Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe

The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe is asking a federal judge to block the federal government from taking over its law enforcement and forcing the removal of public health checkpoints, and Congressman Johnson joins us to explain why he recently introduced legislation to protect Mount Rushmore from alteration. 

In The Moment … June 25, 2020 Show 846 Hour 1

A member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Joseph Brings Plenty cares deeply about his community, especially young people. He knows the power of positive role models and has even created a highly successful boxing program. We meet Mr. Brings Plenty as he continues to seek greater knowledge of the Lakota culture and language.

In The Moment … May 13, 2020 Show 816 Hour 2

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal officials say they need emergency funding to fix damaged roads-and quickly. Spring flooding washed out roads in some rural areas and forced culverts out from under ground in others. 

Officials link two recent deaths on the reservation to dangerous driving conditions and say other Great Plains Tribes have the same problem.

It’s tough to drive BIA route 3 on the Cheyenne River Reservation. There are missing chunks of pavement -  potholes in some areas and washed out gravel roads.

June 6th marks the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, when more than 160 thousand allied troops landed in France. Storming the beaches of Normandy was a quintessential part of defeating Nazi Germany. WWII veterans—including some from the D-Day battle—were recently honored in Rapid City.

There’s a lot of conversation as nearly 70 WWII veterans gather for an annual luncheon honoring their service. They talk with each other, and family and friends.

In The Moment ... April 1, 2019 Show 547 Hour 2

The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation in South Dakota continues to deal with cleanup as the result of flooding. Tribal Chairman Harold Frazier returns to In The Moment to provide and update on current conditions.

In The Moment ... December 7, 2018 Show 475 Hour 1

Hailed for entertaining crowds abroad, Sequoia Crosswhite brings Lakota sounds to a blend of six-string hip-hop mixed with a surprising array of genres, and threads them together with Lakota flutes.

An enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Crosswhite is also a presenter of the tribe's rich history and culture.

Management of the Rapid City Indian Health Services Hospital is in the early stages of transferring from the federal government to area tribes. The Oglala Sioux, Cheyenne River Sioux and Rosebud Sioux Tribes all authorize the Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Health Board to operate the facility. 

The Sioux San hospital is a secondary care unit for members of those three tribes. Poor federal inspection results and last year’s proposed closure of the inpatient and emergency departments prompted the tribes to investigate other management options.

The Keystone XL pipeline has had a long history for something that so far does not yet exist. It's future has not been decided either.

South Dakota's Public Utilities Commission first permitted the pipeline to cut diagonally across the western half of the state in 2010.

But TransCanada did not complete the project within four years, and so state law required the company to make assurances that it could still meet the requirements of the permit.

USDA funding is helping upgrade a water treatment plant near Eagle Butte.  The move ensures about 14-thousand people on and around the Cheyenne River Reservation have a more reliable water source.

The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe draws water out of the Cheyenne and Missouri Rivers.  But the old treatment plant and series of pipes to distribute water was prone to break down. Leaving thousands with no water—sometimes for several days at a time.  

Tim Potts is with USDA’s Rural Development.

Chairman Harold Frazier of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe spoke before a joint session of the state Legislature Thursday. In his State of the Tribes Address he called for respect in order to work together.

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Chairman Harold Frazier says legislators need to consider how laws will impact Native people in South Dakota before they cast their votes. He says he wants to see more job creation on the state’s reservations, but those areas need better infrastructure.

If the Keystone XL pipeline is allowed to be built through Western South Dakota, TransCanada will dig a trench more than 300 miles long. The construction project is planned to go through territory occupied by indigenous people for thousands of years before settlers first arrived. As such, a tribal historic preservation officer says all tribes should be consulted.