Oglala Sioux Tribe President John Steele is urging its representatives in Congress to pass measures to guarantee the completion of the Mni Wiconi Water Project.
OST Demands Mni Wiconi completion
By Brandon Ecoffey
Lakota Country Times Editor PINE RIDGE—The largest rural water project in North America was originally intended to provide clean drinking water to residents of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation by piping water from the Missouri river to reservation residents. As time has passed funding for completion of the project is drying up and the only community with a completed water system is the one serving non-Natives. The Oglala Sioux Tribe has proposed legislation to the South Dakota congressional delegation that if passed would require federal agencies to assist in funding community upgrades to the pipeline system. Funding for community upgrades ended last year and efforts to amend the original Mni Wiconi Act to provide funding for necessary upgrades have been slowed by the Bureau of Reclamation. In a press release the Oglala Sioux Tribe stated that the completion of the project is part of the trust responsibility that the federal government has towards tribes. “The Mni Wiconi Project Act acknowledges he United States’ trust responsibility to provide adequate supplies of clean, safe water for the Pine Ridge, Rosebud and Lower Brule Reservation, areas that suffer from some of the highest rates of poverty and health disparities in the United States,” said the tribe, “The Project has already resulted in improvements in the health and quality of life of reservation residents. When completed, it will serve approximately 52,000 Indian and non-Indian people.” Part of the Mni Wiconi project included an off reservation water delivery system called the West River/Lyman Jones Rural Water System has been completed but the three water delivery systems serving reservations require upgrades and funds for completion that the federal government is attempting to say it cannot fund. In the most recent Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill language was introduced by Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD ) that urges the Bureau of Reclamation to work with other federal agencies to find funding to complete the upgrades. “We thank Congresswoman Noem for her effort on behalf of the Mni Wiconi Project,” said Oglala Sioux Tribal President John Steele. “The House of Representatives sends a strong message to the Bureau of Reclamation to take action to ensure completion of the project. The Mni Wiconi Project cannot be deemed complete until the community systems are upgraded and transferred into the respective tribal rural water systems.” Find the award-winning Lakota Country Times on the Internet, Facebook and Twitter. (Contact Brandon Ecoffey at editor@lakotacountrytimes.com)
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