The Sioux Falls School District officially began construction on its newest middle school on Monday. The school is named after the late Lakota congressman Ben Reifel.
Former South Dakota congressman Ben Reifel remains the only Lakota person to serve in the U.S. House.
Dr. Brian Maher is the superintendent of the Sioux Falls School District. He says he hopes the name of the school brings attention to Reifel’s legacy.
"You think about somebody who had the courage to enter into an interracial marriage in the 1930’s, somebody who had the courage to get on a train and go to South Dakota State University, somebody who had the courage to go to Harvard University, somebody who had the courage to serve his country," says Maher. "In the end, I think what we have is a symbol for our community and a symbol for the students who will inhabit the middle school, of a great South Dakotan, a great American, and a great Lakotan.”
According to Lisa Moss, who is Reifel’s oldest granddaughter, He nearly dropped out of school until one of his 7th and 8th grade teachers encouraged him to keep pursuing education.
Moss says it’s only fitting that his name is now on a middle school.
"He touched many lives through his lifetime of commitment of service to others, and he had a way of making others feel like they were significant and important because he was genuinely interested in them, says Moss. "This school will continue that legacy by bearing his name.”
Reifel served in congress from 1961 to 1971 and served on the Indian Affairs Committee.
The school is expected open in the fall of 2021. This is the second groundbreaking for the Sioux Falls School District this summer.