Scope and Content Note
The papers of Ralph Hoyt Case span the years 1922-1957, with the bulk of the items concentrated in the period of 1944-1956. The materials relate to the prosecution of the Black Hills Claim, involving the Rosebud, Pine Ridge, Cheyenne River, Standing Rock, Crow Creek, Lower Brule, Fort Peck and Santee Reservations. Additional items relate to smaller claims, including the Lower Brule land claim, Sioux pony claims and the Oahe Dam claim. The collection consists of correspondence, legal papers, legislative bills, newspaper clippings and other printed material.
The Case Papers have been arranged into series based on a specific claim, whichadheres to the original order of the material. Correspondence, court documents and items relating to a specific claim or tribe remain together. The correspondence is filed chronologically and includes letters written to Case from various tribal members as well as federal and state officials. Much of the correspondence dealing with specific claims comes from individual tribal members interested in the progress of a specific case. Court documents are filed by number and include briefings, defendant briefs, plaintiff finding of fact, both in manuscript and print versions. The subject files contain additional print material relating to tribes or reservations.
This Sioux Claims series contains materials relating to claims specifically made by Sioux Tribes, including the Black Hills Claim; Sioux Personal Claims; Wounded Knee Claims; Pony Claims; Oahe Claim; Lower Brule Land Claim; Cheyenne River Coal Claim; Fort Randall Claim.
General Tribal Claims series includes claims associated with other American Indian tribes, not specifically the Sioux.
General correspondence series is arranged chronologically.
Subject Files contains articles, newsletters, minutes and additional material relating to tribes or reservations.
Newspaper Clippings are newspaper articles from national and regional newspapers pertaining to the Sioux tribe, the National Indian Defense Association and various claims.
Card Files contain an index of tribe members.