Wanblee, SD

Wanblee is a small, close-knit community of around 700 residents on the eastern side of the Pine Ridge Reservation in Jackson County, South Dakota. Its name comes from the Lakota word for eagle, fitting for a town set against the wide-open skies and rolling plains of the White River region. Connected by Highway 44, it offers a quiet rural setting deeply rooted in Oglala Lakota heritage.

ATTRRachel Harris (Flickr user: rlh) / CC BY 2.0

At the heart of the community is Crazy Horse School, a tribally run school with a remarkable history. In the 1960s, local parents organized and marched to Pine Ridge to ensure their children could attend high school close to home, successfully establishing the campus. Today, the school serves as a central gathering place for Wanblee, combining core academics with Lakota language and cultural traditions that keep the town's identity strong.