BLACK HILLS IN SOUTH DAKOTA

MY HUSBAND AND I SURVEYED IN THE BLACK HILLS IN SOUTH DAKOTA AND HAD A BUSINESS FOR THREE YEARS DOING MOSTLY SURVEYS FOR OIL AND GAS EXPLORATIONS. WE MET MANAGERS AT RANGER STATIONS AND THEY REFERRED OUR BUSINESS TO GOLD MINERS AND LAND DEVELOPED WHO NEEDED TO HAVE ARCHAEOLOGICAL CLEARANCE. WE SURVEYED MUCH OF THE GRASSLANDS IN SOUTH DAKOTA AND THE BADLANDS IN NORTH DAKOTA, AS WELL AS FORESTED MINING CLAIMS IN THE BLACK HILLS. WE RESEARCHED THE LAND OWNERS AND HISTORIC USES OF THE LANDS AND RECORDED NUMEROUS SITES. WE WALKED IN THE CHILLY SNOWY WINTER SURVEYING LINEAR TRANSECTS FOR UNDERGROUND OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION. WE FOUND AND NOTED MANY FOSSILS OF GIANT LAND TURTLES FROM MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO.

WE MADE A TRIP TO BACK TO THE TOWN TO SHOW OUR SON WHERE WE HAD LIVED AND SWAM AT THE INDIAN CREEK THAT HAD COLD WATER.. I OCCASIONALLY WENT TO THEIR BIG SWIMMING POOL. I FINISHED WRITING MY THESIS IN HOT SPRINGS.

THIS FOREST HAS OVER 1.25 MILLION ACRES. CUSTER IS A NEAT SMALL TOWN WHERE THE MAIN HEADQUARTERS ARE LOCATED. THE FOREST HAS HARDWOODS LIKE ASPEN, LIVE OAK AND BIRCH. THE LOWER PRAIRIE HAS MOSTLY SMALL GRASSES WHERE ANTELOPE ROAM. MANY TRIBES FREQUENTED THE BLACK HILLS INCLUDING SIOUX, PONCA, KIOWA APACHE, ARAPAHO AND CHEYENNE FOR AT LEAST 10,000 YEARS. THEN THE SMALLPOX EPIDEMIC HIT IN 1770 TO 1780. IN THE LAKOTA LANGUAGE "PAHA SAPA" MEANS BLACK HILLS. THE MOUNTAINS AND OTHER KEY FEATURES IN THE FOREST ARE CONSIDERED SACRED TO THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HERE WHO COME ON VISION QUESTS, FOR HUNTING, AND TRADING. WITHIN THE FOREST MUCH PUBLIC LAND WHERE MINING, LOGGING, AND RANCHING TAKE PLACE. PONDEROSA PINE IS THE MOST COMMON TREE SPECIES, AND SPRUCE AND FIR ARE FOUND IN THE MOST IN HIGHER ELEVATION. THERE ARE NO BEARS, MT. LIONS ARE INCREASING BECAUSE OF ALL THE HERDS OF DEER AND ELK. THE FORES6T ALSO HAS COYOTES, BIGHORN SHEEP, MT. GOATS, BALD EAGLES, HAWKS OSPREY, AND PEREGRINE FALCONS. THERE RESERVOIRS ARE STOCKED FOR SPORT FISHING. WE ATE SOME BUFFALO MEAT.

WE NOTED AT THE SOUTHEASTERN EDGE OF THE FOREST THEIR IS A LARGE SANDSTONE WALL OF PETROGLYPHS AND PICTOGRAPHS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN RECORDED. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW OLD THEY ARE , BUT MANY OF THE PREVIOUSLY LISTED TRIBES PROBABLY MADE THEM FOR SPIRITUAL REASONS.

WIKIPEDIA.COM