The National Park Service is donating firewood to Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota to ensure people have a way to heat their homes during this especially cold winter.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial superintendent Gerard Baker, a member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation from North Dakota, worked with the tribe to coordinate the donation. State forestry crews are helping to bring the wood to the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Some wood is also coming from the Black Hills National Forest. But U.S. Forest Service regulations prohibit donations, so wood that has already been cut is likely to go unused for home heating, officials said.

"This is a serious situation that requires immediate action. It is not right for families to be without heat when there is burnable wood just sitting on the ground," Sen. John Thune (R-South Dakota) said, The Rapid City Journal reported. Thune is working with Sen. Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota) to try to find a way to get wood from the Black Hills forest to the tribe.

Get the Story:
Crews slice slash into firewood for reservation homes (The Rapid City Journal 12/21)

Relevant Links:
Running Strong for American Indian Youth - http://www.indianyouth.org

Related Stories:
Billy Mills to help tribes cover heating costs (12/19)
Tough winter for Pine Ridge Reservation residents (12/8)
Major storm strikes South Dakota reservations (12/1)