Ben Reifel Papers

Ben Reifel Online Exhibit

Ben Reifel (1906–1990), the first Lakota Sioux elected to the U.S. Congress, was born on September 19, 1906, in a log cabin on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. The son of a German American father and a full-blooded Lakota Sioux mother, Reifel was an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and was given the Lakota name Lone Feather. He grew up bilingual and attended both a Rosebud Reservation boarding school and a local county school, graduating from the eighth grade at age sixteen. After working on his parents' farm for several years, he pursued his education at the School of Agriculture in Brookings, South Dakota, and later enrolled at South Dakota State College, where he graduated in 1932 with a degree in agriculture. He funded his studies through one of the first federal loans available to Native American students and was elected President of the Students' Association in his senior year. In 1933, he married Alice Janet Johnson, and they had one daughter, Loyce Nadine.
Reifel began his career with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in 1933 as a farm agent on the Pine Ridge Reservation and was later promoted to field agent, where he helped implement the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. His efforts in promoting agricultural programs and economic development earned him recognition across South Dakota reservations. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and distinguishing himself in the European theater. After the war, he returned to the BIA, taking on leadership roles as Tribal Relations Officer and Superintendent of the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota. In 1949, he pursued further education at Harvard University, earning a master’s degree in 1950 and a doctorate in public administration in 1952. He then returned to the BIA, serving as Area Director of the Aberdeen Area Office, where he oversaw federal Indian programs in South Dakota, North Dakota, and Nebraska.
In 1960, Reifel resigned from the BIA to run for Congress and was elected as a conservative Republican to represent South Dakota's First District. He served five terms, focusing on agricultural policies, Native American education, and civil rights. Reifel was a key advocate for desegregation in Indian schools and instrumental in securing the Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) center in South Dakota, as well as supporting the establishment of the National Endowment for the Humanities. As a member of the House Agricultural Committee and later the Appropriations Committee, he fought to protect farm subsidies and advance irrigation projects critical to the region's economy. Despite his political success, he chose not to seek re-election in 1970.
Following his congressional career, Reifel continued his public service in various roles, including chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, Special Assistant for Indian Programs to the Director of the National Park Service, and Interim Commissioner of Indian Affairs under President Gerald Ford. He remained active in civic organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America, earning numerous accolades, including the Silver Antelope, Silver Beaver, Silver Buffalo, and Gray Wolf awards. He also served on the National Council of the Protestant Episcopal Church and as a trustee and board president of the South Dakota Art Museum, where he established its first Native American collection.
Throughout his life, Reifel was honored with several awards, including the Distinguished Service Award from the Department of the Interior and honorary doctorates from South Dakota State University, the University of South Dakota, and Northern State College. After the passing of his first wife, Alice, in 1972, he married Frances U. Colby. Reifel continued his advocacy for Native American rights and education until his death from cancer on January 2, 1990. His legacy endures through his contributions to Native American policy, public service, and South Dakota's cultural and political history.Ben Reifel (1906–1990), the first Lakota Sioux elected to the U.S. Congress, was born on September 19, 1906, in a log cabin on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. The son of a German American father and a full-blooded Lakota Sioux mother, Reifel was an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and was given the Lakota name Lone Feather. He grew up bilingual and attended both a Rosebud Reservation boarding school and a local county school, graduating from the eighth grade at age sixteen. After working on his parents' farm for several years, he pursued his education at the School of Agriculture in Brookings, South Dakota, and later enrolled at South Dakota State College, where he graduated in 1932 with a degree in agriculture. He funded his studies through one of the first federal loans available to Native American students and was elected President of the Students' Association in his senior year. In 1933, he married Alice Janet Johnson, and they had one daughter, Loyce Nadine.
Reifel began his career with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in 1933 as a farm agent on the Pine Ridge Reservation and was later promoted to field agent, where he helped implement the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. His efforts in promoting agricultural programs and economic development earned him recognition across South Dakota reservations. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and distinguishing himself in the European theater. After the war, he returned to the BIA, taking on leadership roles as Tribal Relations Officer and Superintendent of the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota. In 1949, he pursued further education at Harvard University, earning a master’s degree in 1950 and a doctorate in public administration in 1952. He then returned to the BIA, serving as Area Director of the Aberdeen Area Office, where he oversaw federal Indian programs in South Dakota, North Dakota, and Nebraska.
In 1960, Reifel resigned from the BIA to run for Congress and was elected as a conservative Republican to represent South Dakota's First District. He served five terms, focusing on agricultural policies, Native American education, and civil rights. Reifel was a key advocate for desegregation in Indian schools and instrumental in securing the Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) center in South Dakota, as well as supporting the establishment of the National Endowment for the Humanities. As a member of the House Agricultural Committee and later the Appropriations Committee, he fought to protect farm subsidies and advance irrigation projects critical to the region's economy. Despite his political success, he chose not to seek re-election in 1970.
Following his congressional career, Reifel continued his public service in various roles, including chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, Special Assistant for Indian Programs to the Director of the National Park Service, and Interim Commissioner of Indian Affairs under President Gerald Ford. He remained active in civic organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America, earning numerous accolades, including the Silver Antelope, Silver Beaver, Silver Buffalo, and Gray Wolf awards. He also served on the National Council of the Protestant Episcopal Church and as a trustee and board president of the South Dakota Art Museum, where he established its first Native American collection.
Throughout his life, Reifel was honored with several awards, including the Distinguished Service Award from the Department of the Interior and honorary doctorates from South Dakota State University, the University of South Dakota, and Northern State College. After the passing of his first wife, Alice, in 1972, he married Frances U. Colby. Reifel continued his advocacy for Native American rights and education until his death from cancer on January 2, 1990. His legacy endures through his contributions to Native American policy, public service, and South Dakota's cultural and political history.