Pine Ridge Reservation (Images of America)

Established as the Pine Ridge Agency in southwestern South Dakota between Nebraska and the Black Hills in 1878, Pine Ridge became a reservation in 1889. The second-largest reservation in the country, comprised of almost 2 million acres, it is home to 38,000 residents, almost 18,000 of whom are enrolled members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. The history of the Pine Ridge Reservation is laden with both an awe-inspiring cultural heritage and the tragic effects of forced settlement on the reservation.

From the first visitors that arrived in the area to the reservation's monumental struggles of the 20th century, author Donovin Arleigh Sprague examines the chronology of Pine Ridge through nearly 200 vintage images of the leaders, events, and moments that have shaped the reservation's history. Donovin Arleigh Sprague is an accomplished author and historian. He is the director of education at the Crazy Horse Memorial, an instructor at Black Hills State University, Oglala Lakota College, and the Indian University of North America at Crazy Horse Memorial.