1951 Map of Red Shirt

About this map

The Red Shirt settlement occupies a prominent position on the eastern bank of the Cheyenne River within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. This 1951 survey, updated in the late 1970s, documents the complex drainage system where Battle Creek, French Creek, and Red Shirt Creek converge toward the river valley. The landscape is dominated by the sharply defined Pine Ridge Table to the southeast, a high plateau rising above the surrounding breaks. A notable Reservation Boundary bisects the area, separating the tribal lands of the reservation from the western territory. The presence of a river Ford near the settlement underscores the historical reliance on seasonal crossings in an era when permanent bridges were scarce in this part of the Missouri River Basin. The map provides a detailed look at the transition from the upland tablelands to the deeply eroded creek beds that define the local topography.