Rosebud Sioux Tribe
Q&A: Why Brendan Johnson chose courtrooms over politics
Sioux Falls lawyer Brendan Johnson has a last name that carries a lot of weight in South Dakota political circles. His father, Tim Johnson, was the last Democrat to serve in any statewide elected office from the now-solidly red state. The elder Johnson, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987 to 1997 […]
You might need an ambulance, but your state might not see it as ‘essential’
When someone with a medical emergency calls 911, they expect an ambulance to show up. But sometimes, there simply isn’t one available. Most states don’t declare emergency medical services (EMS) to be an “essential service,” meaning the state government isn’t required to provide or fund them. Now, though, a growing number of states are taking […]
More precipitation, more drought: Rosebud Sioux Tribe to implement climate adaptation plan
Steam rose from snow puddles hours after melting across southwestern South Dakota over Easter weekend. Deer are changing their migration patterns because of drought; magpies have nearly disappeared from the prairie, Native American elders observe. This is the shifting landscape of the Rosebud Reservation, home of the Sicangu Lakota Oyate, or the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. […]
Disaster declarations for tribes land as two-part storm looms
President Joe Biden declared major disasters for two tribal communities in South Dakota on Tuesday for a pair of deadly December storms. News of the declarations for the Rosebud and Oglala Sioux tribes arrived as snowflakes began to fall in the first of two more winter storms expected to blanket the state. This week’s storms […]
SD tribes would lose millions for tribal government if state eliminates food sales tax
PIERRE – A food sales tax cut that passed a House panel Thursday morning has raised concerns for South Dakota’s nine tribal governments. An official with the Bureau of Finance and Management estimated that the tribes would lose about $2 million in funding for tribal government operations if the food tax is eliminated, but admitted […]
State responds to criticism, says it answered tribal storm needs
The state has responded to Rosebud Sioux Tribe officials’ frustrations with its response to recent winter storms. The tribe issued an emergency declaration in response to the storms, which partially buried homes across the reservation and resulted in at least six deaths. The deaths occurred both before and after a National Guard deployment ordered by […]
Rosebud officials say at least six dead as tribe digs out from storms
ROSEBUD RESERVATION — Rosebud tribal officials say at least six people have died as a result of two winter storms that partially buried homes across the reservation, and some people remain trapped at home more than two weeks after the first snow fell. The fatalities included a 12-year-old boy with health problems who couldn’t be […]
Rosebud Tribe struggles to clear roads as blizzard contributes to at least one death
The situation is grim on the Rosebud Reservation after two rounds of severe winter weather pummeled the area, contributing to at least one death. Many people remain snowed-in and some have run out of propane for their furnaces, causing tribal residents to fear there may be more deaths from the cold. Wayne Boyd, chief of […]
Governor activates Guard for firewood mission to Rosebud Reservation
Members of the South Dakota National Guard are hauling available firewood from the Black Hills National Forest to the Rosebud Reservation, pursuant to an executive order from Gov. Kristi Noem declaring an emergency related to ongoing winter storms in the state. The Noem administration announced the order Thursday night in a news release. “My administration […]
Federal government opens grassland conservation program to tribes
Three South Dakota tribal nations have a new opportunity to partner with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conserve and improve grasslands. The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program pays landowners to set aside environmentally sensitive land for a specific conservation concern. Landowners get money, and the public gets benefits like cleaner water and more wildlife habitat. […]
Bison return program is now helping Native American ranchers build herds
LINCOLN — For years, Wayne Frederick and his father managed a herd of bison held by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of south-central South Dakota. But now, a unique partnership between a tribal nonprofit that helps Native ranchers raise bison and the Nature Conservancy is helping Frederick start his own commercial herd. Four bison were delivered […]