Keith Olbermann chooses the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs as the WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD segment tonight for their non-response to the disasters in South Dakota.
Keith mentions Daily Kos in the WORSER segment before and although he doesn't mention us he uses our points that we collected in the diary series last week from navajo.
Below is the latest version of our plea for help for the residents of our South Dakota reservations.
Forty-one years ago on March 18, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy spoke the following words at a speech at the University of Kansas in the initial days of his campaign for the 1968 Democratic nomination for the Presidency:
I have seen Indians living on their bare and meager reservations, with no jobs, with an unemployment rate of 80 percent, and with so little hope for the future, so little hope for the future that for young people, for young men and women in their teens, the greatest cause of death amongst them is suicide.
Now, 2010, most South Dakota reservations experience the same rate of unemployment, the same bare and meager existence, the same crises of hope in the populations of their young.
When the weather turns catastrophic, people die. To see how you can help, please read further (and thank you to all who have already contributed in any and every way).
For the past 10 days Kossacks have donated time, money, supplies and clothing to SD reservations. Our most significant accomplishment is bypassing charitable organizations, calling the power companies and grocery stores directly and donating money to fill someone's empty propane tank or empty refrigerator instantly. In fact, DharmaFarmer has adopted a family for the winter and will pay their heating costs going forward.
Below are links we have gathered to donate money and clothing to some of our reservations.
Please recommend this diary to give more families a chance to receive help.
NEWS:
(my summary)
The worst of the disasters, Cheyenne River in South Dakota, should get Federal relief this week. Some power has been restored and some water is flowing but into broken pipes. The occupants of those homes must stay in the shelters.
Cheyenne River is requesting only monetary donations now since mailing packages may hinder larger relief efforts now.
However, the ongoing poverty conditions on other reservations continue with families who need help heating their homes and feeding their families.
ARTIC BLAST HAS ARRIVED
WIND CHILL VALUES OF 25 TO 35 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ARE EXPECTED TODAY
A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN THE COMBINATION OF WIND AND COLD TEMPERATURES CAN CAUSE FROSTBITE IN JUST 20 MINUTES. IF YOU GO OUTSIDE...COVER ALL PARTS OF YOUR BODY...ESPECIALLY YOUR HEAD... FACE... AND HANDS.
Please provide news links in the comments and I will add.
I have received many emails from lurkers and non-members of Daily Kos who have donated money and supplies. In addition to that our current total from the comments is: $11,124 in roughly one week.
However, I believe our efforts are more expansive in that MANY folk have shared our diaries with their respective networks.
We've also had a number of Kossacks volunteer to be a part of a new team (currently un-named) that will focus on a continuing diary series on the current conditions of our poorest reservations and discuss proactive and preventative measures that could be taken to prevent similar disasters next winter.
Those volunteers currently are:
KentuckyKat
exmearden
SarahLee
cacamp
Deep Harm
Kimberley
Aji
TiaRachel
Bill in MD
4Freedom
No Way Lack of Brain
Lexalou
Soothsayer
Zenox
Kitsap River
tlemon
Richard Cranium
swampus
ParkRanger
bablhous
translatorpro
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Below are updated links organized by reservation:
Rosebud Reservation
Power:
No online donation links at this time for Rosebud, we'll put one up as soon as available.
St. Francis Energy Co. 605-747-2542 9AM - 5PM MST (Native owned)
Normally a minimum order is $150, but they have set up an account so that people wanting to donate less can and as it accumulates to a minimum order, it will be delivered. Ask for Sherry or Patsy, who can process this type of payment. Credit Cards ok. Sherry, who delivers the propane, worked all day Sunday driving around the out lying areas looking for people who are the most desperate for propane.
Cherry Todd Electric 605-856-4416 8AM - 5PM MST MON-FRI
Tell them to direct your donation to LIHEAP.
Ask for Samantha. Credit Cards ok.
If you can only donate by check which will be used for future propane deliveries and other necessities send a ck to:
LIHEAP, attn Eileen.
P.O. Box 430
Rosebud, SD 57570
Cks payable to: Rosebud Sioux Tribe LIHEAP (Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program)
Monetary Donations:
Rosebud Sioux Tribe President's Office
P.O. Box 430
Rosebud, SD 57570
Monetary donations (checks only right now) can be made to help the various emergency programs - from social services to energy to the emergency preparedness program, which may be providing extra food or plowing roads to diabetics and those needing dialysis, etc. Monetary donations can include a note specifying how you would like the funds used.
The tribal chairman's office also accepts clothing donations.
Clothing is passed out to those who come into the offices in need or through the tribal social services office.
Clothing:
White Buffalo Calf Woman Society, Inc
291 N. Main
P.O. Box 227
Mission, SD 57555
605-856-2317
Paypal link at www.wbcws.org
Pine Ridge Reservation
Power:
Lakota Plains Propane Company 605-867-5199 8AM - 4:30PM MST MON-FRI
Takes major credit and debit cards
Minimum ordering $120 for one weeks worth of propane
Tell them you want to donate to a Lakota family on their list.
Lacreek Electric Company at 800-655-9324 or 605-685-6581 7AM - 4:30PM MST MON-FRI
You need to have a name of a family when you call. Please email KentuckyKat, (kentuckykatonkos AT gmail DOT com) she has the list of names from Autumn and you can be matched with a family.
Clothing Donation:
(Clothing must be clean or it will be thrown away!)
Lakota Oyate Wakanyeja Owicakiyape
East Highway 18
IHS Compound, Box 604
Pine Ridge, SD 57770.
See changingwinds.org for addresses of other agencies participating in the Winter Warmth Drive for the people of Pine Ridge.
Special thanks to Autumn Two Bulls who has been our contact from Pine Ridge. Autumn is completely a first responder volunteer, she is not getting paid nor profiting from this effort. She knows her people well and has driven all over this vast reservation which is nearly the size of Connecticut to check on families in need and collect their names for the power companies. She is currently working on plans to bring solar energy to the Pine Ridge Reservation, and also the construction this summer of an entirely green homeless shelter -- projects that, when completed, will serve as a model for other reservations.
CHEYENNE RIVER RESERVATION
FINANCIAL DONATIONS:
The Tribe has depleted its emergency budget with the two blizzards that already hit the reservation since December.
Donate ONLINE to Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
WIRE DONATIONS TO:
Cheyenne River Sioux 2010 Disaster Account
Direct to: United Bkrs Bloomington ABA # 091 001 322
Beneficiary Bank: Account Number 250 3373
State Bank of Eagle Butte
Eagle Butte, SD 57625
Final Credit: Account Holder @ UBB Customers Bank
Account Holder: CRST 2010 Disaster, Account Number 103173
MAIL CHECK DONATIONS TO:
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe/2010 Disaster Account
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Chairman's Office
Attn: Ice Storm Emergency Fund
PO Box 590
2001 Main Street (Tribal Offices)
Eagle Butte, SD 57625
CHEYENNNE RIVER SIOUX CONTACTS:
Robin Le Beau, Chairman's Assistant c (610) 568-2101
Joe Brings Plenty, Tribal Chairman c (605) 365-6548
CRST Emergency Coordination Center (605) 964-7711 (7712)
CRST 2010 Disaster Relief Press Release, Background, Assessment and Public Service Announcement for local residents. Slide show of power line damage there.
Umbrella Groups
You can double your donation and use a credit card.
The (Archibald & Edyth) Bush Foundation is matching gifts to relieve suffering on SD Indian reservations following an ice storm that will leave many without heat, electricity and food for weeks. The Foundation will give up to $25,000 in 1 for 1 matching dollars.
The Minneapolis based foundation announced today that it will match gifts to Native Americans in Philanthropy which has created a special fund to assist the Cheyenne River Tribe of the Lakota Nation.
You can donate here thru Native Americans in Philanthropy
Progress:
$3,766 Jan. 31st
$7,866 Feb. 1st noon PST
$11,200 Feb. 2nd AM
$13,040 Feb. 4th 10:58 AM PST
$15,330 Feb. 4th 02:38 PM PST
$16,745 Feb. 5th 11:12 AM PST
$18,930 Feb. 7th 11:37 PM PST raised to date
Razoo's and GiveMN's funding partners will cover all transaction fees (Network for Good credit card fee rate is 4.75%) to ensure that 100% of the donations go to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.
UPDATE FEB. 3rd 2:00 PM PST:
The (Archibald & Edyth) Bush Foundation has added another $25,000 in matching funds thru the South Dakota Community Foundation
Progress:
$665 Feb. 3rd
$985 Feb. 4th 11:00 AM PST
$1,135 Feb. 4th 2:40 PM PST
$1,224 Feb. 5th 11:12 AM PST
$1,919 Feb. 7th 11:37 PM PST raised to date
The Native American Heritage Association (NAHA) (NAHA) is a very reputable organization with a 4 star rating from Charity Navigator, so if you're looking for a way that you can donate online, and want to be sure your donation is going to a legitimate charity, this would be the organization to send your donation to. NAHA provides food, clothing, heating assistance, etc., to the people on several South Dakota reservations.
The Native American Advocacy Program (NAAP)
302 East 2nd Street
P.O. Box 527
Winner, South Dakota 57580-0527
Phone: (605) 842-3977
(Not so much for emergencies, but they help our tribal members with disabilities.)
Native American Rights Fund
"Our Mission: preservation of tribal existence, protection of tribal natural resources, promotion of Native American human rights, accountability of governments to Native Americans, development of Indian law and educating the public about Indian rights, laws, and issues."
Web Contact Page
E-Mail: pereira@narf.org
1712 N St. NW
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-785-4166
Fax: 202-822-0068
Be sure to run all other donation sites through Charity Navigator to make sure they are reputable. There are many scams, old and new out there.
Please see Aji's diary for links to contact information for state and local officials. For a list of federal agency contacts, go here; for a list of national media contacts and a template for a letter to the editor, gohere.
BACKGROUND
There are nine reservations In South Dakota. News reports are covering only two reservations, Pine Ridge and Cheyenne River.
Full size photo
courtesy of South Dakota Office of Tribal Government Relations
UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
Rosebud Reservation:
The tribe estimates that 11,132 are available for work, with an actual 82% unemployment rate.
Pine Ridge Reservation:
With an unemployment rate that lingers around 85%, substandard housing...
Cheyenne River Reservation:
A labor analysis reflects that the Indian labor force within the reservation is 6,516 and the resulting unemployment rate is over 5,000, or 75%.
Video of the storm damage:
From Winter Rabbit's kickass diary asking CNN to cover this disaster.
See also Ojibwa's diaries for more information on our history.
There is a excellent PBS doc (80 minutes) about the Wounded Knee take over on the Pine Ridge reservation in 1973, We Shall Remain, Wounded Knee, Episode 5. (H/T exmearden) It features Kossack cacamp, Carter Camp (one of the original AIM organizers; Military Action) throughout and gives an important history lesson about the people, AIM and the struggle that continues today to retain the culture. (Our own Meteor Blades spent 51 of the 71 days of occupation inside with Carter Camp and the rest of AIM.) It's great to see images of Carter as a young warrior and now an elder in his tribe.
In 1973, American Indian Movement activists and residents of the Pine Ridge Reservation occupied the town of Wounded Knee, demanding redress for grievances. As a result of the siege, Indians across the country forged a new path into the future.
