CROW CREEK AND LOWER BRULE RESERVATIONS, S.D. (KELO) — The Oglala Sioux Tribe’s president declared a state of emergency in November because of a law and order breakdown on the Pine Ridge Reservation . It’s not the first South Dakota tribe to declare an emergency along these lines in recent history.
The Lower Brule Reservation hugs the picturesque western shore of the Missouri River in central South Dakota. Tribal chairman Clyde Estes says it isn’t only the land that makes this reservation special, it’s his neighbors.
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“Our people. They’re resilient. They got good hearts, when we lose somebody in this community, our community comes together to support one another, regardless of whose family it is,” Estes said.
Straight across the river sits Ft. Thompson on the Crow Creek Reservation. Tribal chairman Peter Lengkeek says his people come from warriors.
“To us, a warrior isn’t somebody who goes to war and kills, that’s just a very small part of it. A warrior is somebody who looks after their people and takes care of them and leaves no one behind,” Lengkeek said.