Council Rock

The river that made this a gathering place has carried several names. Its Dakota name, Itazipokakse Wakpa, is usually rendered unnavigable river or Bow Cutting River. The trader Jean Trudeau called it Riviere aux Jacques in 1794, which English speakers made the James; the 1861 act creating Dakota Territory renamed it the Dakota River, a name that never held. It falls about five inches a mile on its 710-mile run from North Dakota to the Missouri near Yankton, and it is the only river besides the Missouri to cross South Dakota entire.

What the plaque says

Council Rock Indian Capitol of the Dakotas The Sioux tribes established, near here, Council Rock as a central meeting place for all the bands. Using a black oviate rock measuring 6" x 11" surrounded by a circle of stones 15 feet in diameter, representatives of each tribe sat with feet extended toward the Council Rock to settle affairs of the Sioux nation. The site had religious significance and was maintained as a sanctuary from war and strife. As many as 3,000 Teton, Santee, Yankton and Yanktonai gathered here annually for a great Trade Fair, where goods were bartered among the tribes. Needy persons could always find supplies here. Prehistoric Indian people selected this general area because of the protection afforded by the James River and the high elevation of the terrain. Later the historic Indian people settled in this vicinity and later still, pioneers filed homesteads around Old Ashton, the first county seat of Spink county. In 1939 the Daughters of the American Revolution and county school children made a reproduction of the original stone and placed it approximately twenty rods south of the original site. Erected 1975 by the 4-H Bicentennial Community Pride project sponsored by the United States Brewers Assoc.; the Spink County 4-H Council; the S.D. Department of Transportation; and the S.D. State Historical Society

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Abbie Gardner — steps away
• Pheasant History — steps away
• In Recognition of World War I Veterans — 2.2 mi
• Fisher Grove — 8.1 mi