If you've lived in Sioux Falls or the surrounding area for any length of time you know.

You know you live in the Sioux Empire You've heard it on the radio, television, in stores, schools, churches. From your neighbors and family. It might be said in passing. The Sioux Empire.

Of course, if you grew up in the Sioux City area, you lived (or live) in Siouxland, right? Same kind of deal...radio, television, on the street, in the businesses. It was and is Siouxland.

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Simple. Except, not so simple. Where exactly does the Sioux Empire begin and Siouxland end? And vice-versa? Well, it's a bit blurry.

It kind of began when author Frederick Manfred, who grew up in the region, set many of his novels in the southwest Minnesota, northwest Iowa, southeast South Dakota region. But that description was too long, too messy. So in 1946, in a novel, the term 'Siouxland' was born.

Ahhh...that settles that.

Except, of course, there were no exact, set boundaries for Siouxland. In general, it stretched from part of Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. And yes, it included both Sioux City and Sioux Falls and all areas around and between.

Sioux City more or less adopted the term 'Siouxland' and most people associate it primarily with that town. Well, residents of Sioux Falls wanted their own term so...Sioux Empire. As the originator of the 'Siouxland' term, Frederick Manfred drew a map of the area for the cover of a book and as you can see here, it includes both Sioux Falls and Sioux City, even Norfolk, Nebraska (and Luverne, Minnesota where Manfred lived).

And the 'Sioux Empire'? Well, the article here claims Minnehaha Country, Lincoln County, McCook County as well as counties in northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota are included.

Clear as mud, right?

How about this: I'm not 100% sure if we live in Siouxland or the Sioux Empire, but one thing's for sure...we live in the greatest part of the great nation in the world.

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