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"The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) was established in 1824 within the War Department by Secretary of War John C. Calhoun, though it was not formally authorized by Congress until 1832. Initially created to manage the U.S. government's relations with Native American tribes, the BIA played a central role in implementing federal Indian policy, including treaty enforcement, land management, and the administration of annuities and trade.

In 1849, the BIA was transferred to the newly created Department of the Interior, where it remains today. Throughout the 19th century, the agency was deeply involved in westward expansion policies, including the forced relocation of tribes, the reservation system, and assimilation efforts such as boarding schools and allotment under the Dawes Act of 1887.

In the 20th century, the BIA’s role shifted significantly. The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 reversed allotment and promoted tribal self-governance. The mid-20th century saw a return to termination policies, which were again reversed during the Indian self-determination movement of the 1970s. The Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 marked a major turning point, allowing tribes to administer their own programs.

The BIA supports tribal governments through services such as law enforcement, infrastructure, education, and natural resource management. It operates under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is committed to promoting tribal sovereignty and self-governance."

On November 4, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson established the National Advisory Commission on Food and Fiber, appointing Sherwood O. Berg as chairperson while he was Dean of the Institute of Agriculture at the University of Minnesota. President Johnson tasked the Commission with evaluating U.S. agricultural and foreign trade policies, studying their effects on the economy and international relations, and preparing a report to guide future decision-making.

The Commission's work focused on key thematic areas including global production and consumption trends, policies for both commercial and non-commercial agriculture, development of forestry and natural resources, agricultural trade and foreign economic policy, and the broader role of agriculture in world economic development. Each focus area was overseen by a team of five commissioners supported by consultants and researchers.

The Commission operated with a small full-time staff composed of professional economists on leave from universities, the federal government, and business. These staff were assisted by experts and consultants from both public and private sectors. Research methods included surveys, analysis of existing data, preparation of position papers, and briefings from leading authorities. Public hearings were held across the country to gather testimony and insight.

Over the course of 18 months, the full Commission convened 13 times for two to three days per session. These meetings featured testimony from experts, in-depth discussions among commissioners, and the development of policy recommendations based on the research findings.

The 31-member Commission represented a broad spectrum of agriculture, labor, and economics across the United States. In addition to Sherwood O. Berg, members included Harry B. Caldwell, Willard W. Cochrane, C.W. Cook, George C. Cortright, Woodrow W. Diehl, Edmund H. Fallon, Carl C. Farrington, Frank Fernbach, Roscoe G. Haynie, Fred V. Heinkel, Roy Hendrickson, William A. Hewitt, George K. Hislop, J.G. Horsfall, Herbert J. Hughes, D. Gale Johnson, Herman S. Kohlmeyer, Robert Magowan, L.L. Males, Edward F. Mauldin, Paul Miller, W.B. Murphy, Ernest J. Nesius, Leon Schachter, Janice M. Smith, Lauren Soth, Jesse Tapp, Jay Taylor, Herman Wells, and John Wheeler.

The Vigil in South Dakota was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1992 by Mary Perpich and Norman Gambill. The organization focused on issues of censorship in South Dakota, particularly surrounding the broadcast of The Portrait of a Marriage by South Dakota Educational Telecommunications.

Audrae Eugenie Visser was born on June 3, 1919, near Hurley, South Dakota, to Harry J.L. and Addie Mae (Perryman) Visser. She attended rural schools in Turner and Moody counties and graduated from Flandreau High School in 1938. Visser earned degrees from Black Hills Teachers College, South Dakota State University, and the University of Denver.

Her 52-year teaching career began in Moody County country schools (1939–1943) and continued in communities across South Dakota and Minnesota, including Hot Springs, Pierre, Elkton, De Smet, Flandreau, Windom, Verdi, and Lake Benton. From 1954 to 1955, she taught children of U.S. Air Force personnel in Nagoya, Japan.

Visser began writing poetry at age twelve, publishing her first poem in Pasque Petals at twenty-one. Her first poetry collection, Rustic Roads and Other Poems, was published in 1961. She was named South Dakota Poet Laureate in 1974 by Governor Richard Kneip and published nine additional volumes of poetry between 1974 and 1998, often incorporating her own artwork. Her honors include second prize in the 1984 National Federation of State Poetry Societies contest, judged by May Swenson. She also sponsored numerous poetry contests and established the Perryman-Visser scholarship at South Dakota State University. Visser served as associate editor and editor of Pasque Petals during her tenure as Poet Laureate and remained active in the South Dakota State Poetry Society.

She had one son, Lou H. Guardino, and a brother, Donald Visser. Audrae Visser died on October 8, 2001, in Mabank, Texas.