The Brookings Reconciliation Council Records document the activities, concerns, and advocacy efforts of the Brookings Reconciliation Council in Brookings, South Dakota, from approximately 1985 to 2006, with the bulk of the material dating from 1993 to 2003. The collection reflects the Council’s work to promote understanding, reconciliation, and improved relations between Native and non-Native communities in the region.
Materials include correspondence, meeting minutes, press releases, reports, collected publications, and conference materials addressing civil rights, education, economics, government relations, land issues, language, sovereignty, traditions, and violence affecting Native communities. The records also document public discussions and initiatives related to sports team mascots, reconciliation conferences, and community events. Additional materials highlight collaborations with organizations such as the Native American Club and Northern Plains Tribal Arts, as well as references to notable individuals and institutions. Photographs and undated resources further illustrate the Council’s outreach and educational efforts.
Together, the records provide insight into local and regional reconciliation initiatives, community dialogue, and advocacy related to Native American issues in eastern South Dakota during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
