For Immediate Release (click title to entry - thank you)
Eagle Butte, SD (January 30, 2010) - The Cheyenne River Reservation located in the State of South Dakota, homeland of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, is currently facing an emergency situation due to an ice storm that crippled the electrical and water infrastructure. Though the ice storm has passed, the water and power system remains challenged and several Reservation communities have been without power for over ten (10) days. Moreover, a bitterly cold weather system is expected to come in by Sunday evening...
I realize the government in South Dakota is primarily worried about the snowy streets in Sioux Falls, but, I think these folks need help possibly from the National Guard. The Governor needs to respond. I mean the South Dakota government is right there. Okay? The jurisdiction belongs to a federally funded system. The tribal areas? Okay? The Guard should be dispatched at first sign of trouble to these regions.
Water and Power Outages Remain on SD Reservation (click here)
By Associated Press
Water and power outages continue to be a problem on South Dakota's Cheyenne River Indian Reservation after ice storms late last month. people in rural areas remained without power Monday.
Officials say progress is being made but repair work is slow-going.
South Dakota Rural Electric Association spokeswoman Brenda Kleinjan says electricity has been restored to population centers, including Eagle Butte where the tribal offices are located. But hundreds of
Tri County Mni Waste Water System general manager Leo Fisher said only about 100 people in the town of La Plant remained without water on Monday. He said that at the peak of the outages about 14,000 people had no water - most of them on the reservation.
