Places: the Black Hills of South Dakota
This small but beautiful range of mountains in what is now South Dakota is famous for its gold of a distinctive color, and many landmarks of national interest. It is also sacred to the Lakota/Sioux people, the site of a minor gold rush, and the reason for the Great Sioux War of 1876-77. The Black Hills are so-called after the Lakota name for them. It describes the dense forests on the slopes of these hills which make them appear black when seen from a distance. Black Elk Peak is the highest rise in the Black Hills, at over 7200 feet. Archaeology confirms the exists of Clovis cultures in the area. Prior to contact, the Hills were home to the Arikara, Cheyenne, Crow and Kiowa. In 1776, as the United States was busy fighting its war of independence from Great Britain, the Sioux migrated from Minnesota, took over the Black Hills from the Cheyenne and made these beautiful mountains part of their own culture. Pursuant to the terms of the Fort Larami...