Two years after being purchased by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Si Tanka University in South Dakota is undergoing financial troubles again.

The school, most recently known as Huron University, is in foreclosure litigation over a $3.3 million loan and has been hit with a $2 million tax lien from the IRS. The problems are nothing new, as the school has struggled for years, and are not related to the tribe's involvement.

Officials say they are working to resolve the problem. Students, who enjoy the small atmosphere of the campus, say they have been assured the school will not close.

But Ron Volesky, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, says he's ready to step in if the school has to shut down. A resident of Huron, where he sits on the city commission, he's offering to buy the campus.

The tribe bought Huron in 2002 to serve as an off-reservation campus to its tribal college. Officials envisioned creating "a Haskell of the north" but say they encountered resistance from the university administration over financial matters.

Get the Story:
Finances choke Si Tanka University (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 10/21)
Relations with Huron often distant, residents say (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 10/21)
Timeline and Q&A (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 10/21)

Relevant Links:
Si Tanka University - http://www.sitanka.edu

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S.D. tribe's college undergoing financial woes (7/14)
College seeks $9.5 million in aid from tribe (03/20)