdant river valleys drained by
the Big Sioux, Vermillion, and James Rivers.

The Dakota or Sioux Nation later inhabited these grasslands. The
name Dakota means allies. The Ojibwa called these people Nadoues-
sioux (enemies), which was abbreviated to Sioux. There were three Williams Street Church, 1915; from
main divisions of the Sioux people: the South Dakota Digital Archives
• Santee - Dakota (Eastern Sioux) (South Dakota State Historical Society)
Mdewankanto, Wahpeton, Wahpekute and Sisseton
• Yankton - Nakota
Yankton and Yantonai
• Teton - Lakota (Western Sioux)
Sihasapa (Blackfoot), Upper Brule, Lower Brule, Hunkpapa,
Miniconjous, Oglala, Sans Arcs and Oohenonpa (Two-Kettle)

Before the middle of the 17th century, the Santee Sioux lived near
Lake Superior, where they gathered wild rice and beans, hunted deer
and buffalo, and speared fish from canoes. Prolonged warfare with
the Ojibwa drove the Santee into southern and western Minnesota.
The Teton and Yankton divisions were forced from Minnesota onto
present-day North and South Dakota, where they abandoned their
traditional agricultural activity and adopted the Buffalo/Horse cul-
ture of the Great Plains. Their homes were along the banks of streams
and rivers; they hunted and used buffalo for food, shelter, clothing
and ceremonial rituals.

Main Street in Brookings, 1911; from the South Dakota Digital Archives (South
Dakota State Historical Society)

Final Draft: February 2021 5