history

COMMENTARY
Rep. Scott Odenbach, R-Spearfish, on the House floor during the 2023 legislative session at the Capitol in Pierre. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

Don’t legislate love of country into the lesson plan

BY: - March 13, 2023

After twice missing passage by just one vote, it’s likely that next year South Dakota lawmakers will, once again, have to decide if they want to create a Center for Exceptionalism at Black Hills State University. According to the failed legislation, the center would make curriculum available to K-12 schools that would teach “students to […]

Daughter-mother duo Marcella Gilbert and Madonna Thunder Hawk (left to right) pose for a photo for the "Warrior Women" documentary film. (Courtesy of Castle King LLC)

Mission of Wounded Knee activists continues 50 years later with children, grandchildren

BY: - February 27, 2023

The world had largely forgotten about Native American people by the early 1970s, said Marcella Gilbert. Native populations had been decimated by disease and colonization; their sprawling homeland where ancestors had roamed was splintered into reservations. The Lakota language was nearly extinct and practicing the Lakota religion was illegal. “People across the world didn’t even […]

Educators at Harrisburg Freedom Elementary School hold signs opposing the revised social studies standards from the South Dakota Board of Education Standards at a walk-in on Nov. 16, 2022. (Courtesy of Harrisburg Freedom Elementary)

Social Studies standards revision meeting draws nearly 900 public comments before deadline

BY: - November 17, 2022

The South Dakota Board of Education Standards will hold its second meeting since revealing the revised social studies standards that drew controversy again this summer.  A day before the official deadline to register or submit public comments, the Board had received nearly 900 comments from teachers, school board members, parents, school administrators and more. The […]