Oglala Sioux Tribe President John Steele signs historic document. Photo by Jerry Matthews
OST and FEMA celebrate cooperation
By Brandon Ecoffey
LCT Editor PINE RIDGE— The Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Federal Emergency Management agency came together at the Pine Ridge Powwow grounds to celebrate a first of its kind Memorandum of Agreement that came about through a rarely used clause of the Stafford Act. On Tuesday, September 22, at the Oglala Sioux Tribe joined representatives of FEMA “to celebrate the first Federal/Tribal MOA” in the history of the two’s relationship.
Pine Ridge sign marking one of many Disaster Recovery Centers across the reservation. Photo by Connie L. Smith
The MOA came about after President John “Yellowbird” Steele evoked a seldom used clause in the Stafford Act that resulted in the reservation being deemed a disaster zone by the federal government after a series of storms in May caused reservation wide damage. The designation as a disaster zone made portions of the reservation that were impacted by the storm eligible to receive federal disaster relief funds. “This ceremony is to publicly demonstrate our commitment and willingness to work together to address disaster recovery efforts on the Pine Ridge Reservation for you, the Oyate, whose homes were damaged from the storms this past May,” said President Steele in a Facebook post the morning of the event. “Shortly after the storms, I declared a disaster, and according to the Stafford Act, it was forwarded to President Obama who declared a national disaster for portions of South Dakota including the Pine Ridge Reservation." "As a result FEMA was sent here. This effort is historic because we are one of the first Tribes to establish this agreement with the federal government since Congress adopted the Stafford Act. So today we publicly celebrate and embrace this initiative to assist our tribal members," he added.
The Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Federal Emergency Management agency came together to celebrate a first of its kind Memorandum of Agreement that came about through a rarely used clause of the Stafford Act. Chris Smith Individual Assistance Branch Chief, Blaine Little Thunder Eagle Nest Representative, Gary Stanley Federal Coordinating Officer, President John Yellow Bird Steele, Sharon Loper Acting Region 8 Regional Administrator, Wilbur Between Lodges, Mel Lone Hill, Megan Floyd Region8 Tribal Liasion, Milo Booth National Tribal Advisor, Joan Rave Deputy Federal Coordinating Officer. Photo by Jerry Matthews
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief Act was first passed in 1988 and was updated and amended by the Disaster Relief Act of 1974. That act was put in place as a mechanism for municipalities to access assistance through FEMA by declaring disasters. The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 and the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act have amended the act further but tribes have been deemed eligible to pursue FEMA assistance through it. Once President Steele declared the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to be a disaster the wheels begun turning resulting in federal assistance for those areas most affected. (Contact Brandon Ecoffey at editor@lakotacountrytimes.com) Find the award-winning Lakota Country Times on the Internet, Facebook and Twitter.
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