Once nearly wiped out, the buffalo is again central to Lakota food, ceremony and economy. The story of South Dakota begins long before statehood, on land the Lakota have always called home.

Tribal herds across the Dakotas now number in the thousands of animals.

What sets it apart

For Plains peoples the bison provided food, shelter, tools and spiritual meaning. That detail is easy to overlook, but it helps explain the pull this place has on locals and visitors alike.

Intertribal efforts aim to restore both the herds and traditional diets tied to them.

Why it matters

Taken together, these threads say something about South Dakota itself — a place where the old and the new sit close together. It is a heritage still very much alive in the communities and gatherings of today's South Dakota.