Our love is stronger than their fear

Last week, one of Kristi Noem’s Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents shot and killed Reene Nicole Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I watched all the videos and I don’t think he was justified in shooting her. She was trying to drive away from him and I didn’t see where she hit him with her vehicle, he also recorded the whole incident on his cell phone. This incident was uncalled for and should not have shot an innocent woman.

The people who support this homeland security ‘work” are calling it justified, but I don’t think it was justified. They can say everything they want about this lady who was within her right protesting the ICE presence in her community, she still has that right she still has the right to protest things that she doesn’t agree with, just as we all have that right. I don’t believe it’s been taken away. The federal government is working on taking away things from us now, but we still have our right to free speech. We still have our right to assembly and to speak out on things that we don’t agree with.

I read that the president has stopped federal funding to the state of Minnesota. This is something as Indian people that we are very familiar with as the federal government tried to starve us once before and that’s how they got us to move on reservations. Now they are trying to starve their OWN people by cutting off their SNAP benefits, and their federal funding for other assistance programs. People say we need to keep speaking out, but we have to speak out in a way that we aren’t compromising our safety or the safety of our families,

Today, ICE is going door-to-door in Minnesota communities; they probably don’t have any warrants. They just have papers issued by Kristi Noem saying they could do whatever they want. That’s what the Calvary did back in the day. They didn’t have any papers they just came and did whatever they wanted and followed the Great White Father’s orders to kill our ancestors in cold blood. This is what’s happening today relatives. All I want is for you and your children to be safe.

If it means staying home, then stay home. I know it’s scary, but we can’t be in fear of these people because that’s what they want. They want us to be afraid. I just want y’all to take safety precautions and make sure your children are safe at all times I hope these ICE people don’t come to the reservation. I saw a couple of statements issued by Tribal presidents. I hope all the tribes in South Dakota have contingency plans and issue statements informing the people. I also hope all the tribes in South Dakota make tribal IDs and renewals complementary to tribal citizens, because that is how we prove that we are a tribal citizen and we have the right to be here.

We are the First Americans; we have every right to be here on this land. I encourage you to get your original birth certificate and carry it with you all the time. I know the driver’s license are now called real IDs, but I’m not sure how many of these so-called federal agents recognize the driver’s license as a real ID, sounds like they’re just taking whoever they want and it isn’t right, but please be safe relatives. Pray for the safety of all our relatives and communities as well as our people who are living in the cities far away from their homelands.

Over the weekend I saw reports of ICE agents kidnapping Native American people in Minnesota and housing them at Fort Snelling. Also, I watched a video of a couple who were in their home and there were many ICE agents outside their door trying to get in because a DoorDash driver ran into their home to get away from the ICE agents. This little family had a child. Also, they did not open the door because the ICE agents did not have a judicial warrant, so there was no reason to open the door for them. Federal agents need warrants to enter private property, residences and homes. You don’t have to open the door unless they have a warrant signed by a judge. This family was very afraid and called the police, but they stood strong and would not let the so-called agents into their home.

It reminded me of the movie Apocalypto where the Chief says to Jaguar Paw: “Those people in the forest, what did you see in them? Deep rotting fear, they were infected by it. Fear is a sickness; it will crawl into the soul of anyone who engages. It has already tainted your peace. I did not raise you to live with fear, strike it from your heart. Do not bring it into our village,” Chief Flint Sky, Apocalypto. 

These agents depend on making us afraid; it’s hard not to be afraid when you have an armed, masked, violent thug coming at you screaming orders at you or pounding on your door or hollering at you to get out of your car.

Please always have your Tribal ID with you and your passport if you have one. Also, your birth certificate showing you were born here. We are the First “Americans” of this land; we have every right to be here, so please be safe no matter what you do.

Many federal government officials, especially ICE agents, are all infected and poisoned with the deep-seated sickness of fear Chief Flint Sky spoke of. But they forget they are committing crimes against humanity. ICE agents should remember that Nazi war criminals in their 80s and 90s are still hunted for the atrocities they committed in Germany.

Remember the words of Debbie White Plume, who said “Our love is stronger than their fear.”

Racial Profiling

I’m writing this on Friday, December 26, 2025, the 163rd anniversary of the Mankato hangings of the Dakota 38+2 ordered by Abraham Lincoln.

The Bom Homme County sheriff’s office created a post on their Facebook page. I’ll put it here for you in case you haven’t seen it yet.

It says “Bon Homme County residents: I received a call this morning from the Knox County sheriff [in Northwest Nebraska] informing me that they have had multiple occupied home invasions since Christmas Eve.

The suspects are believed to be younger Native American males traveling in a black Chevy Monte Carlo.

If you experience a home invasion, you have no duty to retreat your home is your castle and you have every right to defend your family and your property read up on South Dakota’s Castle doctrine to understand what you need to articulate. Should you have to defend your home from these men for home defense, I recommend a 12-gauge shotgun with 00 buck or 88 kept in arms reach.

We will be looking for the suspects in our area and will hopefully get them off the street soon. Until then be sure to lock vehicles out buildings and your homes, stay vigilant, stay prepared,

Sheriff Maggs.”https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064354132612

When police say suspects are believed to be younger Native American males, this is known as racial profiling by law enforcement. Again, the statement that “suspects are believed to be younger Native American males,” is racial profiling. Also, describing weapons to keep nearby is like condoning killing someone. I understand you can defend yourself in your own home when somebody breaks in your home while you’re there, but to describe the actual weapon to use is an inflammatory remark to entice violent acts. Knox County is in Nebraska where Bon Homme County has no jurisdiction.

I had to research the story more so I went and visited the Knox County sheriff’s office Facebook page, but I saw no post referring to this alleged incident. there was no mention on their page about any home invasions involving alleged Native American males driving a black Monte Carlo.

The Knox County news Facebook page stated there were two occupied break-ins occurred since Christmas Eve. The first was a home east of Lindy Nebraska on Christmas Eve and the second one was a business this morning near Verdigree there were no injuries in either incident At the business, the owner did show a firearm to the suspect who immediately retreated.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1473424031459579&set=a.705425281592795

This suggests to me that Knox County Sheriff is reaching out and sharing racial profiling information with law-enforcement from South Dakota about how they “believe” there are younger Native American males traveling in a black Chevy Monte Carlo committing home invasions.

Unfortunately, I think we will see more racial incidents like this. For instance, I watched a video of a man bleeding on a street in California over Christmas weekend. The 1904 News Facebook page posted last week about a Native American Man Killed in Deputy-Involved Shooting During Pow Wow in Imperial Beach. The post reads “On Sunday, December 21, 2025, at approximately 1:40 PM, near Evergreen Avenue and Seacoast Drive in Imperial Beach, a man in his 40s was fatally wounded in a deputy-involved shooting near the Imperial Beach Pier.

Authorities confirmed the man was transported to UCSD Hillcrest Medical Center in CPR status with multiple gunshot wounds to the front of his body, where he was later pronounced deceased. No deputies were injured during the incident.

Due to large crowds in the area, several surrounding streets were shut down. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department requested assistance from allied agencies, including the San Diego Police Department and the Chula Vista Police Department, to assist with crowd control. The public was asked to avoid the area as the scene was secured.

According to witness accounts, the incident occurred in front of a busy Indian Powwow event taking place near the pier. Witnesses stated the man may have been armed with an obsidian rock-type weapon or knife. Multiple agencies responded due to the size of the crowd and heightened tensions in the area.

A vendor who witnessed the shooting from his stand provided an interview but requested not to be shown on camera. The identity of the deceased has not been released, and the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation.

This is an active investigation. Updates will be shared as more information is confirmed.”

https://www.facebook.com/reel/759639579759558

When the now sitting president was elected last January, we saw the former South Dakota governor appointed as Secretary of Homeland Security. Consequently, her violent tactics embolden racist people to profile and harm people of color. Also, if you look at what the Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other police officers are doing to brown people all over the country, you can understand when I say I’m concerned about these kinds of posts from law-enforcement, especially in the red state of South Dakota. We have to be especially careful because the SD governor authorized the highway patrol officers to work in cooperation with Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) so I say please be careful. Travel with a Tribal ID and get work on getting a passport and original birth certificate. Tell people where you are going and please be safe. There are so many incidents happening across this country against Native American, Latino and Black people that it’s very dangerous to even go around anymore.

More on lateral violence

Last week, I watched the Rosebud Sioux Tribe council meeting and listened to the annual report from Sinte Greska University given by President Dr. Erica Moore and Vice-President Scott Herman. They gave a very comprehensive report by updating the status of all programs at our Tribal university. The SGU report begins at approximately 3:05:00 in the recording on You Tube

I was very impressed with the report and all the work that they’ve done in the last year to get the university on track with the mission statement. Once again, I want to address how our people engage in lateral violence, I’ve talked about lateral violence in previous columns. There have been a lot of social media posts about the administration at Sinte Gleska University. Some social media posts allege wrongdoing. Some of those posts unfairly blamed the current administration for wrongdoing in different areas, but I never saw any actual proof or reports of criminal charges filed against anyone.

These allegations were made against the current administration, when in reality the administration has been working very hard over the past year to bring the university back into good standing with the Higher Learning Commission and with the reservation community. The SGU administration stepped up in big ways to help our students. For example, during the recent SNAP shut down, SGU issued food cards to students. They also issued food boxes to students; they provide complimentary daily meals for students who attend classes. Transportation is provided at no charge for all of our students to attend classes. People can and will say what they want about our Tribal university, but many tribal citizens earned degrees from SGU. If SGU wasn’t here, I’m not sure if many of us would’ve been able to finish our education.

Another good thing about our university is a student can attend SGU and earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree without incurring student loan debt. It’s all good to attend an off-reservation school or university, but there is also great cost involved with attending college off the reservation.

I think people who post things that aren’t true about local institutions or individuals need to post the proof of the allegations they accuse Tribal and other officials of doing wrong, or go file criminal charges. I’ve read a lot of hateful social media statements, but I don’t see real proof to back their accusations up. Many folks also say a lot of disparaging things that don’t need to be said about the people who work in our local institutions and tribal programs. When you gossip or start false rumors about the people who work in our Tribal institutions and programs, it’s wrong. Also, when you align with people and others who gossip or tell lies, you’re basically engaging in dysfunctional behavior and are no better than they are. When you are the type of person who is going to tell lies about another person or accuse them of things they aren’t guilty of, that makes you an unhealthy person one is guilty of inflicting lateral violence on others.

I don’t believe it was one of our Lakota virtues to accuse other people of wrongdoing when they didn’t do anything wrong or gossip about them or tell lies about people. I believe it’s wrong. Our children are very susceptible to all of this behavior. They watch us do this to each other every single day. They listen to us tear each other up sometimes, we even hear it in the public meetings broadcast on YouTube. People tear each other up and say things that are disrespectful and totally uncalled for. It doesn’t look professional. It makes the person who’s doing it look very bad and it teaches our young people that it’s acceptable to act like this in public.

Do we all want our children to grow up like this to be better at inflicting lateral violence than we are? I don’t think so. I think we all need to work harder at treating each other better and not spreading rumors or lies about our elected officials or the folks who work in our tribal programs, tribal schools and at Sinte Gleska university. Please be good role models for our people! Thank you.

Tokata Etuŋwaŋ Wakaŋyeža Owičakiyapi (Looking to the Future, Healing the Children)

ROSEBUD – Four professional counselors from Tokata Etuŋwaŋ Wakaŋyeža Owičakiyapi, a newly formed Wellness program serving Rosebud shared information at an RST tribal council meeting last week.

The TEWO team includes: Charisse Bordeaux, Dr. Kristin Iyotte, Blaise Leneaugh and Lila Rose Leader Charge. They recently launched Tokata Etuŋwaŋ Wakaŋyeža Owičakiyapi (Looking to the Future, Healing the Children), a Sicangu Lakota winyan owned and operated business. They are deeply grateful for Rick Two Dog’s guidance and gifting a name that carries such meaning and vision — looking to the future and healing our children.

About TEWO: We are four Siċaŋġu Lakota women dedicated to strengthening the mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being of our relatives and communities. Guided by the Medicine Wheel model, we ground evidence-based practices with Lakota values for comprehensive holistic care. Our work centers balance, kinship, and healing through counseling, consultation, supervision, and community partnerships. We envision a Lakota-led wellness center rooted in Lakota teachings and holistic care, where healing is guided by culture and carried forward by community. Through clinical services, training, and collaboration, we aim to create a sustainable model for Lakota mental health, education, and intergenerational wellness for the Siċaŋġu Lakota Oyate.

TEWO’s mission is to provide accessible, trauma-informed and culturally grounded mental health services that honor the strengths, resilience, and healing traditions of Lakota people. We strive to restore Wicozani — balance and well-being —through counseling, education, and community connection that reflect Lakota values of compassion, respect, and collective healing.

The program offers Lakota-informed counseling, consulting, and education services, focusing on holistic wellness and community healing. The program is now accepting contracts and open for consulting, training, and program support in the areas highlighted in their brochure.

In October, the team joined a Holistic Roundtable hosted by RST Child Care, sharing ideas about how families and children can be supported here on the Rosebud. The team is now open for contracting and consulting focused on culturally grounded, trauma-informed care and community wellness. The in their digital brochure lists more information and their CVs/resumes.

In November, Charisse Bordeaux and Dr. Kristin Iyotte provided 2 3-hour trainings sessions for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Early Head Start/Head Start program. The presentation: Practical Skills for Challenging Behaviors of Lakota Children: Building Wicozani in Classrooms through Lakota-Informed Practice, centered on integrating trauma-informed care, Lakota ways of knowing, the Pyramid Model, and developmentally appropriate de-escalation strategies.

If your program or organization is interested in bringing this training, or a version tailored to your setting, to your staff, please reach out. For inquiries or contracting opportunities, please contact them directly through their Facebook  page https://tinyurl.com/25ckpb6a.

TEWO is not designed for emergency or crisis response or care. If you are experiencing a mental health or life-threatening emergency, call 911. If you are in self-harm, suicide, substance use, or mental health crisis or need immediate emotional support, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for free 24/7 confidential assistance.

Lila Rose Leader Charge, Blaise Leneaugh, Dr. Kristin Iyotte and Charisse Bordeaux make up the team of professional counselors behind Tokata Etuŋwaŋ Wakaŋyeža Owičakiyapi. Photo from Facebook.

The TEWO Team includes: Charisse Bordeaux, (she/her, Soldier Creek) is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Counselor Educator, providing trauma-informed counseling across the lifespan (3y+ to elders & end of life) using sand tray, play, art therapy, CBT and DBT. She has provided individual and group counseling to outpatient, inpatient, residential, and incarcerated youth and adults. A doctoral candidate of Counselor Education and Supervision at Adams State University, she teaches courses on counseling theories, ethics, and practicum and group labs. She is a 2024 NBCC Minority Doctoral Fellow and June 2025 Fellow of the Month, and has presented her research at ACA, ACES, and RMACES. She is pursuing EMDR certification and writing her dissertation.

Blaise Leneaugh (she/her, Antelope) is a Licensed Professional Mental Counselor dually licensed in South Dakota and North Dakota. She is a School Counselor at Todd County High School and maintains an independent counseling practice, specializing in adolescents, adults, and Veterans. She focuses on trauma-informed care and integrates traditional ways of healing with evidence-based modalities, including EMDR, EFT, CBT, TF-CBT, CPT, and sensory work. An enrolled member of the Sicangu Lakota Oyate, she brings cultural understanding and sensitivity to her work.

Dr. Kristin Iyotte (she/her, Rosebud) is a Doctor of Human Services, with a specialization in Leadership and Organizational Management. She is a Certified School Counselor, her doctoral project, “Challenging Behaviors and Other Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Concerns in Early Childhood Education: An Applied Improvement Project,” reflects her commitment to addressing behavioral and mental health challenges in educational settings. She is SGU adjunct faculty with the Human Services Graduate Program.

Lila Rose Leader Charge (she/her, Parmelee) holds a Master’s degree Social Work and is a Licensed Certified Social Worker, providing community mental health counseling for relatives pre-K to adulthood. She is currently expanding her knowledge in evidence-based practices such as DBT, CBT, ART, play therapy, and solution-focused approaches. She is also receiving supervision in pursuit of her LCSW-PIP.

TEWO’s services are not designed for emergency or crisis response or care. If you are experiencing a mental health or life-threatening emergency, call 911. If you are in self-harm, suicide, substance use, or mental health crisis or need immediate emotional support, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for free 24/7 confidential assistance. You can contact them through Facebook:

Reclaiming wellness the native way

Thundermaker Wellness founded by Ho-chunk Tribal member Hunter Thundercloud is helping to reshape the way recovery and mental healthcare are delivered in Indian country.

Based in Arizona, Thundermaker Wellness focuses on substance use and mental health healing through a holistic lens. The program ranges from 6 months to 2 years, beginning with a stabilization phase before transitioning into apprenticeships that teach life and vocational skills.

Our goal is more than treating the symptoms. Thundercloud said we want to instill pride, culture, identity, and real-life skills that can be carried with them for long after they leave the Thundercloud’s vision for Thundermaker was shaped by his own recovery journey after battling addiction for several years, and facing incarceration, he entered treatment eight years ago. “I had three DUIs by 25 and I did nine months in jail I realized I couldn’t keep drinking,” Thundercloud said. “I got into heroin after that and struggled for six years before my parents sent me out here for treatment. My dad said I’m not going to let my son die.”

“What began as a personal transformation became the foundation for Thundermaker wellness when I got clean I started a sweat lodge at my house. That’s where I found my spiritual awakening.” Thundercloud said “culture saved my life.”

Over time, he and cofounder Arrow Funmaker, who was also working in behavioral health built a program, rooted in both clinical and cultural practices.

Today, Thundermaker operates as a long-term recovery program offering psychiatric and medical care alongside culture programming like sweat lodge jump circles and Medicine harvesting the center also partners with local farms to provide traditional food through food sovereignty Program.

“Lots of people in addiction don’t have stable lives,” Thunder Cloud said. “We focus on teaching basic skills how to cook, clean and maintain a home while surrounding them with ceremony and community.”

The facility currently has 17 beds with renovations underway to expand to more than 30 all of Thundermaker’s upper-management and clinical leadership are native, ensuring that the program remains grounded in indigenous worldview.

“The cultural stuff we do, we don’t have to ask anyone for permission,” Thunder Cloud said “Everything we do is through a native lens.”

Thundermaker also hopes to launch a woman’s program soon. “The way women experience, addiction and trauma is very different from men.” Thunder said. “We want to make sure that program is 90% women run and built specifically for their needs.”

Thundermaker wellness stands as proof of what’s possible when recovery is guided by identity, ceremony and love for community.

“If no one knows we exist how can we help anyone?” Thundercloud said. “My goals to build something that works and then bring it home to our people.”

For more information visit https://www.thundermakerwellness.com/

Thundermaker management staff include: Caprice Garcia, Hunter Thundercloud, Arrow Funmaker, Addison Howard and Che Jim. Courtesy photo.

SGU celebrates leadership

Sinte Gleska University proudly celebrates the one-year anniversary of President Erica Moore ‘s leadership and extraordinary year defined by stability progress and transformed transformative accomplishments across every area of the institution.

After a two-year national search, Sinte Gleska University elected Dr. Moore as its President. Dr. Moore accepted the position to guide the university through a time of leadership change and preparation for the upcoming 10-year Higher Learning Commission accreditation Review. Although she was not originally from the local community. Dr. Moore has long been part of the SGU family through more than a decade of service at the Lower Brule community college campus and her national advocacy on behalf of Tribal colleges through her work with the American Indian Higher Education consortium.

During her first year as president, Dr. Moore has made remarkable strides in advancing SGU’s mission, strengthening institutional systems and positioning the university for continued growth and long-term success.

Some accomplishments include:

Development and implementation of the master facilities and strategic plan higher learning commission preparation on Site visit in October.

Established the Office of institutional research and assessment and initiated systemwide assessment plan.

Official opening of SGU ‘s new welding building and the successful implementation of its robotic, 3-D printing arm, expanding STEM and workforce opportunity for students.

SGU launched a mobile GED program to widen educational success through the region and signed a memorandum of agreement with SER to provide essential support services for homeless veterans in the Rosebud community.

SGU completed its first financial audit with zero new findings, demonstrating improve stewardship and accountability.

During the federal funding crisis SGU lost support for the business incubator staff however, Dr. Moore insured that every impacted employee was successfully moved into a new role avoiding job loss during a financially uncertain time.

Progress in SGU‘s Buffalo program as President Moore and the Tribal nations and community team successfully reduced the buffalo herd to a sustainable size vaccinating all animals and forming partnership with cultural and Buffalo management experts, these collaborations have enhanced SGU’S public Buffalo Harvest, which now offers powerful cultural learning opportunities for both campus and community members.

During the Rosebud Sioux Tribe declared state of emergency, SGU responded immediately by enhancing security training, improving safety, communications across campus and stop funding to purchase new work vehicles, including an ADA accessible van for students.

Throughout the government shut down SGU coordinated emergency grocery support, not only for the main mission campus but also for its approved additional locations at Lower Brule Community college and Ihanktowan community college.

Because of careful fiscal oversight, the university is able this year to approve a one-time increase in holiday bonuses to help faculty and staff offset financial strain caused by withheld snap benefits and contribute to substantial donations to the Thanksgiving food drive, Elder’s dinner and holiday toy drive.

Dr. Moore’s leadership has brought stability, innovation and renewed focus to the mission of San Diego university San Diego University extended sincere. Congratulations to Dr. Erica Moore on completing one year of dedicated service and leadership.

Rosebud Sisters Honored Nationally Among Top Women in Hardware & Building Supply

CHICAGO, IL —Ellen Harmon and Serena Harmon, co-owners of Rosebud Building Products, have been nationally recognized as Rising Stars in the 2025 Top Women in Hardware & Building Supply Awards, presented by HBS Dealer magazine.

The sisters were selected from more than 1,000 nominations across the United States, representing outstanding women making an impact in the hardware, construction, and building-supply industry. The Rising Star distinction celebrates emerging leaders whose innovation, integrity, and community focus are helping shape the future of the industry.

The awards gala, held November 10–11 in Chicago, brought together hundreds of professionals from across the country to honor excellence in leadership, mentorship, and innovation. It marked the sixth year of the national program, which aims to elevate women in traditionally male-dominated sectors and to highlight the growing influence of women in construction and building supply.

“To be recognized on a national stage, and to get to share this honor with my sister, is deeply meaningful,” said Ellen Harmon, Co-Owner and CEO of Rosebud Building Products. “We’re proud to represent Native-owned businesses and to show that incredible things are being built right here on the Rosebud Reservation.”

“Our business is about more than materials,” added Serena Harmon, Co-Owner and General Manager. “It’s about building community, creating opportunity, and proving that local ownership and leadership matter.”

Rosebud Building Products (a division of RLH Inc.) is a Sicangu Lakota-owned hardware and building supply company based in Mission, South Dakota. The company provides materials and equipment support for Tribal and Federal Government Programs, contractors, and community projects and do it yourselfers across the region. Since becoming the sole owners 2021, the Harmon sisters have expanded operations, created local jobs, and established partnerships that prioritize community investment and economic self-sufficiency.

According to HBS Dealer, the goal of the Top Women event is “to recognize top women in the industry and to encourage and support them in their career growth.” Past honorees have included executives and rising leaders from national companies such as Lowe’s, Builders FirstSource, and Do it Best, making the Harmons’ inclusion a historic milestone for small Native-owned, reservation-based businesses. Contact: Ellen Harmon, CEO Rosebud Building Products / RLH Inc.eharmon@rlhinc.net

Ellen Harmon (left) and Serena Harmon (right), co-owners of Rosebud Building Products in Mission, South Dakota, received Rising Star Awards at the 2025 Top Women in Hardware & Building Supply event in Chicago. Courtesy photo.

RST will issue tribal enrollment documents in Rapid City

BOX ELDER – The Rosebud Sioux Tribe Enrollment department staff will be in Rapid City December 17th through the 19th, 2025 and during that time they will be accepting applications and issuing tribal identification cards and abstracts. The identification cards and abstracts will be issued immediately to eligible applicants once required documents are received. Staff will be available in the booth area at the 2025 professionals conference at the Box Events Center,631 Watiki Way, Box Elder SD 57719. Look for enrollment staff at the conference booth area, RST Enrollment staff will be available from 9:00am to 4:00pm each day

Tribal citizens will need to bring a $20 money order and a photo identification card and proof of your physical address. Proof of physical address will need to include your name and physical address. It can be a state identification card or a driver’s license, a piece of mail or a lease agreement showing your address.

All applicants must provide an original birth certificate and a copy of the applicant Social Security card. A photo identification card and signature are required for all, as well as parents applying for a child 18 years old or younger.

If you have any questions, please call the Enrollment department. Staff can be reached at 605-747-2381 (ask for the enrollment office). This is scheduled in conjunction with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Sicangu Resource Development Department Professionals Conference, December 17th through 20th at the Box Events Center,631 Watiki Way, Box Elder SD 57719. Look for enrollment staff in the conference booth area, RST Enrollment staff will be available from 9:00am to 4:00pm each day.

Our relatives will sustain us

When you ask Google AI which are the poorest counties in South Dakota, three counties are consistently named: Todd County, Jackson County and Oglala Lakota County. Today, a google AI search shows the poorest county at the top of the overview as Oglala Lakota county, which includes the Pine Ridge reservation and has the highest poverty rate of 48.8%. Median income is $34,769 and per capital income is $11,650. Jackson County also rates among the poorest with the poverty rate of 38.9%. Todd County has a poverty rate of 38.4% and is also listed among the five poorest counties in the US. Other counties in South Dakota with high poverty rates based on recent government data include Carson County 35.2%, Zebach County 34%, Bennett county 31.1%, Mellette County 30.9% and Buffalo County at 30.7%.

Every one of these counties are located within an Indian reservation in this state. Last week South Dakota searchlight ran a story about three of these counties which they determined were the most SNAP dependent counties in the whole United States.

I think we’re all accustomed to being judged as the poorest counties in the United States as this has been going on for a very long time. According to the SD Department of Social Services, there will not be any snap benefits distributed this week after being paused due to a US Supreme Court ruling last week. The Supreme Court Granted a temporary stay on issuing the full benefit to the entire United States on Friday.

The United States might judge us as the poorest county in the country, but our Lakota people have stepped up to this challenge in the past year. SicanguCo. has been generously distributing Buffalo meat all summer through their harvest markets and other public events. Pine Ridge’s Sacred Storm has also distributed Buffalo meat to many people in Rapid City and other locations. RF Buche has offered $100 worth of groceries to each SNAP household to help with food shortages.

I hope you’re all taking advantage of the complementary buffalo meat that Sicangu Co is distributing. We all appreciate the food that has been gifted to us through donations and public distributions. We appreciate our Tribal leaders and other visionaries who established our Buffalo herds and provided land for them to graze on so the Pte Oyate could sustain us today. Many of us appreciate our tribal leaders for stepping up to provide healthy food during this short fall. Consequently, South Dakota’s congressional delegation and governor did not support using any taxpayer dollars to provide SNAP benefits during this government shutdown, which is now the longest in history.

Poverty Porn aside: The US government labels our reservations as the poorest counties in the United States and maybe we are poor in some areas, but we still have our culture and our heritage. We still have our songs; we still have our powerful ceremonies. We still have our values such as generosity that we are seeing a lot of during this time, as many of our people are sharing food and helping their families to have enough to eat. Maybe a survey should be done on all the reservations to see how much they still have left too. We might not have enough food, but we have our culture and our families and our relatives to get through this. Where’s the tribal data on our compassion and cultural wealth?

Once before, the US government tried to starve our people by killing off a lot of the Pte Oyate (Buffalo) that our ancestors depended on to eat. And when I think of the SNAP benefit being withheld by greedy government officials, I remember the picture of thousands and thousands of Buffalo skulls piled on top of each other and one man standing at the top.

https://tinyurl.com/tbuj6xwb

They tried to kill all the Buffalo, as they were trying to kill us off, but we survived. Finally, I have attended ceremony where people give thanks for having enough food to eat. Our elders say long time ago a woman prayed for us to always have enough to eat, so I want to encourage you to pray for our children to have enough to eat and also to help your families and neighbors to get meals every day, especially our children and elders. Thank you.

Local Officials at Rosebud taking steps to offset possible food shortages

Sicangu Co is working in partnership with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe to provide a temporary solution if there is a halt to federal SNAP benefits.

Together, we’re ensuring that 5 buffalo from Wolakota will be harvested and processed to create hamburger, stew meat, and roasts. The meat will be distributed to all communities across the Rosebud Reservation to help ensure families receiving SNAP benefits who have an ID and SNAP cards continue to have access to nourishing, traditional food during uncertain times.

We’ll share more details soon about how this process will work including how families can access recipes and cooking tips directly from our Wolakota team to prepare meals with this traditional food source.

We’d like to thank Vice President Lisa White Pipe, Council Members Shere Wright-Plank and Wayne Frederick, Treasurer Wayne Boyd, RST President Kathleen Wooden Knife, AG Operations Manager Bud Colombe, and our CEO Clay Colombe for their continued efforts and dedication to caring for our people.

We extend our deep appreciation to our Tatanka relatives for continuing to provide for us, as they always have. Their generosity reminds us of our responsibility to care for one another.

From a Facebook page: “Good morning, I (KOYA DJ John “Millerman”) have been messaging owner RF Buche last week, as part of the conversation he has in his words provided the following information and ask me to publish to the public. The statement reads as follows:

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“One important note is that Buche Foods will be giving $100 worth of groceries to each SNAP household recipient if SNAP funds are not processed by November 10th.RF BUCHE concluded by writing, “but more details to follow”. A huge “Wopila” (Thank you) to RF Buche, we all hope that the situation does not escalate for the need to do this and that the US Government can work things out and reopen the US Government.

Another Facebook post from the RST Commodity FOOD Distribution page read: “The Commodity Program is open for business as usual for November 2025. SNAP, however, will cut benefits on November 1, 2025, then retroactively issue November SNAP benefits when the federal government is funded. Information regarding this issue is provided in the attached letter from the Deputy Under Secretary, FNS Consumer Services. Also, if SNAP benefits are not available by November 10, 2025, GF Buche Co. will donate $100 in food to each SNAP certified household. You may contact your local Buche stores for more information.

“I will post any updates that become available to me on this page. Alternatively, you may contact your local DSS for more information. Thank you and have a good day.

The Rosebud Sioux Tribe Vice President’s office is also working on an immediate, temporary fix to supplement our SNAP recipients, who have both an ID and SNAP cards. Wes Colombe of All Stop and RF Buche of Buche’s will work with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe to give discounts on staple food to go along with the buffalo. WoLakota has recipes for buffalo. Let us work together, so that our elders and youth don’t go hungry. This is in the planning stage and updates will be forthcoming.