Black Hills
This article is about the Black Hills mountain range in the U.S. states of South Dakota and Wyoming. For the range of hills of the same name in Washington state, see Black Hills (Washington). For other meanings, see Black Hill.
p1
p5
The Black Hills (German Schwarze Berge, Lakota Paha Sapa or He Sapa) are a mountain range in the west of the U.S. state of South Dakota, which extends into northeastern Wyoming. It is isolated in the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains on the western edge of the Great Plains and has a fauna and flora that differs from the surrounding area. For example, a subspecies of junco is found only here, and coastal pine, white spruce, and bent pine are found in the forests. Due to the dense coniferous forest, bird species such as pine jay, spruce crossbill and Indian goldcrest are found here.
The Black Hills extend between 43°30' and 45° north latitude and 103° and 105° west longitude. The approximately elliptical mountain range is about 160 km long and up to 96 km wide. Its longitudinal axis runs in a north-south direction. The base of the Black Hills lies at an altitude of 760 to 900 m. The highest point is Black Elk Peak at 2,208 m in the south of the range.
In the 19th century, significant gold deposits were discovered in the Black Hills. Lead, iron, uranium, salt, oil and coal are also found in and around the Black Hills.
The Pactola Reservoir in the Black Hills in June 2004
History
The Black Hills are considered sacred mountains by the Lakota Sioux. They are also the subject of numerous Lakota myths. Even today, some tribesmen visit the spiritual places in the mountains to practice their religion. In the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, which the U.S. government concluded with the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Indians, the Sioux reservation was granted to the three peoples and the Black Hills were granted to the Lakota as an exclusive hunting ground. An expedition under George Armstrong Custer, illegal under the treaty, explored the Black Hills in 1874 and found gold in the mountains. After the gold discoveries, the government tried to persuade the Lakota to cede the mountain range, but to no avail. Gold prospectors illegally invaded the area, and a gold rush developed. Conflicts in the winter of 1875/76 led to the renewed engagement of Custer and the 7th Cavalry Regiment and the Battle of Little Bighorn in June 1876. After the final defeat of the Indians in the fall of the same year, the large Sioux reservation was broken up in 1877 and the Lakota were deprived of the Black Hills.
A 1921 lawsuit by the Lakota lasted until 1980, when the Supreme Court, in United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians, 448 U.S. 371 (1980), ruled the action to be eminent domain and awarded the Lakota $105 million in compensation. Although the Lakota reservation is one of the poorest regions in the United States, the tribe's representation did not accept the payment, but to this day demands the return of the mountains. The money had grown to over $750 million through interest by 2007.
A bill by Senator Bill Bradley (D; NJ) from the mid-1980s wanted to award the Lakota a round sixth of the mountains that remained in federal ownership. It failed already in the run-up to the formal procedure because of different ideas on the part of the Lakota.
Tourism
The most famous tourist attraction in the Black Hills are the four giant stone presidential heads of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial east of Black Elk Peak. A similar project, the Crazy Horse Memorial, is under construction on the other side of Black Elk Peak. Both projects drew the displeasure of the Lakota, as they desecrate the Black Hills, which are sacred to them.
The Black Hills are also home to Custer State Park, where bighorn sheep have been successfully reintroduced, and two cave systems of outstanding importance, Wind Cave National Park and Jewel Cave National Monument. The region around these cave systems has also successfully reintroduced wapiti, which had been extirpated by European settlers in the interim. The monolith Devils Tower National Monument is located in the northwest of the mountains. The federally owned portions of the mountains are largely designated as Black Hills National Forest, a national forest.
The town of Custer was the first gold rush settlement in the Black Hills. The town of Deadwood is the setting for HBO's TV series of the same name.
Sturgis is known for the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which is one of the largest motorcycle events in the world with about half a million visitors.
The granite cliffs south of Black Elk Peak, called the Needles, are a popular destination for rock climbers.
Questions and Answers
Q: What is the Black Hills?
A: The Black Hills is a small mountain range from the Great Plains of North America in South Dakota.
Q: Who has a long history in the Black Hills?
A: Native Americans have a long history in the Black Hills.
Q: What was signed in 1868 that exempted the Black Hills from all white settlement forever?
A: In 1868, the U.S. government signed the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 which exempted the Black Hills from all white settlement forever.
Q: What caused miners to sweep into the area in 1874?
A: When European Americans discovered gold there in 1874, miners swept into the area in a gold rush.
Q: How did European Americans settle the Black Hills differently than most of South Dakota?
A: Unlike most of South Dakota, the Black Hills were settled by European Americans from population centers to the west and south such as Colorado and Montana.
Q: What are some attractions located within The Southern Hills?
A: The Southern Hills is home to Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Harney Peak (the highest point in the United States east of Rockies), Custer State Park (the largest state park in South Dakota and one of largest US), Crazy Horse Memorial (largest Mountain sculpture world) and Mammoth Site Hot Springs (world’s largest mammoth research facility).
