Red Shirt, South Dakota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Red Shirt, South Dakota
ógle šá/ógle lúta
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 Red Shirt, South Dakota
Location in South Dakota
Red Shirt, South Dakota
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | South Dakota |
| County | Oglala Lakota |
| Elevation | 2,694 ft (821 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1262279 |
Red Shirt is a small community in South Dakota, United States. It is known in the Lakota as ógle šá or ógle lúta. This village is not officially part of a larger city or town. It is located in Oglala Lakota County, southeast of Hermosa. Red Shirt is also found within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, very close to Badlands National Park.
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Where is Red Shirt Located?
Red Shirt is situated just past the eastern end of South Dakota Highway 40. This highway turns into BIA Highway 41. This change happens at a bridge over the Cheyenne River. The river forms a border between Custer County and Oglala Lakota County. It also marks the edge of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
The main part of the community, including the Red Shirt School, sits in the valley flats. These flats are along the Cheyenne River. They are below the northern end of Red Shirt Table. This "table" is a large, flat-topped hill. It is a very noticeable landmark in northwestern Oglala Lakota County.
How Red Shirt Got Its Name
Many communities of the Oglala and Lakota people are named after important figures. Red Shirt village is named after a chief called Red Shirt. His Lakota name was Ógle Lúta. He was born around 1845 and passed away in 1925. His group of people settled in this area in the late 1870s.
What is Red Shirt Like Today?
In 2009, the village of Red Shirt had about 23 homes. These included some mobile homes. The homes were grouped into two areas: Upper Red Shirt and Lower Red Shirt.
The community also has the Red Shirt School. There is a modern school building built between 2005 and 2008. It has two large dome-shaped sections. There are also older school buildings. Other facilities include a dance ring, sports fields, and several community buildings. A sewage plant helps manage waste for the village.
Red Shirt is the closest community on the Pine Ridge Reservation to Rapid City. The village is the last stop for a huge water project. This project is called Mni Wiconi. It pumps water from the Missouri River near Fort Pierre, South Dakota. This water travels all the way to the Rosebud and Pine Ridge Reservations. Even though Red Shirt is near the Cheyenne River, it is safe from floods. It is located outside the river's 100-year floodplain.
Education in Red Shirt
The Red Shirt School is part of the Oglala Lakota County School District. It serves as an elementary school for younger students. However, it also plays a bigger role for older students. The school is a campus and testing center for the Shannon County Virtual High School (SCVHS).
The SCVHS provides high school classes online through the internet. It is the only public high school located on the Pine Ridge Reservation. This means students can get their high school education right in their community.
