Sequestration carries major impact on Pine Ridge Reservation

Monday, July 15, 2013  

The sequestration of the federal budget carries a heavy toll in Indian Country.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota is ending its low-income housing program due to cuts. Some 1,500 families are still on the waiting list.

“These are real, real low-income people,” Andre Janis, the director of the tribe's Home Improvement Program , told The New York Times. "If we go away, a lot of people are going to be without these services completely.”

The tribe is also cutting back on Head Start, health care and programs for the elderly. The police department is losing $1 million.

“We’re cut to the bone,” police chief Ron Duke told the paper. “Right now, we’re being reactive to things. It’s really hard to be proactive when you don’t have enough staff. We’re just constantly answering calls.”

The tribe's annual budget is $80 million, with $70 million coming from federal sources, the Times reported.

Get the Story:
Pain on the Reservation (The New York Times 7/13)