Established by an Act of the
U.S. Congress on March 3, 1863, the
Santee Reservation was officially recognized in an
Executive Order dated February 27, 1866, and in treaties dated November 16, 1867 and April 29, 1868. Additional executive orders applying to the reservation were dated August 31, 1869, December 31, 1873, and February 9, 1885. In those initial years, tribal members selected as homesteads and as allotments; were designated for use as an
Indian agency,
school, and
mission. The reservation (shown as Dakota Reservation on the map at right) lies along the south bank of the
Missouri River, and includes part of
Lewis and Clark Lake. As of the 2000 census, the reservation recorded a resident population of 878, of which 64.1% were
Native American and 33.7%
White. Its land area is 172.99 mi.² (447.84 km2). The major center of population is the village of
Santee, in the northernmost portion of the reservation. Other major populations of
Oglala Lakota and
Brulé Sioux are located to the north on reservations within South Dakota. == Government ==