Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Title
Date(s)
- 1911-1993 (Creation)
Extent
- 1.0 linear feet [1 record box]
- Mounted steer horns
Name of creator
Biographical history
Harold W. Shunk was born in Philip, South Dakota on July 25, 1907. He married DeLilah E. Wood, a former classmate at Colome High School, in 1929. After graduating from Southern State College, Shunk taught school in Tripp County and later on the Rosebud and Cheyenne River Indian reservations. During World War II, he served as a tank driver in the South Pacific. He worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs as superintendent of the Sisseton, Turtle Mountain, Standing Rock and Rosebud Indian agencies beginning in the 1950s.
Upon retiring in 1968, Shunk devoted himself to public service. He was active in many civic and fraternal organizations and served on the governing boards of the Rapid City schools, South Dakota State University, University of South Dakota, and Black Hills State University. He was also a member of the South Dakota Board of Pardons and Paroles, Lower Brule Irrigation Board, and Pennington County Housing Board.
Shunk had a special interest in history, and in addition to his service to the South Dakota State Historical Society, he hosted radio and television programs in Rapid City. / Harold Shunk died on April 18, 1998 in Rapid City.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
Composed of collected stories, publications, speeches and typewritten transcripts of Wahehe Heirship hearing. Collection also includes notebooks and manuscripts containing lists, definitions and transcriptions of many events related to Lakota history. Many stories told to Shunk when he was a United States Bureau of Indian Affairs agent are also rewritten in Shunk's own hand.
System of arrangement
Arranged into series:
- Series 1: General
- Series 2: Wahehe Heirship Hearing
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
This collection is open to researchers without restrictions. The materials in the Archives do not circulate and may be used in-house only.
Researchers conducting extensive research are asked to make an advance appointment to access archival material. Please call or e-mail prior to visiting the collection and indicate as much detail as possible about a particular topic and intended use.
Physical access
The papers in the Wahehe Heirship Hearing series is restricted due to their fragile condition and poor quality. Preservation photocopies have been made of these papers and are available for researcher use. Please see Box 3.
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
South Dakota State University supports access to the materials, published and unpublished, in its collections. Nonetheless, access to some items may be restricted as a result of their fragile condition or by contractual agreements with donors.
Languages of the material
- English
Scripts of the material
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Immediate source of acquisition
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
Related descriptions
Notes element
General note
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Specialized notes
Alternative identifier(s)
ID
ID
Description control element
Rules or conventions
Sources used
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Shunk, Harold, 1907-1998 (Subject)
- United States. Bureau of Indian Affairs (Subject)