City Official: "I’d love to tangle with the Tribe"

Contact: Harold C. Frazier
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
Phone (605) 964-4155
Fax (605) 964-4151
Haroldcfrazier@yahoo.com
PO Box 590
Eagle Butte, SD 57625
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe

Press Release

Tribe takes steps to protect sovereignty and jurisdiction

Eagle Butte, SD, October 9, 2015:
In 1959, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe moved its tribal headquarters from the Old Agency along the Missouri River to the City of Eagle Butte. At the time, the City of Eagle Butte was a small town along Highway 212, facing the realization that as the railroad system was being replaced, its economy would suffer.  At the time, City officials lobbied the Tribe to move its headquarters to Eagle Butte, as they understood that it was an opportunity to bolster their economy through the commerce the Tribe and its members would generate.  A sense of cooperation has endured since then, even though there have been occasions of trial and tribulation.
The City of Eagle Butte has recently taken actions that signal its intent to end the spirit of cooperation that has existed between the two entities by disregarding tribal and federal officials and law with repeated violations on tribal land in their current water and sewer infrastructure project.  On several occasions federal officials from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal officials have informed the City of Eagle Butte, its engineers and contractors that certain portions of their project should not have begun and will not continue without consent of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.  They have recklessly disregarded these warnings and have infringed on the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, apparently with no fear of reprisal.

When confronted by Tribal police officers, City Finance Officer Sheila Ganje stated: “I’m going to be upfront … The ... Tribal Police has no authority to shut down our construction project. We will not stop.” Her remarks were captured on video. She said: “All I can tell you is arrest me. I’d love to tangle with the Tribe, so arrest me.” Speaking about Tribal Chairman Harold Frazier, Ms. Ganje said: “I’ll say whatever I want to say there because I can. Because I want him to arrest me because I’d love to tangle with that thing [the Tribe] and you tell him I’m perfectly willing to go to jail. We’re not stopping and I don’t have time for this.”

It is this spirit of confrontation and lack of cooperation that the Tribe finds so troubling. In response to the City’s actions and statements, Tribal Chairman Frazier says: “The Tribal Council has empowered my office to take all steps necessary to ensure that the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the Tribe is protected.  The Tribe has enlisted the Bureau of Indian Affairs to work for the Tribe to assist in this affair.  We believe that until such time as the City of Eagle Butte becomes reasonable in their dealings with the Tribe and conducts business with the integrity that our governments have always worked with in the past, that we will take all steps necessary to protect our nation.”