Column: First Lakota Congressman gave voice to South Dakota

Wednesday, September 21, 2011  

"U.S. Rep. Ben Reifel, says a longtime aide, could be the most energetic campaigner South Dakota has ever seen.

"He was very outgoing," Sioux Falls lawyer Rolly Samp says. "We would be driving down a highway, and if there was a group of people working on the road, he'd tell me to stop the car. He'd hop out and not just shake hands but have a conversation and ask questions. He wanted to get feedback."

Monday would have been the 105th birthday of Reifel, who was born in a log cabin on the Rosebud reservation and served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1961 to 1971.

He was instrumental in locating EROS Data Center in South Dakota and in keeping Ellsworth Air Force Base active in the state.

Reifel, the first Lakota elected to the U.S. House, also was active in Native American issues."

Get the Story:
Jill Callison: First Lakota in U.S. House gave boost to S.D. (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 9/21)