Fort Pierre in Stanley County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Cultures Come Together

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 19, 2016

1. Cultures Come Together Marker

Inscription. The fur trade brought American Indian and European American cultures together. Fort Pierre Chouteau, built here by the American Fur Company (A.F.C.) in 1832, provided a place for trade. Sioux hunters brought furs and buffalo hides. They shared information about local plants and animals and provided buffalo meat for fort workers. White traders provided goods such as blankets, guns, beads, tools, tobacco, whiskey, and cookware. Traders often adopted Sioux ways. Marriages between white men and Sioux women strengthened business ties between the cultures. For a while, both sides were satisfied.

As the fur trade declined, the relationship between cultures soured. Tensions increased and working together no longer satisfied either side. More and more white settlers encroached on traditional Sioux land. The U.S. Military moved into the area to keep order. Fort Pierre Chouteau became a military post in 1855.

Sponsored by the South Dakota State Historical Society; a Preserve America grant and the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad Corporation.
Images courtesy of the South Dakota Historical Society and the National Archives.

Erected by The South Dakota State Historical Society, a Preserve America grant and the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad

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Corporation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Industry & Commerce • Native Americans • Settlements & Settlers.

Location. 44° 23.432′ N, 100° 23.285′ W. Marker is in Fort Pierre, South Dakota, in Stanley County. Marker can be reached from Fort Chouteau Road, 0.3 miles east of State Highway 1806 when traveling east. Marker is located on the grounds of the Fort Pierre Chouteau National Historic Landmark, on the south side of the walking trail from Fort Chouteau Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 350 Fort Chouteau Road, Fort Pierre SD 57532, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Fort Pierre Chouteau Site (within shouting distance of this marker); Archaeology at Fort Pierre Chouteau (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Pierre Chouteau: Military Occupancy (1855-1857) (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Pierre Chouteau: Fur Trade (1832-1855) (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Pierre Choteau Trading Post (within shouting distance of this marker); Fur Trade on the Upper Missouri River (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Rivers and Trails

Marker detail: American Indians lived and prepared hides for trade near Fort Pierre Chouteau image. Click for full size.

National Archives

2. Marker detail: American Indians lived and prepared hides for trade near Fort Pierre Chouteau

Non-Indian traders and later soldiers interacted with American Indians in recreational activities.

(about 400 feet away); Scotty Philip and his Buffalo Ranch (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Pierre.

More about this marker. Marker is a large composite plaque, mounted horizontally on waist-high metal posts.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Fort Pierre Chouteau National Historic Landmark

Also see . . . Fort Pierre Chouteau, South Dakota – Largest Trading Post on the Great Plains. During its active years, the post received, processed, and shipped hundreds of thousands of beaver pelts, deer skins, and buffalo hides destined for European and eastern markets. Through Fort Pierre Chouteau and its subsidiary trading posts, the Plains Indians found their primary contact with Euro-Americans. A new-found prosperity followed that led the American Indians to accept, for a time, the white man’s encroachment on the Plains. (Submitted on October 10, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Marker detail: American Indian game of Shinny image. Click for full size.

National Archives

3. Marker detail: American Indian game of Shinny

Marker detail: Ledger drawing developed in the 1860s using scraps of paper from old ledger books image. Click for full size.

4. Marker detail: Ledger drawing developed in the 1860s using scraps of paper from old ledger books

Scenes depicted daily life, tribal history, and hunts and battles from earlier times.

Marker detail: “Horse Racing of Sioux Indians near Fort Pierre” image. Click for full size.

5. Marker detail: “Horse Racing of Sioux Indians near Fort Pierre”

Karl Bodmer painted scenes of American Indian life, such as “Horse Racing of Sioux Indians near Fort Pierre,” during his expedition across the plains with Prince Maximilian of Weid.

Cultures Come Together Marker (<i>wide view; Fort Pierre Chouteau Site in background</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 19, 2016

6. Cultures Come Together Marker (wide view; Fort Pierre Chouteau Site in background)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 10, 2018. It was originally submitted on October 7, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 128 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on October 10, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.