I have said all along that Rounds doesn’t care what happens on the reservations, he has repeatly thumbed his nose at them, more proof;

When a natural disaster occurs that is beyond a state’s ability to cope, federal law provides that the governor may issue a declaration of disaster to that effect, which triggers the process of allowing federal funds and other aid to flow into the affected state.  This process speeds recovery, and frequently saves lives.

A number of South Dakota reservations are currently in just such a state of crisis as a result of two solid months of unusually extreme winter weather.  People’s lives are at risk.

So why has the Rounds administration failed to take the necessary steps to secure such federal funding for the reservations?

Here’s what FEMA says (24+ / 0-)

The Governor’s request is made through the regional FEMA office. State and Federal officials conduct a preliminary damage assessment (PDA) to estimate the extent of the disaster and its impact on individuals and public facilities. This information is included in the Governor’s request to show that the disaster is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and the local governments and that Federal assistance is necessary. Normally, the PDA is completed prior to the submission of the Governor’s request. However, when an obviously severe or catastrophic event occurs, the Governor’s request may be submitted prior to the PDA. Nonetheless, the Governor must still make the request.

As part of the request, the Governor must take appropriate action under State law and direct execution of the State’s emergency plan. The Governor shall furnish information on the nature and amount of State and local resources that have been or will be committed to alleviating the results of the disaster, provide an estimate of the amount and severity of damage and the impact on the private and public sector, and provide an estimate of the type and amount of assistance needed under the Stafford Act. In addition, the Governor will need to certify that, for the current disaster, State and local government obligations and expenditures (of which State commitments must be a significant proportion) will comply with all applicable cost-sharing requirements. [FEMA website]

We don’t know if SD followed its emergency plan because we could not find a copy of the state plan on the state emergency management website.  this lack of transparency is a drawback from the standpoint of accountability.  In addition, it prevents the public from reviewing the state plan to see how it fits with their needs and personal or business preparations.  In disaster response, surprises are not a good thing.

Siouxreservationmap

Okay, I know this story is a few days old, but it amazes me that this day in age we are still taking things from the Indians . . .

Posted by Ahni on December 4, 2009 at 4:01pm www.intercontinentalcry.org

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has auctioned off 7,100 acres of land belonging to the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe in central South Dakota, one of the most impoverished reservations in the United States.

The land was sold on Thursday in a bold but hardly shocking attempt by the IRS to recover $3.1 million in federal employment taxes, penalty charges and interest that was owed by the Tribe.

According to a recent lawsuit filed by the tribe, the IRS acted unlawfully because the land is owned by Crow Creek Tribal Farms Inc., a corporation formed under Tribal law.

The lawsuit further contends that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) misinformed the tribe, telling them “that, because it was a federally recognized Tribe, it was not necessary to pay federal employment taxes.”

“It’s very disgraceful, very shameful. It’s devastating to us,” said Tribal Chairman Brandon Sazue, who was in attendance at the auction. “Our land is never for sale.”

In addition to this, the land is a part of the Crow Creek Indian Reservation, which was established by the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie.

Just prior to the treaty, in 1863, the US government established Fort Thompson some eight miles from the Crow Creek tributary in South Dakota. Fort Thompson was a military-controlled site, which also served as a prison camp following the 1862 mass hanging of 38 Dakota warriors. Rarely mentioned in history books, it was the “largest public mass execution in American history.”

The site became occupied by descendants from several members of the Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota Sioux, who eventually came to refer to themselves as “Hunkpati” (the making of relatives, to live).

When the 1868 Treaty was signed, it brought the reservation into Trust Status. However, the United States government honored the treaty for just six years, until General George A. Custer arrived with the 7th Cavalry to try and capture the Black Hills. The invasion ultimately led to the 1876 Battle of Little Big Horn.

One year later, the US Government unilaterally granted itself title to the Black Hills through the Allotment Act of 1877. Also known as the “Sell or Starve Bill,” the act further divided Sioux lands into individual plots of land which were then handed out to Sioux males .

In 1889, the government took things even further, by removing Crow Creek from its Trust status and selling plots of lands to non-Indians. A 7,100 acre swath was purchased by LeMasters, who held onto the land until Crow Creek Tribal Farms bought it from them in 1998

The company bought the land to consolidate the Tribes land base, explains the lawsuit, and to ultimately ensure an economic future for the tribe. Crow Creek, like other every other reservations in the region, is considered to be a prime location to make renewable energy from the wind.

The reservation isn’t willing to give up the hope. Not when the alternative is abject poverty.