On April 14, 2005, General
Grisoli came to the Cheyenne River reservation
for an unprecedented meeting with the Cheyenne
River Sioux Tribal Council and the Tribe's
Vice-Chairman, brought on by an impending
loss of water by summer time if no solution
was put in place before then.
Due to the drought conditions
over the past several years, water levels
are getting dangerously low, affecting water
pressure and quality and drinking water needs
of the communities on the reservation.
Council Representatives
(right to left and around): Terrance "Terry" Veo,
Maynard Dupris, Kevin Keckler, Steve Moran
and member of general public.
Council Representatives (right
to left): Ted "Buddy" Knife, Jr.,
Sharon Lee, Keeler Condon, Benita Clark:
Tribal Treasurer, and members of the general
public.
General Grisoli
General Grisoli came to
discuss the involvement of the Army Corp
of Engineers (ACOE) with the reservation
water supply and the water needs of the Cheyenne
River Sioux Tribe and its reservation. The
area covers 3 counties and supplies water
service to Indian and non-indian alike with
approximately 14,000 residents.
(left to right):Colette
LeBeau Iron Hawk:Tribal Secretary, General
Grisoli and Raymond Uses The Knife, Jr.:Vice-Chairman
Vice-Chairman (Raymond) Uses
The Knife, Jr. gave a welcoming address to
General Grisoli and then opened the floor
for the Tribal Council Representatives who
asked questions of the General and the ACOE's
committment to the project.
(left to right):
General Grisoli, Vice-Chairman:Raymond Uses
The Knife, Jr. and Benita Clark: Tribal Treasurer
(left to right):
Colette LeBeau Iron Hawk:Tribal Secretary,
General Grisoli, Raymond Uses The Knife,
Jr.:Vice-Chairman and Benita Clark:Tribal
Treasurer
(left to right):
General Grisoli and Council Representative
Keeler Condon speaking with Sharon Lee observing
(left to right):Colette
LeBeau Iron Hawk:Tribal Secretary, General
Grisoli and Raymond Uses The Knife, Jr.:Vice-Chairman
Council Representatives
(left to right): Robert "Bob" Walters,
speaking, & Steve Moran, observing and
Kevin Keckler, speaking
Council Representatives
(left to right): Maynard Dupris, observing,
Lanny LaPlante, speaking and members of
the general public, observiing
Council Representative:
Steve Moran, speaking and General Grisoli listening
intently
Some of the Council Representatives
gave some prepared speeches and others spoke
from the heart. Particularly moving was one
by District 1 Council Representative Moran
and his testimony of the tragedy in his district
in
February
2004 when 4 small children perished in
a house fire in the community of Bear Creek
, due
to low water pressure. He pointed out to
General Grisoli on a map of the reservation,
how this community was in the area farthest
from the intake pump and the relationship
to the low water pressure's contribution
to the inability to extinquish the housefire.
Council Representatives
(left to right): Kevin Keckler, Keeler Condon
and Sharon Lee
There were also comments
from the general public. One that stood out
was a young woman, Melanie Lausmann Nowak,
from Germany, sitting in the general public,
who
spoke on the water issue and how in her country
it is a fundamental right that all people
enjoy water. She stated when a Nation's
leaders see that there is a need for a basic
necessity, such as water, then they do all
they can to help.
(left to right):Colette
LeBeau Iron Hawk:Tribal Secretary, General
Grisoli, Raymond Uses The Knife, Jr.:Vice-Chairman
and General Grisoli & Raymond Uses The
Knife, Jr., once again, as they observe the
general public speak.
Young woman from
Germany
General
Grisoli commented on the concerns of the
Tribal Council and the public and stated
that the Army Corps of Engineers are committed
to a temporary solution relative to
the looming water crisis.
Ordinarily,
when visitors of this stature visit our reservation,
they only give a few minutes of their time.
However, this was not the case with General
Grisoli. It was mentioned several times by
Vice-Chairman Uses The Knife of the shortness
of time that the General could be here and
how he needed to move on to other matters
that he was in the area for, but the General
stated that this was of more importance hearing
the concerns of the Tribal Council and concerned
general public and he stayed well beyond
the usual curt visits made in the past by
other officials.
