Seal of South Dakota of Fort Pierre and shall be the basis for all reproductions of the great seal of the State of South Dakota. The South Dakota Secretary of State is the designated custodian of the South Dakota State Seal. Seal of South Dakota The Great Seal of the State of South Dakota was designed while the area was a territory, in 1885. The outer ring of the seal contains the text "State of South Dakota" on the top and "Great Seal" on the bottom. Also the year of statehood, 1889. Inside the inner circle of the seal contains the state motto "Under
South Dakota State Guard Guard was in federal service. Prior to the creation of the modern National Guard of the United States, the United States maintained a relatively small professional military and relied on state militias to augment the federal military in times of war. In 1901, the South Dakota Legislature designated the South Dakota State Guard as the organized militia of South Dakota, and required that the state maintain a certain minimum strength of cavalry, artillery, and infantry units. After the passage of the Militia Act of 1903, state militia units were reorganized into National Guard units and operated as a reserve component