“Wo’okiye was’te qa wico zani o’wacin yuhapo”
S
ota
I
ya
Y
e
Y
api - www.earthskyweb.com/sota.htm - Anpetu Iyamni, Oct. 3, 2018
Page 5
South Dakota Governor
candidate on the Democrat
ticket, Billie Sutton, speaks
at Saturday afternoon's grand
entry. He spoke of bringing
together people with "our shared
values" to make a difference in
what happens at Pierre. Sota
photo.
Burke, SD
– Sept. 28, 2018
– Senator Billie
Sutton, candidate
for South Dakota
Governor,
today released
“Kiwanjila –
United as One: A
Plan for Stronger
Tribal-State
Partnerships,”
highlighting how
he will continue
to work together
with tribes as
governor.
The plan is informed by input from tribal members
from Sutton’s travel to and meetings with leaders of all
nine tribes in South Dakota.
Regarding the plan, Sutton said, “I’ve spent 8
years proudly representing Indian Country in the State
Senate, I’ve met with leaders from every tribe, and I
will continue to listen to and support Native South
Dakotans as Governor.
We can do better than the status quo, and our best
days are ahead of us if we make sure Native and non-
Native South Dakotans share in our success.”
Sutton’s plan includes twelve priorities for Indian
Country and state-tribal relations:
Advocating for Native American communities
should be a fundamental component of our roadmap to
make South Dakota a state based on the shared values
we have always held dear: honesty, integrity, hard work,
the love of family, protecting our natural resources,
celebrating community, and providing for our children.
As governor of our great state, I will do all I can to
ensure South Dakota Native Americans have access to
quality education, economic opportunities, jobs, health
care services, quality housing, and state government
partnerships they need and deserve.
In my eight years in the legislature, I advocated for
the Native communities I represented. My family and
I have ties that go back generations with the Cheyenne
River Sioux Tribe and the community of Eagle Butte,
where my mother grew up and my grandmother taught
kindergarten for nearly 50 years. My experiences have
taught me that it is essential that people in positions
of power in South Dakota listen to Native American
communities and take the necessary actions to respond
to their needs and challenges. That’s why I made
sure to visit each and every tribe in South Dakota
and meet with leaders in the community to listen to
their concerns and ideas for a stronger South Dakota.
-Senator Billie Sutton
Tribal Sovereignty
Billie recognizes and appreciates the sovereign
status of the nine Tribes of South Dakota. Tribal
sovereignty will be front and center in any conversation
around Native American issues. Understanding the
history of the relationship between tribes and the
federal government, especially around treaties and treaty
obligations, is the necessary starting point.
A Strengthened Secretary of Tribal Relations
In Sutton’s administration, Indian Country will
have a seat at the table. As governor, Billie will increase
the resources and capacity of the cabinet-level position
that focuses on Indian Affairs. This department must be
a vibrant, effective vehicle for change in South Dakota’s
executive branch. The Secretary of Tribal Relations has
the potential to play a critical role in building a strong,
lasting relationship between the State and its nine Tribal
Nations. South Dakota must do better in raising state
employees’ awareness of Native culture; communication
protocol with tribal governments; tribal sovereignty;
and jurisdiction. Governor Sutton’s office will facilitate
an annual tribal relations training to educate the state
government workforce on the guiding principles for
working with tribes.
A Focus on Indigenous American Health Disparities
The United States has a trust responsibility to
provide services to Native Americans, but Governor
Sutton understands that coordination across all different
levels of government is essential to ensuring the
public’s health. Governor Sutton will assure that Native
populations are not excluded from participation in any
federal program, despite their relationship and reliance
on Indian Health Services. To that end, Governor
Sutton will pursue a public health infrastructure that
includes Native representation and perspective.
Provide More Comprehensive Addiction Treatment
for Meth, Opioids, and Alcohol
The impacts of addiction ripple out to families,
communities, first responders, and employers, so
improving our treatment options for people with
addictions will have broad benefits for all South
Dakotans. While law enforcement must be a part of the
solution, simply filling our jails with people who really
need treatment is not an effective solution. We must
take this epidemic very seriously and work with people,
communities, and organizations all over the state to find
solutions that work for Indian Country. As Governor,
Sutton will convene a work group to formulate a
comprehensive plan to improve prevention and access to
treatment for addicted individuals, including: improved
first responder training; prevention among young
people; more widely accessible treatment options for
rural South Dakotans; and offering support to children
and families of those receiving treatment. Sutton will
take on the other issues impacting our meth problem
too, including addiction, poverty, homelessness, suicide,
school dropout, incarceration, and recidivism.
South Dakota Native Youth Suicide Reduction
Strategic Plan
Native communities have significantly higher rates
of suicide than non-Native communities. Governor
Sutton will develop evidence-based and culturally
responsive programs aimed at reducing Native youth
suicide across South Dakota. Within one year of office,
Governor Sutton pledges to call upon partners to create
a strategic plan on Native youth suicide reduction.
Economic Development in Indian Country
Governor Sutton recognizes that South Dakota’s
Indian Country is a vibrant and important part of South
Dakota’s economy, and Native people are an important
part of today and tomorrow’s workforce. Governor
Sutton also acknowledges that much has already been
done to identify and grow economic opportunities in
Indian Country. Governor Sutton will invite business
leaders to embark on a private-public partnership to
build and implement an updated business plan that is
inclusive to Indian Country.
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and
Girls
Native women have been disappearing for
generations. Shining a light on this issue is critical to
enhancing and ensuring the safety of our women and
girls. Governor Sutton will work to create a culture of
respect and dignity around women in South Dakota.
He will also coordinate with governmental, non-
governmental, and international organizations with
a goal of receiving effective recommendations. This
commission will focus on the importance of inter-
agency information sharing.
Working Together on Closing Jurisdictional
Loopholes
Sutton will work alongside tribes and law
enforcement to address the issue of jurisdiction, a
concern on many tribal lands. Due to allotment policies
dating back in the late 1800s, many of the tribes’ land
bases are checkerboarded. You can drive five miles on
reservation land, then drive another five miles and you’re
on state land. There is an opportunity for collaboration
with the tribes on helping close jurisdictional loopholes,
perhaps by cross-deputizing tribal officers or state
officers. However, we can only seriously discuss taking
these steps after we build trust between state and tribal
governments. As always, we must work closely alongside
the tribes, finding mutually beneficial solutions.
Renewed Focus on the Issues that Matter
South Dakota must do everything it can to reduce
poverty, increase the quality of education, expand
housing options, improve access to physical and mental
health care, and boost public safety and security in tribal
communities. We cannot turn a blind eye to the things
that matter to our Native citizens.
Open Channels of Communication
As Governor, Sutton will ensure that our federal
delegation is appropriately informed on tribal issues
so that they can work more effectively on our issues in
Washington. He will also have an open-door policy,
so that the Secretary of Tribal Relations and tribal
governments can easily inform him of any issues or
questions that may arise.
Celebrating Culture and Traditions
In South Dakota, we know that what makes
us unique also makes us strong. We must move past
tolerating our differences and begin to celebrate how
our diversity can inform our strengthened and united
path forward. Our histories and traditions are tied
together to make South Dakota a place where Wacipi
and rodeos happen in tandem and folks stand for both
the “Lakota Honor Song” and “Star Spangled Banner”
at major ceremonies. As governor, Billie Sutton will
very fortunate that the weather
cooperated….”
“We’re very happy with the
results of this crop and anxious to
see what comes of it here in the
future, hoping that this will be an
ag product for us to continue to
grow on our lands, to get some more
of our people involved in being
producers….”
Charlene thanked those of her
staff who worked on the project,
but added that everyone in Natural
Resources was involved in some way.
For those who worked in the
field, she had special thanks.
The weather, she said, does not
always cooperate.
“As you can see,” she said, “it’s
very windy and cold.”
“Some of the days they were
up here, they had to (work …
measuring) in the mud.”
“Thank you to my team, the
other (UM) team, and thanks to the
Planning Department,” she said.
George called an end to the
broadcast, saying “It’s about time for
us to break bread and share some
food together that will hopefully
warm our hands and our hearts as
it’s chilly out here today.”
“Thank you for being here.”
“Let’s have something to eat
and then take a walk through the
field.”
work to celebrate all of South Dakota’s cultures and
traditions including those of the Lakota, Nakota, and
Dakota peoples, uniting us around both what we have
in common and what we have to share.
Record of Cooperation and Partnership
Just as important as Sutton’s plans for the future
is his record of showing up for Indian Country in the
past. Over his eight years in the legislature, Sutton
always represented Native communities and fought
for solutions to Native issues. He supported legislation
that increased Native representation and equality in
state government five times. He supported bills to
increase access and quality of education in for Native
students nine times. He supported increased access to
and quality of care for Natives four times. He sponsored
and cosponsored legislation to examine economic
opportunity and development in Indian Country and
to ensure due process for Native children and families.
He’s voted to celebrate and protect Native culture and
traditions several times over. He has traveled to and
met with leaders of all nine tribes in South Dakota and
received the endorsement of the Great Plains Tribal
Chairmen’s Association. Senator Sutton has time and
again proven his commitment to Indian Country, and
will continue that commitment as governor.
*****
Billie Sutton is a rancher, financial professional
at a small community bank, State Senator, former
professional rodeo cowboy, fifth-generation South
Dakotan, and candidate for Governor.
(Editor’s note: For many, putting a Republican
back into the governor’s mansion has seemed a no-
brainer, and yet last week a KSFY poll showed Billie
Sutton ahead of Kristi Noem by 3 points.)
By U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds
(R-S.D.)
Sept. 28, 2018
While the Senate has been
focused on the Supreme Court
nomination hearing in Washington,
we have continued to work on issues
that affect South Dakotans. We’ll
discuss the Supreme Court hearing
in one of our next weekly columns.
Every October, South Dakota
celebrates the rich culture and the
many contributions made by Native
Americans who called this land
home long before Europeans settled
in the West. Native Americans’
Day is a state holiday started in
1990, and it replaces what used to
be called Columbus Day. The late
Governor George S. Mickelson
joined representatives from the nine
tribal governments in South Dakota
to proclaim 1990 as the Year of
Reconciliation. Native Americans’
Day is our state’s way of observing
and honoring tribal members in
South Dakota.
It’s a privilege for me to
represent all South Dakotans in the
Senate. I work with tribal members
on a number of different federal
issues that impact them. One area
we’ve been focusing on since I took
office is improving health care at the
Indian Health Service (IHS).
The IHS has failed to fulfill
its trust and treaty obligation
to provide quality health care
to tribal members. For decades,
South Dakota’s tribal members and
other tribal members across the
nation have been in the midst of
a government-induced health care
crisis due to serious management
and leadership problems at the IHS.
This is especially true of the Great
Plains Area IHS, which includes
South Dakota. This area has the
worst health care disparities of all
IHS regions including lowest life
expectancy, highest diabetes death
rate, highest TB death rate and
highest overall age-adjusted death
rate. This is unacceptable.
In order to address the issues
plaguing the IHS, I recently
introduced legislation that would
require the Secretary of the
Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) to contract an
assessment of IHS’s health care
delivery systems and financial
management processes. It is past
time to address the ongoing crisis at
the IHS. We were pleased the Senate
Indian Affairs Committee recently
voted to pass our legislation. It
now heads to the Senate floor for
full consideration. Our bill would
only impact direct-care facilities,
not those with 638 contracts. This
means facilities that tribes have
contracted to manage independently
would not be impacted by our
legislation. In the Great Plains Area,
67 percent of IHS facilities are
direct-care facilities.
We are glad that progress is
being made with our legislation, but
rather than threatening deadlines,
requesting extensions, changing
administrators and pointing fingers,
the IHS, HHS and the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS) need to work together – in
close, real consultation with the
tribes - to immediately resolve
IHS’ many problems and improve
care for our Native American
communities.
When state, federal and tribal
governments work together, we
have the opportunity to make real
changes that will improve the lives
of tribal members in our state.
This Native Americans’ Day,
I encourage South Dakotans to
celebrate the history and culture of
the tribes in our state by attending
events in our communities. Sioux
Falls is holding its first ever Native
Americans’ Day parade this year on
Oct. 8, and Rapid City will host
their annual weekend festivities in
conjunction with the 32nd Annual
Black Hills Powwow on Oct. 5-7.
South Dakota is home to more
than 70,000 Native Americans,
and these events help to strengthen
our communities by bringing
together many people of different
backgrounds. I hope everyone has
an enjoyable Native Americans’ Day
this year.
Eagle Butte, SD – KOTA –
Sept. 24, 2018 – A Native American
tribal chairman says a “struggle” will
begin soon against the Keystone
XL oil pipeline after the project
developer started pre-construction
work near the tribe’s South Dakota
reservation.
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal
Chairman Harold Frazier said in
a statement that the struggle is
approaching with “forces intent
on taking treaty territory” with
“government forces that have
decided to treat us as enemies
instead of friends.”
A spokesman for the tribe says
the message is meant to let its allies
know that developer TransCanada
has started activities on the ground.
The tribe says the pipeline
would run through Great Sioux
Nation homelands.
A TransCanada spokeswoman
says its site near the reservation
is a pipe yard, one of four being
prepared in South Dakota before
planned construction next year.
Laws against protesters
Continued on Page 6
By Nicholas Kusnetz
Inside Climate News – Aug.
22, 2018 – The activists were ready
for a fight. An oil pipeline was
slated to cross tribal lands in eastern
Oklahoma, and Native American
leaders would resist. The Sierra Club
and Black Lives Matter pledged
support.
The groups announced their
plans at a press conference in
January 2017 at the State Capitol.
Ashley McCray, a member of a local
Shawnee tribe, stood in front of a
blue “Water is Life” banner, her hair
tied back with an ornate clip, and
told reporters that organizers were
forming a coalition to protect native
lands.
They would establish a rural
encampment, like the one that
had drawn thousands of people to
Standing Rock in North Dakota the
previous year to resist the Dakota
Access Pipeline.
The following week, an
Oklahoma state lawmaker
introduced a bill to stiffen penalties
for interfering with
pipelines and other
“critical infrastructure.”
It would impose
punishments of up
to 10 years in prison
and $100,000 in
fines—and up to $1
million in penalties
for any organization “found to
be a conspirator” in violating the
new law. Republican Rep. Scott
Biggs, the bill’s sponsor, said he was
responding to those same Dakota
Access Pipeline protests.
The activists established
the camp in March, and within
weeks the federal Department of
Homeland Security and state law
enforcement wrote a field analysis
identifying “environmental rights
extremists” as the top domestic
terrorist threat to the Diamond
Pipeline, planned to run from
Oklahoma to Tennessee. The
analysis said protesters could spark
“criminal trespassing events resulting
in violence.” It told authorities to
watch for people dressed in black.
An FBI team arrived to train
local police on how to handle the
protest camp.
McCray recalls a surveillance
plane and helicopters whirring
above the Oka Lawa camp.
Demonstrators were pulled over and
questioned on their way in or out,
though the local sheriff said people
were only pulled over for violating
traffic laws.
In May the governor signed the
bill to protect critical infrastructure.
Merely stepping onto a pipeline
easement suddenly risked as much
as a year in prison.