Sisseton Agency
(See also Santee Agency and Devil’s Lake Agency)

 Established in 1867 for the Upper Agency Santee bands of the Sissetons and Wahpetons, this agency was located on the Lake Traverse Reservation in northeastern South Dakota in present-day Roberts County. The agency was first assigned to an agent in Minnesota until, in 1869, it was assigned to the Dakota Superintendency.

Chiefs of the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands prior to the 1862 Minnesota uprising included: Sisseton--Waanatan, Sweet Corn, Standing Buffalo, Scarlet Plume, White Lodge, and Lean Bear; Wapheton--Inkpa, Extended Tail Feathers, Spirit Walker, Sleepy Eyes, Iron Walker, Red Iron, Cloudman, Simon, Running Walker, Inihan, John Other Day, and Akipa. In 1874, after being located on Lake Traverse Reservation, the federal government recognized Gabriel Renville as the head chief of the people residing there.

Today the Sisseton Reservation is considered an "open reservation" because its’ 106,153 acres are not located on a consolidated land base. For this reason the reservation is not displayed on state maps. Paul War Cloud is a noted contemporary artist from the Sisseton Reservation.

 Indian Census Rolls, 1892-1924 (M595).

Inclusive dates NARA roll # SD Archives roll #
1886-91, 1893, 1895,1897-98 507 9681
1899-1907 508 9681
1909-14 509 9681
1915-18 510 9682
1919-24 511 9682
1925-27, 1929 512 9682
1930-31 513 9683
1932-33 514 9683
1934-36 515 9683
1937-39 516 9684
1916-20 517 9684
 Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1867-80 (M-234).
Inventory available from NARA.
Inclusive dates NARA roll # SD Archives roll #
1867-71 824 1474
1872-73 825 1475
1874 826 1475
1875 827 1476
1876 828 1476
1877-78 829 1477
1879 830 1478
1880 831 1478

Publications

Title Location
The Sisseton Reservation Area, its Resources and Development Potential. Billings, MO: The Group, 1972. E98.E2 U49a no. 204
Treaty between the United States of America and the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands of Dakota or Sioux Indians. Concluded February 19, 1867. Ratification advised, with amendments, April 15, 1867. Amendments accepted April 22, 1867. Proclaimed 2, 1867. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1867. KF 8228. S62 1867
Court of Claims of the United States, The Sisseton and Wahpeton Bands of Sioux Indians v. the United States, Washington, D.C: McGill & Wallace, n.d. KF8208 .S62 no. 22524 v. 1

 Special Case Files (National Archives records microfilmed by SDSA)

Title Location
Case No. 83: Chicago, Milwaukee, & St. Paul Railway Company right of way through Sisseton Reservation, 1880. (99-100) 5041

 Superintendents’ Annual Narrative and Statistical Reports from Field Jurisdictions of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1910-1938 (M1011).

Inclusive dates NARA roll # SD Archives roll #
Sisseton, 1910-1922 139 4463
Sisseton, 1923-1938 140 4464
Wahpeton School, 1910-1935 162 4467

 

Records, 1875-1954.  These records are housed at the National Archives, Central Plains Region, in Kansas City, MO and were microfilmed by the SD State Archives. Copies of this film may be purchased from the SDSA.  

This records series consists of several sub-series with varying arrangements.  Included are Superintendent’s annual reports, student records including records cards and census reports, probate records, plat books, maps, and related records, allotment and allottee records, Works Progress Administration correspondence, realty contract ledgers, farm leases correspondence, and household surveys.

Nara Roll #   SD Archives Roll #        Inclusive Materials

 

1                   6671                         Annual Reports through Student Record Cards 1923-30 (Ironboy)

                                                    

2                   6672                         Student Record Cards 1930 (Ironheart-Wynde) through Permanent

                                                     Census Cards (less than ¼ degree Indian Blood Black Thunder)

 

3                   6673                         Permanent School Census Cards (Block -Yankton), 1930-31

                                                     Records of Students (Hemminger)    

 

4                   6674                         Records of Students and Related Records (Hemminger-White)

                                                     School Census of Indian Children 1933-41 (none for 1938), Probate

                                                     Records for 1914 only

 

5                   6675                         Probate Records 1921-22, 1927, Probate Estate Vol.1 (part) to 1921

 

6                   6676                         Probate Estate Vol. 2, (date unreadable), Vol. 3 (date unreadable),

                                                     1924-1929, Vol. 4

 

7                   6677                         Probate Records Vol. II 1929 (Index H-end of vol.), Probate

                                                     Records Vol. III, Estates for Probate Judge 1928, Allotment Record

                                                     1888-1892

 

8                   6678                         Allotment Record 1888, Plat Book (part)

 

9                   6679                         Plat Book 1923 (cont. from previous roll), Plat Maps and Related

                                                     Records 1930, Land Allotment Registers, 1875, 1888, and no date,

                                                     List of Original Allottees Living April 1, 1937, Works Progress

                                                     Administration (WPA) Correspondence 1936-37 (part)

 

10                  6680                         Works Progress Administration (WPA) Correspondence 1936-37

                                                     (cont. from previous roll), Realty Contract Ledgers 1927-54,

                                                     Farm Leases Correspondence through 1933 (A through B on roll)

 

11                  6681                         Farm Leases Correspondence March 1933 (B through J)

 

12                  6682                         Farm Leases Correspondence (J through part of P)

 

13                  6683                         Farm Leases Correspondence (part of P through Z) Delinquent

                                                     Leases (A through part of B)

 

14                  6684                         Delinquent Leases (part of B through part of L)

 

15                  6685                         Delinquent Leases (part of L through S)

 

16                  6686                         Delinquent Leases(S through Z), Industrial (Family) Survey 1922

 

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SD State Archives,  605-773-3804, fax 605-773-6041; email archref@state.sd.us