Yankton Sioux Tribe Yankton Sioux Tribe The Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota is a federally recognized tribe of Yankton Western Dakota people, located in South Dakota. Their Dakota name is Ihanktonwan Dakota Oyate, meaning "People of the End Village." Historically, the tribe were the protectors of the sacred Pipestone Quarry for the Oceti Sakowin. The tribe maintains a free-ranging bison herd. According to local legend, when Meriwether Lewis learned that a male child had been born near the expedition's encampment in what is today southeastern South Dakota, he sent for the child and wrapped the new born baby boy in an American
Native American policy of the Barack Obama administration Obama signed Executive Order 13592, which seeks to improve educational opportunities for American Indian and Alaska Natives.Obama has been praised by many tribal leaders, including those who claim he has done more for Native Americans than all of his predecessors combined. Many Native American peoples struggle to trust federal governments at all; as Tex "Red Tipped Arrow" Hall, tribal chairman of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation in North Dakota said, "our fathers and grandfathers and great grandfathers have gone to Washington, and there's been no promises made and no promises kept. That's why we’ve not trusted the federal government."