A Native American tribe in South Dakota says several of its members died when December storms buried their reservation in snow. Tribe leaders said the deaths could have been prevented had it not been for a series of systemic failures.
The letter described the situation on the reservation in a remote area on the state’s far southern border with Nebraska, 130 miles southeast of Rapid City, as a “catastrophe.”
Noem, who is seen as a potential contender for the 2024 White House, declared an emergency on Dec. 22 to respond to the winter storm and activated the state’s National Guard to haul firewood to the tribe.But by then the Rosebud Sioux Tribe was worn out from a series of storms starting about 10 days before that were so severe that its leaders ultimately rented two helicopters to drop food to remote locations and rescue the stranded.
Shawn Bordeaux, a Democratic state lawmaker and a former tribal council member, was running out of propane heat at his home on the reservation when Noem announced she was sending in the National Guard. Unable to get out and shop, he had no Christmas gifts for his children. Even for those who could get out, the store shelves were growing bare. Gas stations were running out of gas.
That meant there simply wasn’t enough equipment to respond, said Semans, who lost two family members in the storm. Semans said a glimpse outside showed it was “almost impossible,” so Dillon went to bed. He died Dec. 17 at the age of 59. The family pleaded for help, and finally a snow plow cleared the road to their ranch. Cordier-Beauvais said Honor and his uncle, Gary Whipple, set off immediately for the hospital just 3 miles away.
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