Yankton, South Dakota Yankton, South Dakota Yankton is a city in, and the county seat of, Yankton County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 14,454 at the 2010 census. Yankton is the principal city of the Yankton Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes the entirety of Yankton County, and which had an estimated population of 22,662 as of July 1, 2017. Yankton was the first capital of Dakota Territory. It is named for the Yankton tribe of Nakota (Sioux) Native Americans; Yankton is derived from the Nakota word "I-hank-ton-wan" ("the end village"). Yankton is located on the Missouri River just downstream of the
White Bird (Native American leader) White Bird (Native American leader) White Bird ("Peo-peo-hix-hiix", "piyóopiyo x̣ayx̣áyx̣" or more correctly "Peopeo Kiskiok Hihih" - "White Goose"), also referred to as White Pelican (died 1892), was leader, war chief and "tooat" (Shaman or Prophet) of the "Lamátta" or "Lamtáama" band of the Nez Perce tribe with the Lamata village along the Salmon River. His band and the village took its name from "Lahmatta" ("area with little snow"), by which White Bird Canyon was known to the Nez Perce. Chief White Bird, like many of his people, was a Dreamer, a follower of the teachings of Smohalla, the Wanapam