RAPID CITY, S.D. – On Thursday, five tribal nations formally signed an agreement with the Black Hills National Forest for co-stewardship of the Pactola Visitor Center.
Participating tribes include the Oglala, Cheyenne River, Rosebud, Standing Rock and Crow Creek Sioux Tribes.
The Black Hills are sacred to the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota.
The goal of the Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU,s is to give voice to interpretation at the visitor center. The agreement gives participating tribes a voice to convey stories, traditions and practices of the Oceti Sakowin to younger Native generations and visitors.
The Pactola Reservoir is a prominent feature in the Black Hills. According to the state Department of Transportation, about 1 million vehicles pass by the center every year.
