How Big Is Siouxland Anyway?

In this area, we hear the terms 'Siouxland' and 'Sioux Empire' quite frequently as an easy reference point for the greater Sioux Falls and South Dakota area.

But what all is actually considered 'Siouxland'? Is it just South Dakota and its bordering states or the entire Midwest region?

Here's what a Wikipedia page had to say about what is all considered 'Siouxland'.

"Siouxland is a vernacular region that encompasses the entire Big Sioux River drainage basin in the U.S. states of South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa.

The demonym for a resident of Siouxland is Siouxlander. The term "Siouxland" was coined by author Frederick Manfred in 1946. Manfred was born in Doon, Iowa, a small town in Lyon County"-Wikipedia.

The term 'vernacular' in the paragraph above means " a distinctive area where the inhabitants collectively consider themselves interconnected by a shared history, mutual interests, and a common identity.'

Therefore, because we in the states of South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Iowa all share a part of the Big Sioux River in our states, this makes all a vernacular region or 'Siouxland' collectively.

The Big Sioux River basin goes from Sioux City, Iowa to Sioux Falls of course at The Falls, the northeast part of Nebraska, and finally the far southwest part of Minnesota.

However, it is also important to know that the term Sioux in Big Sioux River came from the Sioux Indians; the Lakota people who originally resided in this area according to Natural Atlas.

Source: Wikipedia &  Natural Atlas