Canton Asylum for American Indians Cemetery
About this property
The Canton Indian Insane Asylum, aka Hiawatha Insane Asylum, was a federal facility for Native Americans located in Canton, South Dakota, between 1898 and 1934. In 1898, Congress passed a bill creating the only 'Institution for Insane Indians' in the United States. The Canton Indian Insane Asylum (sometimes called Hiawatha Insane Asylum) opened for the reception of patients in January 1903. The first administrator was Oscar S. Gifford. Many of the inmates were not mentally ill. Native Americans risked being confined in the asylum for alcoholism, opposing government or business interests, or for being culturally misunderstood. A 1927 investigation conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs determined that a large number of patients showed no signs of mental illness. While open, more than 350 patients were detained there, in terrible conditions. At least 121 died. The asylum was closed in 1934. Land was set aside for a cemetery, but the Indian Office decided that stone markers for graves would be an unwarranted expense. Today, the cemetery, with at least 121 burials, is located north of the junction of U.S. Route 18 and the former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific railroad tracks43°18′20″N 96°33′4″W The National Park Service added the cemetery to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. Kent Nerburn's The Girl Who Sang to the Buffalo includes accounts of conditions and residents' lives within the facility. Hiawatha Indian Asylum cemetery listing at Find a grave "Wild Indians", Native Perspectives, Pemina Yellow Bird
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Canton Asylum for American Indians Cemetery listed on the National Register?
Canton Asylum for American Indians Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 20, 1998.
What type of historic resource is Canton Asylum for American Indians Cemetery?
Canton Asylum for American Indians Cemetery is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Canton Asylum for American Indians Cemetery?
The period of significance for Canton Asylum for American Indians Cemetery is recorded as the listed era.
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Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Canton Asylum for American Indians Cemetery will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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