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vol. 31, no. 1, p. 5-8

The book contains 146 plats documenting property boundaries, land ownership, and leasing on the Pine Ridge Reservation from 1936 to 2005. Changes to the plats are recorded on transparency sheets placed over the original pages. Each plat in the digitized version includes three scanned images: the transparency over the original, the transparency alone, and the original alone.

At the beginning of the book is a faded page outlining the color-coded shading system used to indicate land status. This is followed by a typewritten copy of the "Order of Restoration, Pine Ridge Reservation," dated June 10, 1936, and issued by Harold L. Ickes, U.S. Secretary of the Interior (1933–1946). The order cites the Act of May 27, 1910, and the Presidential Proclamation of June 29, 1911, as its foundation and announces the restoration of undisposed surplus lands on the Pine Ridge Reservation to tribal ownership, under the authority of the Indian Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934.

The remainder of the book consists of plats of the Pine Ridge Reservation, home to the Oglala Lakota people. The reservation is located in southwestern South Dakota, encompassing Oglala and Bennett Counties and parts of Jackson County. Its boundaries were established by the Act of March 2, 1889 (25 Stat. 888).

Bureau of Indian Affairs officials visit the Holy Rosary Mission in Pine Ridge, South Dakota; from the right: (second) Superintendent Towle; (third) Commissioner Emmons; (fourth) Rev. Lawrence Edwards, S.J., Superior of Holy Rosary Mission; From the Left (fourth) Rev. John Bryde, S.J. , principal of Holy Rosary Mission; (fifth) Ben Reifel, Aberdeen Area Director; (sixth) Representative Ely. Berry; (seventh) Assistant Commissioner Rex Lee

Ben Reifel at his Bureau of Indians Affairs desk when he served as farm agent to the Oglala Lakota on the Pine Ridge Reservation

Bureau of Indian Affairs and Farm Home Administration pamphlets pertaining to American Indian culture, census information, and farm loans. Other miscellaneous pamphlets are also included.

The Harold W. Shunk Papers focuses on Native American history, particularly the Dakota and Lakota tribes. It includes a wide range of materials, such as newsletters, manuscripts, notebooks, and historical lists. The collection documents significant events and figures in the history of the tribes and their interactions with federal agencies.

Among the key materials are typewritten transcripts from the Wahehe Heirship hearing, personal histories related to the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, and writings about the Dakota Indian Tiospaye system. The collection also covers military posts like Fort Laramie and Fort Totten and includes detailed accounts of the Big Foot massacre at Wounded Knee and the second Battle of Wounded Knee. Prominent individuals featured in the records include Crazy Horse, Crow King, Spotted Tail, Plenty Horses, and Harold W. Shunk, providing insights into the tribal leadership, cultural practices, and the role of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in local governance

A significant portion of the collection focuses on the Wahehe Heirship hearing transcripts, which address inheritance rights for Wahehe's allotment, alongside personal histories of individuals connected to the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. Writings on the Dakota Indian Tiospaye system feature alongside documents pertaining to military posts such as Fort Laramie and Fort Totten. Accounts of moments such as the Big Foot massacre at Wounded Knee and the second Battle of Wounded Knee are also included.

Physical artifacts, such as mounted steer horns, provide additional cultural context.

Monthly newsletters highlighting various activities and updates in the Pine Ridge Agency during Ben Reifel's time as Superintendent.

Various speeches, talks, excerpts, and pamphlets in regards to Indian Education and Health during Ben Reifel's time in the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Newspaper clippings that pertain to Ben Reifel's appointment as Commissioner of Indian Affairs

Photographs

Audio-visual material

Audio-visual material