Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center

In the Lakota Sioux dialect, akta Lakota means to honor the people. Here on the banks of the Missouri River, in the heart of Sioux country, a museum honors the people who contributed so much to this area’s rich cultural heritage. The Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, on the campus of St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain, South Dakota, preserves and promotes the Lakota Sioux nation, past and present. Displays of Native American artifacts are combined with contemporary works of art by Northern Plains Indians. Aside from the artwork inside, the museum’s outer walls depict murals of Sioux chiefs. Birders visiting the area will want to keep binoculars and cameras at the ready – there are hundreds of species around, from robins to bald eagles. Fishing, boating, hiking, camping and horseback riding are popular pastimes. For something a little different, rent a paddleboat for a cruise along the Missouri River.