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api - www.earthskyweb.com/sota.htm - Anpetu Iyamni, Oct. 3, 2018

 

 

Page 25

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MOTION NO. 111: made by Winfield Rondell Jr., 

second by Lois Owens, question by Floyd Kirk 

Jr., to approve the Elderly Nutrition Program 

Title VI-Part C budget for FY 2019, as presented 

by Budget Supervisor Lexie Fancher.

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 111: 17 For: 

Lois Owens (3); Milton Owen (2); Winfield 

Rondell Jr. (3); Alvah Quinn Sr. (2); Francis 

Crawford (2); Arnold White Jr. (1); Justin 

Chanku (2); Tribal Vice-Chairman (1); Tribal 

Secretary (1). 0 Opposed. 0 Abstained. 0 Absent 

From Vote. 1 Not Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED.

MOTION NO. 112: made by Floyd Kirk Jr., second 

by Winfield Rondell Jr., question by Arnold 

White Jr., to approve the Elderly Nutrition 

Program Title VI-Part A budget for FY 2019, as 

presented by Budget Supervisor Lexie Fancher.

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 112: 17 For: 

Lois Owens (3); Milton Owen (2); Winfield 

Rondell Jr. (3); Alvah Quinn Sr. (2); Francis 

Crawford (2); Arnold White Jr. (1); Justin 

Chanku (2); Tribal Vice-Chairman (1); Tribal 

Secretary (1). 0 Opposed. 0 Abstained. 0 Absent 

From Vote. 1 Not Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED.

MOTION NO. 113: made by Justin Chanku, 

second by Lois Owens, question by Winfield 

Rondell Jr., to approve the Dakota Language 

Institute Income budget modifications for FY 

2018, as presented by Budget Supervisor Lexie 

Fancher.

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 113: 17 For: 

Lois Owens (3); Milton Owen (2); Winfield 

Rondell Jr. (3); Alvah Quinn Sr. (2); Francis 

Crawford (2); Arnold White Jr. (1); Justin 

Chanku (2); Tribal Vice-Chairman (1); Tribal 

Secretary (1). 0 Opposed. 0 Abstained. 0 Absent 

From Vote. 1 Not Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED.

MOTION NO. 114: made by Francis Crawford, 

second by Winfield Rondell Jr., question by 

Floyd Kirk Jr., to acknowledge the receipt of the 

Lake Traverse District Minutes for the meeting 

held July 26, 2018.

Lake Traverse District Minutes for meeting held 

July 26, 2018:

1. Vacate the SWC board, remove Beverly 

Thompson’s letters of intent for Judicial Board 

and TZ school board due to Beverly does not 

reside within reservation boundaries.

2. Remove DMC General Manager, Mike 

Schrader.

3. Browns Valley to form own JOM board.

4. Powwow security to take child sexual abuse 

training given through Joan White’s program.

5. Approve Youth-to-Adult Membership: Trey 

Goodsell, Jerrica Brown, and Andrew Redwing.

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 114: 17 For: 

Lois Owens (3); Milton Owen (2); Winfield 

Rondell Jr. (3); Alvah Quinn Sr. (2); Francis 

Crawford (2); Arnold White Jr. (1); Justin 

Chanku (2); Tribal Vice-Chairman (1); Tribal 

Secretary (1). 0 Opposed. 0 Abstained. 0 Absent 

From Vote. 1 Not Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED.

MOTION NO. 115: made by Justin Chanku, 

second by Winfield Rondell Jr., question by 

Francis Crawford, to acknowledge the receipt 

of the Long Hollow District Minutes for the 

meeting held July 26, 2018.

Long Hollow District Minutes for meeting held 

July 26, 2018:

1. Accept Youth Membership: Asher 

GoodTeacher, Adriahna Cook, Eric Wilson Jr., 

and Casey Wilson.

2. Accept Youth-to-Adult Membership: Isiah 

Lablanc.

3. Accept New Membership: Debra Blumeyer, 

Elizabeth Blumeyer, Donna Charisse, Marsha 

Redday, Raven Rush, and Andrew Rush.

4. There be a tier made at the elderly area at 

the powwow.

5. Stop building the 20 homes.

6. Bring back security in housing areas, no 

housing employees conflict of interest.

7. Accept resolution 2018 as presented.

8. Include Head Start in the Tribal portion for 

school clothes.

9. Create a MOU with the State of SD to enforce 

the ICWA.

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 115: 17 For: 

Lois Owens (3); Milton Owen (2); Winfield 

Rondell Jr. (3); Alvah Quinn Sr. (2); Francis 

Crawford (2); Arnold White Jr. (1); Justin 

Chanku (2); Tribal Vice-Chairman (1); Tribal 

Secretary (1). 0 Opposed. 0 Abstained. 0 Absent 

From Vote. 1 Not Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED.

MOTION NO. 116: made by Lois Owens, second 

by Arnold White Jr., question by Francis 

Crawford, to acknowledge the receipt of the 

Enemy Swim District Minutes for the meeting 

held July 26, 2018.

Enemy Swim District Minutes for meeting held 

July 26, 2018:

1. Accept Adult Membership: Kevin Alexander 

Jr., Treyton Cadotte, Landyce Danley, Corinna 

Reynolds, Cleo Shepherd, and Sydney Strutz.

2. Re-Affirm Adult Membership: Cody Williams.

3. Accept Youth Membership: Jylia Fallis, Taziah 

Fallis, Nyah Weidenbach, Cali Eagle, Nyomi 

Eagle, Raymond Shepherd IV, Robert McBride, 

Noah McBride, Shania Perdue, Moses Perdue, 

Blaise Renville, and Scottee Fayant.

4. The ESD housing area needs a secondary 

entrance.

5. Seat Sophia Bissonette and Ursula Eagle as 

the temporary election board members for the 

2018 Tribal General Election.

6. Ban Dave Wasilk and Ryan Breske from the 

Enemy Swim District.

7. Stop all youth activities until all funds are 

paid back to the Reserve Account for school 

clothes.

8. Accept the SWO Tribal Council salaries/

benefits resolution.

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 116: 17 For: 

Lois Owens (3); Milton Owen (2); Winfield 

Rondell Jr. (3); Alvah Quinn Sr. (2); Francis 

Crawford (2); Arnold White Jr. (1); Justin 

Chanku (2); Tribal Vice-Chairman (1); Tribal 

Secretary (1). 0 Opposed. 0 Abstained. 0 Absent 

From Vote. 1 Not Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED.

MOTION NO. 117: made by Alvah Quinn Sr., 

second by Francis Crawford, question by 

Winfield Rondell Jr., to acknowledge the receipt 

of the Big Coulee District Minutes for the 

meeting held July 26, 2018.

Big Coulee District Minutes for meeting held 

July 26, 2018:

1. Approve Adult Membership: Silas Feather 

and Vincent Jackson.

2. Approve Youth Membership: Gracee King 

and Toby Schoenrock.

3. Accept the results of the special election for 

BCD Chairman.

4. Accept the results of the Tiospa Zina School 

Board for BCD.

5. Any plans to amend the penal code, per 

motion #14 of the SWO Council Minutes of 

July 3, 2018, be brought to the district for their 

input.

6. The SWO Youth Sponsorship dollars be 

distributed to the districts equally for the 

districts to distribute.

7. The SWO contribute another $100, making 

the total of $200, for school clothes and that it 

come out of the SWO Youth Department.

8. Support the Sisseton-Wahpeton Housing 

Authority in purchasing the old Sisseton 

bowling alley (Stan Hippen) property.

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 117: 17 For: 

Lois Owens (3); Milton Owen (2); Winfield 

Rondell Jr. (3); Alvah Quinn Sr. (2); Francis 

Crawford (2); Arnold White Jr. (1); Justin 

Chanku (2); Tribal Vice-Chairman (1); Tribal 

Secretary (1). 0 Opposed. 0 Abstained. 0 Absent 

From Vote. 1 Not Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED.

MOTION NO. 118: made by Winfield Rondell Jr., 

second by Alvah Quinn Sr., question by Justin 

Chanku, to acknowledge the receipt of the 

Heipa District Minutes for the meeting held 

July 15, 2018.

Heipa District Minutes for meeting held July 

15, 2018:

1. Accept Adult Membership: Donald 

Heiderscheid, Lisa Voght, Cecil Westerman, and 

John Haider.

2. Accept Youth-to-Adult Membership: 

Sheyenne Adams and Peyton Abraham.

3. To reaffirm out motion to terminate Michael 

Schrader; General Manager at Dakota Magic.

4. To start farming our own land and do 

sharecropping.

5. Support changing the drug code to 

mandatory 6-month treatment for 1st and 

2nd offense for ingestion and possession and 

change from felony to misdemeanor.

6. The district submits our own documents 

for auditing, as requested from the auditor 

and that the district get paid in lieu of Laura 

Williams.

7. Approve Resolution No. 2018-01 Tribal 

Council and Executives salary in reference to 

initiative 2012.

8. Pay Steven Sandven invoice for $5227.60, to 

be reimbursed by the Tribe.

9. The money being returned IHS that $2 

million be used for a new treatment center.

10. $2 million of the IHS money being returned 

be used for a juvenile detention/treatment 

center.

11. An audit on the Realty Department, value 

vs. what was paid

12. Realty to give report on how many tracts of 

land the tribe owns and how much revenue is 

generated from those tracts of land.

13. Approve the revised District Constitution 

with the amendments.

14. Allocate $10,000 to each district for their 

district powwow’s next year.

15. Have Blue Dog Construction redo the 

basketball court and reseed the lawn.

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 118: 17 For: 

Lois Owens (3); Milton Owen (2); Winfield 

Rondell Jr. (3); Alvah Quinn Sr. (2); Francis 

Crawford (2); Arnold White Jr. (1); Justin 

Chanku (2); Tribal Vice-Chairman (1); Tribal 

Secretary (1). 0 Opposed. 0 Abstained. 0 Absent 

From Vote. 1 Not Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED.

MOTION NO. 119: made by Arnold White Jr., 

second by Francis Crawford, question by Justin 

Chanku, to acknowledge the receipt of the 

Buffalo Lake District Minutes for the meeting 

held July 19, 2018.

Buffalo Lake District Minutes for meeting held 

July 19, 2018:

1. Approve Adult Relinquishment: Nicole 

DuMarce.

2. Approve Adult Membership: Nikki Crawford, 

Richard Walker, Halie Williams, and Ta Oyate 

Duta Cooper.

3. Approve Youth Membership: Bowie 

Buckman, Charles Eastman, and Aleigha Kelly.

4. Once again request from Tribal Council and 

Tribal Executives the $500,000.00 for Buffalo 

Lake District’s ongoing Economic Development 

funds.

5. Request a seven (7) member board to be 

established for SWO Tribal Realty.

6. Tribal Councilman Arnold White not be 

allowed to run a food stand at the 2019 SWO 

Powwow due to conflict of interest.

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 119: 14 For: 

Lois Owens (3); Milton Owen (2); Alvah Quinn 

Sr. (2); Francis Crawford (2); Justin Chanku 

(2); Arnold White Jr. (1); Tribal Vice-Chairman 

(1); Tribal Secretary (1). 3 Opposed: Winfield 

Rondell Jr. (3). 0 Abstained. 0 Absent From Vote. 

1 Not Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED.

MOTION NO. 120: made by Winfield Rondell Jr., 

second by Arnold White Jr., question by Francis 

Crawford, to allocate $500,000 to each of the 

seven (7) Districts for Economic Development, 

with the condition that Districts provide 

business plans and project budgets prior to the 

disbursement of funds, and contingent on the 

availability of funding.

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 120: 10 

For: Winfield Rondell Jr. (3); Francis Crawford 

(2); Justin Chanku (2); Arnold White Jr. (1); 

Tribal Vice-Chairman (1); Tribal Secretary (1). 

7 Opposed: Lois Owens (3); Milton Owen (2); 

Alvah Quinn Sr. (2). 0 Abstained. 0 Absent From 

Vote. 1 Not Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED.

Note: Old Agency District did not have a 

District Meeting in July 2018.

MOTION NO. 121: made by Floyd Kirk Jr., second 

by Winfield Rondell Jr., question by Francis 

Crawford, to approve the District Chairman’s 

Association (DCA) report, as presented by DCA 

Members; Karen White, Lisa Jackson, Duane 

Hislaw, Darrell Quinn Jr., Darwin James, Jesse 

Larsen, Chanda Joseph, Allen White, and Jacky 

White.

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 121: 17 For: 

Lois Owens (3); Milton Owen (2); Winfield 

Rondell Jr. (3); Alvah Quinn Sr. (2); Francis 

Crawford (2); Arnold White Jr. (1); Justin 

Chanku (2); Tribal Vice-Chairman (1); Tribal 

Secretary (1). 0 Opposed. 0 Abstained. 0 Absent 

From Vote. 1 Not Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED.

MOTION NO. 122: made by Justin Chanku, 

second by Francis Crawford, question by 

Winfield Rondell Jr., in resolution form, to 

approve Executive Resolution No. 18-09, 

“Contract Law Enforcement for FY 2019, 2020, 

and 2021”, as presented by Captain of Police 

Gary Gaikowski.

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 122: 11 For: 

Milton Owen (2); Justin Chanku (2); Winfield 

Rondell Jr. (3); Francis Crawford (2); Tribal Vice-

Chairman (1); Tribal Secretary (1). 0 Opposed. 3 

Abstained: Lois Owens (3). 3 Absent From Vote: 

Alvah Quinn Sr. (2); Arnold White Jr. (1). 1 Not 

Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED.

Resolution No. SWO-18-083

MOTION NO. 123: made by Francis Crawford, 

second by Justin Chanku, question by Floyd 

Kirk Jr., to authorize SW Law Enforcement 

to purchase a 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe, in the 

amount of $37,999.00, and a 2018 Chevrolet 

Tahoe, in the amount of 38,499.00, both 

from Unzen Motors, with Law Enforcement 

carryover funds as the funding source, as 

presented by Captain of Police Gary Gaikowski.

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 123: 14 For: 

Lois Owens (3); Milton Owen (2); Winfield 

Rondell Jr. (3); Francis Crawford (2); Justin 

Chanku (2); Tribal Vice-Chairman (1); Tribal 

Secretary (1). 0 Opposed. 0 Abstained. 3 Absent 

From Vote: Alvah Quinn Sr. (2); Arnold White Jr. 

(1). 1 Not Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED.

MOTION NO. 124: made by Justin Chanku, 

second by Floyd Kirk Jr., question by Lois 

Owens, to authorize the Tribal Court to 

purchase ten (10) CAM monitoring bracelets 

and accessories, from SCRAM Systems, in the 

amount of $14,055.40, with the Tribal Court 

BIA funds as the funding source, as presented 

by Tribal Attorney Shaun Eastman.

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 124: 14 For: 

Lois Owens (3); Milton Owen (2); Winfield 

Rondell Jr. (3); Francis Crawford (2); Justin 

Chanku (2); Tribal Vice-Chairman (1); Tribal 

Secretary (1). 0 Opposed. 0 Abstained. 3 Absent 

From Vote: Alvah Quinn Sr. (2); Arnold White Jr. 

(1). 1 Not Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED.

MOTION NO. 125: made by Justin Chanku, 

second by Lois Owens, question by Floyd 

Kirk Jr., to authorize the Tribal Court to 

purchase eleven (11) HP ProDesk computers 

and accessories, from Connecting Point, in the 

amount of $9,988.00, with the Tribal Court 

budgets as the funding source, as presented by 

Tribal Attorney Shaun Eastman.

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 125: 14 For: 

Lois Owens (3); Milton Owen (2); Winfield 

Rondell Jr. (3); Francis Crawford (2); Justin 

Chanku (2); Tribal Vice-Chairman (1); Tribal 

Secretary (1). 0 Opposed. 0 Abstained. 3 Absent 

From Vote: Alvah Quinn Sr. (2); Arnold White Jr. 

(1). 1 Not Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED.

MOTION NO. 126: made by Lois Owens, second 

by Winfield Rondell Jr., question by Floyd Kirk 

Jr., to authorize the Planning Department 

to provide the $22,000.00 match for the 

Community Transit grant, with the Section 7 

budget as the funding source, and that these 

funds will be reimbursed when the grant funds 

are received, as presented by EDA Planner 

David Spider.

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 126: 14 For: 

Lois Owens (3); Milton Owen (2); Winfield 

Rondell Jr. (3); Francis Crawford (2); Justin 

Chanku (2); Tribal Vice-Chairman (1); Tribal 

Secretary (1). 0 Opposed. 0 Abstained. 3 Absent 

From Vote: Alvah Quinn Sr. (2); Arnold White Jr. 

(1). 1 Not Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED.

MOTION NO. 127: made by Winfield Rondell 

Jr., second by Arnold White Jr., question by 

Lois Owens, to temporarily suspend the 

Chapter II Hiring, Section C. Hiring Committee 

1. (Hiring Committee qualifications) of 

the SWO Personnel Policies, to allow the 

current members to participate until further 

discussion is had to address the matter, as 

requested by Hiring Committee Members Etta 

Jo Marks and Lorraine Rousseau.

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 127: 14 For: 

Lois Owens (3); Milton Owen (2); Winfield 

Rondell Jr. (3); Francis Crawford (2); Arnold 

White Jr. (1); Justin Chanku (2); Tribal Vice-

Chairman (1). 0 Opposed. 3 Abstained: Alvah 

Quinn Sr. (2); Tribal Secretary (1). 0 Absent 

From Vote. 1 Not Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED.

MOTION NO. 128: made by Lois Owens, second 

by Milton Owen, question by Winfield Rondell 

Jr., to go into Executive Session, at 2:33 pm.

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 128: 17 For: 

Lois Owens (3); Milton Owen (2); Winfield 

Rondell Jr. (3); Alvah Quinn Sr. (2); Francis 

Crawford (2); Arnold White Jr. (1); Justin 

Chanku (2); Tribal Vice-Chairman (1); Tribal 

Secretary (1). 0 Opposed. 0 Abstained. 0 Absent 

From Vote. 1 Not Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED.

MOTION NO. 129: made by Winfield Rondell Jr., 

second by Francis Crawford, question by Justin 

Chanku, to come out of Executive Session, at 

4:08 pm.

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 129: 17 For: 

Lois Owens (3); Milton Owen (2); Winfield 

Rondell Jr. (3); Alvah Quinn Sr. (2); Francis 

Crawford (2); Arnold White Jr. (1); Justin 

Chanku (2); Tribal Vice-Chairman (1); Tribal 

Secretary (1). 0 Opposed. 0 Abstained. 0 Absent 

From Vote. 1 Not Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED.

MOTION NO. 130: made by Justin Chanku, to 

give $100.00 to Head Start students for school 

clothes, with the Tribal Vice-Chairman to 

determine the funding source.

MOTION DIED. Lack of Second.

MOTION NO. 131: made by Winfield Rondell Jr., 

second by Arnold White Jr., question by Alvah 

Quinn Sr., to authorize the payment to Miric 

Group Inc., for the NICOA Elderly Conference 

hotel stay, in the amount of $21,343.00, with 

the Tribal Vice-Chairman to determine the 

funding source, as presented by Tribal Vice-

Chairman Floyd Kirk Jr.

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 131: 17 For: 

Lois Owens (3); Milton Owen (2); Winfield 

Rondell Jr. (3); Alvah Quinn Sr. (2); Francis 

Crawford (2); Arnold White Jr. (1); Justin 

Chanku (2); Tribal Vice-Chairman (1); Tribal 

Secretary (1). 0 Opposed. 0 Abstained. 0 Absent 

From Vote. 1 Not Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED.

MOTION NO. 132: made by Lois Owens, second 

by Milton Owen, question by Edmund Johnson 

Jr., to approve the letter of support for the 

Sisseton IHS Service Unit to request IHS funding 

to be utilized for the proposed Water Treatment 

Plant for the City of Sisseton, SD, as requested 

by IHS Engineer Ross Hanson, and as presented 

by Tribal Vice-Chairman Floyd Kirk Jr. (Motion 

rescinded via Motion No. 78 of 9/12/18)

WEIGHTED VOTE ON MOTION NO. 132: 17 For: 

Lois Owens (3); Milton Owen (2); Winfield 

Rondell Jr. (3); Alvah Quinn Sr. (2); Francis 

Crawford (2); Arnold White Jr. (1); Justin 

Chanku (2); Tribal Vice-Chairman (1); Tribal 

Secretary (1). 0 Opposed. 0 Abstained. 0 Absent 

From Vote. 1 Not Voting: Tribal Chairman.

MOTION PASSED. (Motion rescinded via Motion 

No. 78 of 9/12/18)

MOTION NO. 133: made by Alvah Quinn Sr., 

second by Winfield Rondell Jr., to adjourn.

MEETING ADJOURNED 4:17 PM.

Respectfully Submitted, Verlyn Beaudreau, 

Recording Secretary.

By Samuel Blackstone

Rapid City Journal – Sept. 24, 

2018 – Rapid City Mayor Steve 

Allender along with the Oglala, 

Cheyenne River and Rosebud Sioux 

tribes are asking the Rapid City 

Council for its support in building 

a new Native American health-care 

facility in east Rapid City.

At the city’s Legal and Finance 

Committee meeting scheduled for 

12:30 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall, 

committee members will consider a 

resolution supporting the relocation 

and construction of a new health-

care facility for tribal members.

The resolution comes almost 

six months after a meeting between 

federal Indian Health Service (IHS) 

officials and Native American tribal 

leaders abruptly turned from an 

informational meeting about plans 

to demolish most of Sioux San 

Hospital’s buildings and replace 

them with a $117 million clinic 

into a discussion about the tribe’s 

desire for those funds to go toward 

the construction of a new health-

care facility on an undeveloped lot 

southeast of Menards and north of 

Western Dakota Technical Institute.

The lot and surrounding 

property is owned by local developer 

Hani Shafai, who has offered to 

donate an approximately 25-acre lot 

to the tribes that would serve as the 

site of the new facility.

Potential east side health care 

clinic location

In a Sept. 21 letter from 

Allender to the council, the mayor 

said the proposed facility’s proximity 

to the interstate, main city streets 

and Western Dakota Tech would 

make it a more appealing location 

than Sioux San Hospital.

In a Journal interview Monday, 

Allender added that bus routes and 

increased accessibility to housing, 

employers and shopping centers 

were also potential benefits, as was 

the possibility for collaboration with 

and better recruitment from WDT 

for staffing at the hospital.

“It is beyond time to get this 

done,” he said, characterizing IHS’s 

troublesome administration of Sioux 

San as indicative of “a national 

Indian health-care crisis.”

“It’s not run, and it’s not a 

service,” Allender said of IHS’s 

administration of Sioux San, 

which recently closed the hospital’s 

emergency wing and has been one 

of several IHS facilities in the Great 

Plains that have failed in recent years 

to meet standards of care imposed 

by the federal Centers for Medicare 

& Medicaid Services.

“It’s really a pathetic excuse for 

a health-care facility, especially given 

the need,” Allender said.

The city resolution, Allender 

said, “would let IHS and the world 

know that we have considered the 

option, and we think this is a good 

idea.”

Allender said he has written 

letters to the state’s congressional 

delegation seeking their support and 

assistance.

In a statement by Jerilyn 

Church, CEO of the Great Plains 

Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board, it 

was noted that “relocating the new 

facility will not only improve access 

to health care for American Indians 

who utilize Sioux San but will also 

contribute to the economic engine 

in Rapid City.”

As support from city, state and 

federal officials is sought for that 

project, the three tribes are also 

invoking a federal law that could 

transfer the administration and 

control of Sioux San and the new 

facility to the Great Plains Tribal 

Chairmen’s Health Board.

In April, the Oglala, Cheyenne 

River and Rosebud Sioux tribes 

passed resolutions approving the 

effort and authorizing the tribal 

health board to be the managing 

entity. The law, known as a 638 

contract or the Indian Self-

Determination and Education 

Assistance Act, would transfer the 

day-to-day management of Sioux 

San Hospital and the proposed new 

facility to the tribal health board 

while retaining funding from the 

federal government due to historical 

treaty obligations. In April, Church 

predicted the process could take 

between three to six months.

As for Sioux San Hospital 

should the new facility move 

forward, Allender said he’d heard 

rumblings about it turning into a 

behavioral-health care facility after 

the new facility took over as the 

primary health-care center. Past 

estimates for completion of the 

Sioux San Hospital improvements 

were pegged for 2022, but no 

timetable has been offered for a new 

facility.

(Editor’s note: The SWO Tribe 

has studied the option of managing 

its own health care facility rather 

than continuing management by the 

IHS.)

---