| PRESS
RELEASE Contact: D. Alice LaClaire
Jan. 23, 2004 Public Relations Director
Phone: 605-964-4155
The
passing of the Omnibus Appropriations Bill by the
United States Congress brings good news to the Cheyenne
River Sioux Tribe of Eagle Butte, South Dakota.
The Cheyenne River Indian Reservation encompasses
two of the poorest counties in the nation and Chairman
Harold Frazier has made it his goal to bring more
funding to the reservation to help the people.
The
United States Congress passed the Omnibus Appropriations
Bill on January 22, 2004 during their 107th Session
of Congress. The Omnibus Appropriations Bill included
$275,000 for the administration of the new Nursing
Home and $225,000 for the Tribal Mental Health Program
and the Transportation Bill that included $2.5 million
for a Transit System for the Cheyenne River Sioux
Tribe. The total amount the Cheyenne River Sioux
Tribe will receive from the passage of the Omnibus
Appropriations Bill is $3 million dollars.
During
Chairman Harold Frazier’s short time in office
since December of 2002 has made it his priority
to advocate for more funding for the Tribe and as
a result the Tribe received a total of $6.078 million
dollars from the Federal Government. Prior to the
Omnibus Appropriations Bill the Tribe received $128,000
for Suicide Prevention from the Indian Health Service
and the Bureau of Indian Affairs granted $150,000
for Drought Relief that was used as cost-share with
the Prairie Management Program to purchase a well
drilling rig, $2.8 million dollars for the design
of the new Indian Health Service hospital for the
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe from Congressional Appropriations.
Chairman
Frazier stated, “the Tribe depends on the
Tribal employees for their input and knowledge of
their program needs in order for us to advocate
for more funding and it shows that our tribal employees
are very much dedicated in providing adequate services
to our people as they provided us information that
showed the lack of funding to address the needs
of our people.” Chairman Frazier continued
by stating, “this is only the beginning we
hope to bring more funding and jobs to boost the
Tribe’s economy in the next three years of
my administration as Chairman of the Cheyenne River
Sioux Tribe.
With
a Transit System the people of Cheyenne River Indian
Reservation will be able to travel from their communities
to the nearest town to do their shopping or to travel
to Eagle Butte for medical care, shopping, and to
do their personal business. Chairman Frazier stated,
“I will work towards ensuring that there will
be recurring funding for the operations of the transit
system so that our people will no longer have to
worry about finding a ride to town.”
| 
