Cheyenne River Reservation
The Cheyenne River Reservation is an Indian reservation in the US state of South Dakota . With 11,051,447 km² it is the fourth largest Indian reservation in the United States of America. According to a census in 2010, the population was 8,470. Originally part of the Great Sioux Reservation , it was removed from this by the US Congress in 1889 and run as a separate reservation by the Bureau of Indian Affairs . The reserve extends over the counties of Dewey and Ziebach . It also owns small areas outside the reservation in Stanley , Haakon and Meade Counties .
The Grand River formed the reserve's original northern limit. At the beginning of the twentieth century, however, areas were assigned to the Standing Rock Reservation . The administrative headquarters of the reserve is Eagle Butte. In 1909 the reserve was opened to non-Indians. The famous Indian chief Sitting Bull lived on the reservation.
The reserve itself is of Lakota - Sioux populated -Indianern, from four different groups, the Minneconjou (plantation on the water), the Siha Sapa (Blackfoot), the Oohenumpa (two boilers) and Sans Arc (Without arch).
history
In 1868 the Great Sioux Reservation was created by the Second Treaty of Fort Laramie . This treaty laid the area of the entire present-day US state of South Dakota west of the Missouri, including the Black Hills (from the northern border in Nebraska to the 46th parallel and from Missouri in the east to the 104th meridian in the west) as Indian land unrestricted and unmolested use and settlement by the Great Sioux Nation .
The treaty was preceded by the Red Cloud War (1866–1868), a war which meant a complete victory for the Lakota for the time being . Because of this, the Sioux Indians were in a good negotiating position and were able to “reserve” a large area of what is now South Dakota for themselves. In addition to the reservation area, the Indians received extensive hunting and fishing rights in what is now the US states of Wyoming , Montana and Nebraska . Since the area was populated by several Indian tribes, several bases of the Bureau of Indian Affairs were established in the reservation area.
This created the base of the "Cheyenne River Agency" of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The base was responsible for the Oohenumpa, Minneconjou and the Itazipco Lakota. On May 17, 1870, Fort Bennett was established as the base of the 17th US Infantry under the command of Captain Edward P. Pearson.
The Black Hills are sacred mountains for the Lakota -Sioux . They are also the subject of numerous Lakota myths. Even today, some tribesmen visit the spiritual places in the mountains to practice their religion. Originally they were largely part of the Great Sioux Reservation. An expedition under George Armstrong Custer, illegal under the Treaty, explored the Black Hills in 1874 and found gold in the mountains . After the gold was discovered, the government tried to persuade the Lakota to cede the mountain range, but without success. Gold prospectors illegally entered the area and a gold rush developed . Conflicts in the winter of 1875/76 led to the renewed deployment of Custer and the 7th Cavalry Regiment and the Battle of Little Bighorn in June 1876. After the final defeat of the Indians in the autumn of the same year, the Black Hills were withdrawn from the Sioux in 1877. This federal government law is still not recognized by the Cheyenne River Reservation to this day, as the required three-quarters of the male residents have not approved the contract. However, this was prescribed by the Treaty of Fort Laramie in 1868.
The Great Sioux Reservation was divided into several small reservations by the United States Congress on March 2, 1889. In the course of these measures, the current reserve was established.
In December 1890, several hundred Lakota Indians gathered on the banks of the Grand River to flee the reservation. They were followers of the ghost dance movement. The United States saw Chief Sitting Bull as the leader of the troublemakers. Therefore he should be arrested by the Indian reservation police with the support of advancing soldiers from Fort Yates. When his supporters resisted, Sitting Bull was killed from behind on December 15, 1890 by Indian police officers Bull Head (Tatankapah) and Red Tomahawk (Marcelus Chankpidutah).
Many of the reserve's Lakota, including many ghost dancers, fled to the nearby badlands . Chief Big Foot was among the refugees . The army pursued and captured Big Foot and his people. Big Foot, considered peaceful, surrendered and the group should be transferred to the Pine Ridge Reservation . On December 29, 1890, Big Foot's group was to be disarmed near Wounded Knee Creek. A shot was fired, probably accidentally on the part of the Indians. The soldiers of the 7th Cavalry then shot at the defenseless Indians indiscriminately and carried out a massacre of men, women and children. Even after hours, the wounded were still killed. Even the horses of the dead Indians were shot. A total of about 350 Indians died that day.
In 1891 the agency was relocated near Forest City on the Missouri River. Fort Bennett was abandoned.
In the early twentieth century, areas were ceded to the northern Standing Rock Reservation . From 1948 about 8% of the reserve area was flooded by the construction of dams (see Lake Oahe ). 200,000 acres of land were lost, mostly fertile soil. The Indians are still waiting for compensation to this day. The agency was relocated to Eagle Butte in 1959.
government
The government of the reservation is officially called the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Council. The legal basis is a constitution of December 17, 1935. The 'Council' consists of 15 members who, with the exception of the 'Vice-Chair', are elected for 4 years. The executive consists of 4 members, the chairman, the vice-chairman, the secretary and the treasurer. The Council usually meets on the first Tuesday of each month. These meetings are usually broadcast live on KLND 89.5 MHz radio .
Todays situation
The Cheyenne River Indian Reservation is home to the nationally recognized Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) or the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation (Oyate). The members come from four of the seven tribes of the Lakota , also known as the Teton Sioux. These are the Minnecoujou, Two Kettle (Oohenunpa), Sans Arc (Itazipco) and Blackfoot (Sihásapa).
geography
To the north of the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation borders the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, to the west are the counties Meade and Perkins, the Cheyenne River forms the southern, the Missouri River in Lake Oahe the eastern border. Most of the land within the reservation is privately owned. The Bureau for Indian Affairs is located in Eagle Butte. The reservation can be reached via US Federal Highway 212.
population
The 2000 census found 8,470 people living on the reservation area. Many of the 13 small communities in the Cheyenne River Reservation have no running water, which means that people live in poor sanitary conditions. In recent years, water pipes have been laid to tap Lake Oahe on the eastern edge of the reservation.
There are few jobs in the reservation and in the nearby cities, which is why many tribesmen are unemployed. Two thirds of the population live on less than a third of the average American income. The poor living conditions have contributed to a feeling of hopelessness and despair among many young people. Indian Country Today reports that one in five girls on the Cheyenne River Reservation has thought of suicide and one in ten has attempted suicide . In 2009 a modern medical center was built in Eagle Butte.
Environmental disasters
On January 22nd, 2010 a snow and ice storm destroyed the power lines in the reservation, leaving thousands without electricity, hot water and heating. Although the state government declared a state of emergency, the relief efforts made only slow progress. The media initially showed little interest in the disaster. On February 12, the power supply was restored, but the general situation remained poor as the infrastructure was largely destroyed. It was only with the help of the TV presenter Keith Olbermann , who discussed the disaster on television, that funds were acquired through donations, which enabled the necessary repairs to be made to the water and power lines.
Individual evidence
- ^ "Proclamation 879 - Cheyenne River and Standing Rock Indian Reservations."
- ↑ Contract text in English
- ↑ The said parties hereby agree that the northern and western boundaries of the reservation defined by article 2 of the treaty between the United States and different tribes of Sioux Indians, concluded April 29, 1868, and proclaimed February 24, 1869, shall be as follows : The western boundaries shall commence at the intersection of the one hundred and third meridian of longitude with the northern boundary of the State of Nebraska; thence north along said meridian to its intersection with the South Fork of the Cheyenne River; then down said stream to its junction with the North Fork; thence up the North Fork of said Cheyenne River to the said one hundred and third meridian; thence north along said meridian to the South Branch of Cannon Ball River or Cedar Creek; and the northern boundary of their said reservation shall follow the said South Branch to its intersection with the main Cannon Ball River, and thence down the said main Cannon Ball River to the Missouri River; and the said Indians do hereby relinquish and cede to the United States all the territory lying outside the said reservation, as in modified and described, including all privileges of hunting; and article 16 of said treaty is hereby abrogated
- ↑ No treaty for the cession of any portion or part of the reservation in described which may be held in common, shall be of any validity or force as against the said Indians unless executed and signed by at least three-fourths of all the adult male Indians occupying or interested in the same, and no cession by the tribe shall be understood or construed in such manner as to deprive, without his consent, any individual member of the tribe of his rights to any tract of land selected by him as provided in Article VI of this treaty.
- ↑ That the following tract of land, being a part of the said Great Reservation of the Sioux Nation, in the Territory of Dakota, is hereby set apart for a permanent reservation for the Indians receiving rations and annuities at the Cheyenne River Agency, in the said Territory of Dakota, namely: Beginning at a point in the center of the main channel of the Missouri River, ten miles north of the mouth of the Moreau River, said point being the southeastern corner of the Standing Rock Reservation; thence down said center of the main channel of the Missouri River, including also entirely within said reservation all islands, if any, in said river, to a point opposite the mouth of the Cheyenne River; thence west to said Cheyenne River, and up the same to its intersection with the one hundred and second meridian of longitude; thence north along said meridian to its intersection with a line due west from a point in the Missouri River ten miles north of the mouth of the Moreau River; that due east to the place of beginning.
- ↑ No Man's Land: The Last Tribes of the Plains. As industry closes in, Native Americans fight for dignity and natural resources
- ↑ Executive Committee Positions with the exception of Vice-Chair are elected at-large for 4 year terms. The Vice-Chair is appointed from the Council to serve a 2 year term. Council Representatives represent six districts, with the number of representatives determined by population. Council representatives serve 4 year terms and elections are staggered every 2 years. Primary Elections take place during August, and General Elections follow in September. ( Memento of the original from June 27, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Number of Executive Officers: (4) Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer ( Memento of the original from June 27, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Meetings held: The first Tuesday of each month Quorum number: 2/3 of the members ( Memento of the original from June 27, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ John R. Platt, "Keith Olbermann Helps Raise $ 250,000 for Storm-Ravaged Cheyenne River Reservation," Tonic, Feb.15, 2010
Web links
- Bureau of Indian Affairs (Engl.)
- Sioux strain Cheyenne River Reservation (Engl.)
- American Indian Relief Council (Engl.)
Coordinates: 45 ° 0 ′ N , 101 ° 14 ′ W