West River Eagle

Letter to the Editor



Dear Editor,

Let me please remind one and all that the Tribe has sovereign jurisdiction within the exterior boundaries of the reservation, essentially the two counties, including the City of Eagle Butte; with which I am currently at legal differences over water. And remind the same that eight is a majority of the fifteen members of the Tribal council, i.e., eight Tribal council members could be, if they chose to be, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Council, without regard to what the other seven say, think, or do. 

There could never be a tie vote where the Chairman is required to break the tie. The Chairman doesn’t matter, only those eight members matter. If those eight members would identify themselves and come together with the people, we could begin to work things out with a revision of the Chairman’s powers resolution. It’s time for a change! 

All the money in the world comes from land; ergo, if you have a lot of land then you can have a lot of money. 

If you have very nearly one million acres of the best grazing land in the world, better than the steppes of Russia, the pampa of Argentina, and the great outback of Australia; acres that were leased by the U.S. Department of the Interior at much-reduced rates to the big cattle companies until the mid-1950s (pre-Oahe Dam days) when the tribe took control and negotiated ten million dollars for a land and cattle rehabilitation program which was open to all members; then breaking up Tribal, allotted and heirship lands into 265 or so range units leased to tribal members, with U.S. BIA approval, at far less than fair market for the last 65 years. 

We all have an equal interest in that nearly one million acres of land still under its aboriginal title, share and share alike. In fact, we have enough land that if it was used to its potential no Tribal member would ever have to go without the material wants of life. It’s the people’s turn now; the best of everything!

Thank you.

Greg Ducheneaux

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