Before written records, Lakota communities kept their history in painted winter counts. The story of South Dakota begins long before statehood, on land the Lakota have always called home.

Each year was recorded with a single symbol for its most memorable event.

What sets it apart

A keeper maintained the count and could recite the story behind each image. It is the kind of specific that turns a passing curiosity into a lasting fascination.

Surviving counts help historians date events across the 1700s and 1800s.

Why it matters

In the end, the story here is really a story about the northern plains and the people drawn to them. It is a heritage still very much alive in the communities and gatherings of today's South Dakota.