{"id":39282,"date":"2025-09-25T21:57:32","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T02:57:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/ben-reifel-films-opening-to-public\/"},"modified":"2025-09-25T21:57:36","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T02:57:36","slug":"ben-reifel-films-opening-to-public","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/ben-reifel-films-opening-to-public\/","title":{"rendered":"Ben Reifel films opening to public"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ben Reifel<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

BROOKINGS, S.D. \u2014 Sept. 19, 2025 \u2014 South Dakota State University Archives and Special Collections has announced a new effort to preserve and share a powerful piece of South Dakota\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

Thanks to a grant from the Mary Chilton Daughters of the American Revolution Foundation, SDSU Archives will be able to digitize and publicly disseminate 35 rare 16mm films from the collection of Ben Reifel \u2014 South Dakota\u2019s only Native American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and the first Lakota member of Congress.<\/p>\n

The audiovisual materials showed signs of degradation and were inaccessible due to lack of specialized equipment that could play the fragile films without damaging them. SDSU Archives contracted with Archiving Life Media to carry out the cleaning, preservation and digitization process of the 16mm films. The next step is for SDSU Archives to create metadata and upload the audiovisual materials to YouTube, reaching historians, educators, students and citizens who are seeking to engage with South Dakota\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

These films contain valuable footage of Reifel\u2019s life and work: campaign messages, public statements, visits to farms and communities across South Dakota and interactions with national figures, including President Richard Nixon. They offer a firsthand look at a statesman who championed agricultural development, Indigenous education and civil rights throughout his life of public service.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe digitized films illuminate the dynamic political landscape of the mid-20th century, offering significant insights into a South Dakotan\u2019s role in shaping national policies,\u201d SDSU Archivist Michele Christian said. \u201cHis legacy highlights a remarkable chapter in United States history, showcasing the impact of leadership and commitment to public good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Born in 1906 on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, Reifel attended a reservation boarding school before earning a B.S. in agriculture from South Dakota State University in 1932. From 1933 to 1960, he dedicated much of his career to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, while also serving in the U.S. Army during World War II from 1942 to 1946. Reifel further distinguished himself academically, earning both a master\u2019s degree and doctorate in public administration from Harvard University, in 1950 and 1952 respectively.<\/p>\n

Serving in Congress from 1961 to 1971, he helped shape key legislation, supported the establishment of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts, and played a pivotal role in bringing the Earth Resources Observation and Science Center to South Dakota.<\/p>\n

Reifel was a dedicated public servant who advocated for rural and Indigenous communities. Digitizing these films will ensure that Reifel\u2019s remarkable story continues to educate and inspire future generations, Christian said.<\/p>\n

The post Ben Reifel films opening to public<\/a> first appeared on Native Sun News Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Visit Original Source<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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Ben Reifel BROOKINGS, S.D. \u2014 Sept. 19, 2025 \u2014 South Dakota State University Archives and Special Collections has announced a new effort to preserve and share a powerful piece of South Dakota\u2019s history. Thanks to a grant from the Mary Chilton Daughters of the American Revolution Foundation, SDSU Archives will <\/p>\n

Read More<\/a>
Shared by Native Sun News Today<\/a> September 25, 2025<\/p>\n

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