Planning a Visit

The University Art Galleries developed and exhibits the Oscar Howe Collection, the largest single collection of works by Dr. Howe, the internationally-noted American Indian artist who served on the USD faculty for 25 years. The Howe Collection is housed in a self-contained gallery in Historic Old Main.
The Oscar Howe Gallery is open to the public Monday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m., (closed holidays). Weekend visits and out-of-hours tours may be arranged with prior notification.

At a time when integration was still new to college athletics – and in some cases – college enrollment in general, Jimmie and Cliff Daniels became the first black student athletes to start for the Coyote basketball team.

True student-athletes, the Daniels brothers concluded their careers in leading the Coyotes to the NCAA Division II National title in 1958. The two Brooklyn, N.Y. natives played three years for the Coyotes before graduating from USD in 1958.

Pioneering coach Dwane Clodfelter and the 1957-58 team are enshrined in the USD Athletic Hall of Fame at the DakotaDome where the national championship banner still hangs.

Located in the I.D. Weeks Library, the South Dakota Oral History Center collects and preserves the voices of the people of the Northern Plains. The acquisition and preservation methods are part of the USD Native Studies program and provide students the opportunity to actively participate in the oral tradition. The Oral History Collection includes more than 5,500 interviews in six unique collections including The American Indian Research Project and The South Dakota Oral History Project. Appointments are encouraged for visitors who wish to freely listen to recordings or view transcripts.

Donated to the USD Foundation by the family of Paul and Shirley Plume, the war bonnet was presented in honor of Paul Plume and in memory of former USD student and Native American author and educator Rosebud Yellow Robe.

One of the first Native American students to attend the university, Yellow Robe gained notoriety when, as a USD student in 1927, she placed a handmade Lakota war bonnet (similar to the one on display) on the head of President Calvin Coolidge for the President’s support of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924.

Through her books, storytelling and performances, Rosebud helped bring to the general public an understanding and appreciation for native life. She died in 1992 at the age of 85.

“Hau, Mitakuyapi"
Located at 409 E. Clark St., the Native American Cultural Center provides a culturally-enriching environment for Native American students and all students interested in native culture. Inside, students can access meeting rooms, computer lab and a Lakota language lab as well as engage in social activities such as drum group practice and Sundance meetings.