[3] These schools were put in place by the government for two main reasons: to require the mastery of English and to "civilize" the Indians.

[7] Reports on these Indian boarding schools are largely negative, with most students found to be "malnourished, overworked, harshly punished and poorly educated.

[8] Towards the 1900s, approximately 650 children went to Rapid City Indian School from Wyoming, Montana, and western South Dakota.

[8] His tactics were criticized as many opponents viewed this as similar to the slave trade, causing the commissioner of Indian Affairs, Francis E. Leupp, to ban recruiters going to reservations in 1908.

[10] The teacher-student ratio was extremely low, resulting in a lax of discipline with teachers stretched so thin during the day.

Other focuses in the curriculum included vocational jobs, such as blacksmiths and the dairy industry for boys, and classroom work.

[8] The land was split into three lots owned by the federal government, with the Sioux San Hospital being the last remaining structure of the school.