Representatives of all 9 of South Dakota’s tribal nations took part in an all-day emergency management training session in Rapid City last week organized by U-S Senator Mike Rounds.
Rounds had talked the previous week with tribal leaders about how to best prepare their reservations for natural disasters.
Last December’s intense blizzard that swept across South Dakota left residents of the reservations especially vulnerable, with conditions among the worst on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Senator Rounds, a former governor, delivered the opening remarks for the training session, which also included representatives from FEMA – the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and other federal agencies.
Rounds said the main reason for the Day was to establish connections with the people who can help the tribes have plans on hand before emergencies develop instead or during or after them.
Crow Creek Tribe Chairman Peter Lengkeek said afterward he sees “a good working relationship between the tribe, state, and the federal agencies coming from this,” leading to a future with no more loss of life during such emergencies.