{"id":4204,"date":"2020-11-06T12:09:56","date_gmt":"2020-11-06T18:09:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=4204"},"modified":"2020-11-12T08:12:22","modified_gmt":"2020-11-12T14:12:22","slug":"native-sun-news-today-discussion-continues-on-indian-boarding-school-lands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2020\/11\/06\/native-sun-news-today-discussion-continues-on-indian-boarding-school-lands\/","title":{"rendered":"Native Sun News Today: Discussion continues on Indian boarding school lands"},"content":{"rendered":" \"rapidcityindianschool\"
Basketball teams from four schools are seen at the Rapid City Indian School in South Dakota in 1929. Photo: Department of the Interior \/ Office of Indian Affairs<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n
Resolution for school lands pushed until November 10<\/div>\r\n
Friday, November 6, 2020<\/div>\r\n
By Travis Dewes<\/div>\r\n
Native Sun News Staff Writer<\/div>\r\n
nativesunnews.today<\/a><\/div>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nRAPID CITY \u2014 On Monday<\/a>, a resolution which would have taken the first steps in resolving 3 outstanding land deeds involved with the Rapid City Indian School<\/a> lands was voted to be moved to a future working session for further discussion. The Rapid City Council voted 6-3 to move discussion for the resolution to November 10.\r\n

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The resolution <\/div>\r\nBrought to Rapid City Council by a volunteer group of over 100 people with over 7 years of work, the resolution seeks to prevent the reversion of 3 parcels of lands which were illegally acquired from the Rapid City Indian Boarding School lands<\/a>. \r\n

<\/P>\r\nAfter a 1948 law passed by the United States Congress, lands from the boarding school could be given to \u201cthe city of Rapid City for municipal purposes, or to any public-school district for educational purposes, or to the State of South Dakota for use of the South Dakota National Guard: Provided, That the title to any lands so conveyed shall revert to the United States of America when the land is no longer used for the purposes for which such lands were initially conveyed.\u201d \r\n

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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tHistory of RC Indian Boarding School\/Sioux San & West Rapid City Lands\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
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History of RC Indian Boarding School\/Sioux San & West Rapid City Lands added photos to the album: 2020 Memorial Walk Photos<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\t\"www.facebook.com\"\t\twww.facebook.com\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nTwo of the three parcels were conveyed from the City of Rapid City and given to Monument Health which became the Behavioral Health Center and Clarkson Health Care which became Westhills Village. The other parcel was conveyed from the Rapid City Area School District and is now the Canyon Lake Activity Center. \r\n

<\/P>\r\nIn a 2017 letter from the United States Department of Interior, the Federal Government acknowledges that these three parcels of land are in violation of the 1948 law and subject to reversion back to the Department of the Interior. The letter encourages all affected parties to come to a \u201ccreative solution\u201d to the issue. \r\n

<\/P>\r\nA letter from Monument Health Vice President Mike Diedrich, which was submitted to Rapid City Council on October 28, states that Monument Health believes that it\u2019s Behavioral Health Center is compliance with all deeds and requests that the resolution be corrected to reflect this view. The letter cites many correspondences which date back to the 1950\u2019s that admit the federal government accepts the deed in question is in compliance, but none of those letters were provided. Monument Health\u2019s letter was not spoken about at Monday\u2019s meeting. \r\n

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\"rapidcityhall\"
City Hall in Rapid City, South Dakota. Photo by Native Sun News Today<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/fgure>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nThe resolution would instigate negotiations between the city of Rapid City, the federal government, and the Rapid City Indian Community to resolve the outstanding deeds to prevent them from reversion back to the Department of the Interior. If passed, the resolution would guarantee that \u201cthe Mayor of Rapid City and the Rapid City Common Council will work with Native American community members and the Rapid City Indian Boarding School Lands Project to devise and present a draft plan in the next six months which entails land exchanges and financial investments which, when combined, equal the value of the land and buildings for Parcels A1, A2, and B of twenty million dollars.\u201d\r\n

<\/P>\r\nThe organization which is spearheading talks with the city, Rapid City Indian Boarding School Lands Project<\/a>, is a conglomerate of over 100 volunteers who previously researched unmarked graves on the school\u2019s land, and inadvertently uncovered the three parcels of land in violation. Heather Dawn Thompson is considered the face of this organization and is the main point of contact for city council and the public. \r\n

<\/P>\r\nThe main objective of passing the resolution would begin the initial steps that need to be taken for a Native American Community Center. \r\n

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