October 10 is set aside to honor and celebrate Native Americans, the first Americans to live in the United States.

Still commonly referred to as American Indians, the term Native Americans has been used in recent years as a sign of respect and recognition.

By the time the first explorers and settlers arrived from Europe, Native Americans populated the entire North American continent, from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Gulf of Mexico all the way to the northern reaches of Canada.

South Dakota is one of the richest states in the nation because of the culture, heritage and history of its many federally recognized Indian tribes.

From the Santee Sioux in Flandreau to the Oglala Sioux in Pine Ridge to the Cheyenne River Sioux in Eagle Butte, the indigenous people of South Dakota each have a diverse and peaceful existence that has lasted for thousands of years. Today, there are nine recognized tribes in South Dakota.

South Dakota established Native American Day during the 1989 state legislative session at the urging of then-Governor the late George S. Mickelson. Governor Mickelson signed a resolution calling for the second Monday of each October to be Native American Day.

Acknowledgment of the South Dakota Indians came in 1990 when Governor Mickelson and representatives of South Dakota’s nine tribal governments proclaimed 1990 a Year of Reconciliation and called for the first Native American Day observance to be held to honor Native Americans.

It was hoped this acknowledgment would help inform the general public about Indian heritage and the problems by which Native Americans are confronted in South Dakota. A Century of Reconciliation was declared in 1991.

Today, people of all ages celebrate Native American Day in South Dakota by learning more about the culture, heritage and traditions of the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota people.