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American Indian History
American Indians have a long history in the Black Hills. The Black Hills provided hunting grounds for American Indians for thousands of years. The Bison, which at one time freely roamed the Great Plains in great number, is central to both Native culture and spirituality. As local tribes were greatly dependent on this animal for sustenance, the Bison grew to become a great cornerstone of American Indian life.
The Black Hills are sacred to the Lakota (Sioux) who called them Paha Sapa, which means “the hills that are black.”