Oglala Sioux seek solutions on chronic housing shortage

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Dec 20, 10:37 AM EST

Oglala Sioux seek solutions on chronic housing shortage

By JAMES NORD
Associated Press

PINE RIDGE, S.D. (AP) -- Delora Kills Enemy sleeps on her van's back seat. Raymond Eagle Hawk, his girlfriend and young daughter live in a plywood-walled shack barely larger than their bed. Rachel Hunter shares a single bedroom with her boyfriend and two children.

The housing shortage on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is a longstanding problem for thousands of Oglala Sioux members - from the poorest to those who can afford to buy a house - but the tribe is pushing the issue into the spotlight again after severe storms and flooding in May spurred a federal disaster declaration.

Roughly 200 households are receiving new homes and about 100 homes will be repaired. A task force of federal and tribal officials and housing advocates also began work this month on a new plan to address the shortage on the reservation of about 35,000 people, starting with a study of current houses and their condition to better understand the situation. Tribal officials say the reservation needs 4,000 more units to ease crowding and ensure residences have plumbing and electricity.

The task force will use the results in a plan to help address the shortage and improve the tribe's ability to get grant funding, federal officials said. Tribal housing leaders hope the numbers back up their estimates and spur federal recognition, since the largest direct grant for Native American housing programs hasn't kept up with inflation since the 1990s.



Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_RESERVATION_HOUSING_SHORTAGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-12-20-10-37-36

[historylovr]

1. K & R

[EndElectoral]

2. Wish this had been asked about at the debate, rather than will Bill pick the flowers?

[Mike__M]

9. Being ignored as usual

I'd like to hear any Native issue discussed.

In 2007 there was a "prez on the rez" forum. Only three of the eight candidates showed up: do you all remember which three?

[dhill926]

3. this situation is just unacceptable...

[jwirr]

4. Very good news. This is a very old problem. I saw the effects

of this in 1972 when I was a student volunteer on the reservation. Housing on a reservation is usually owned by the tribe and often is not a priority. What you end up with is what the article tells you plus 3-4 generation homes. Too many people trying to live together.

[Zorra]

5. K&R nt

[Gumboot]

6. One day I'm hoping...

... we'll have a Native American running for the Democratic nomination. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

In the meantime, I'd love to hear any kind of discussion or acknowledgment of Native American issues and rural poverty at a debate.

But sadly, I think we'll be going through several more election cycles before that happens.

[dembotoz]

7. you nailed it

[leftyladyfrommo]

8. I hope they actually asked the Indians what they needed.

When I was working on my BA in Anthropology I spent time in Navajo country. At that time the Bureau of Indian Affairs decided that the Navajo needed better housing. The Indians were living in their hogans at the time. So the Bureau went in a built them houses. But modern houses didn't work out there in the desert. It gets too hot in summer and too cold in winter.

The Indians went on living in their hogans which have very thick walls that keep them cooler in summer and warmer in winter. They used the new houses for the chickens.

I'm all for helping to build more and better housing but I wonder if those people will be able to afford utilities. If they can't the houses will be useless much of the year.