Statehood The 40th state Nov. 2, 1889 Captial Pierre State Motto Under God the people rul Origin of State Name The name Dakota is derived from a Sioux term meaning friends or allies. State Nickname The Coyote State The coyote is South Dakota's state animal. Interesting Facts More than 90 percent of the North Dakota's land area was classified as farmland in the mid-1990s. The famous Black Hills Passion Play is held annually in a natural amphitheater near Spearfish. A gigantic sculpture of Crazy Horse, the famous Sioux chief, is being carved in the Black Hills. The project, begun in 1947, remains uncompleted.