Native American Energy Group Inc. (fka NAGP)

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Oglala Sioux Tribe A Profile



Pine Ridge is home to the Oglala Lakota who are members of a major Sioux division known as the Western or Teton Sioux. Pine Ridge has a tribal membership that totals 17,775. One third of the total population report Lakota as their first language.

Pine Ridge Reservation Districts:

1. Eagle Nest 4. Pass Creek 7. Wakpamni
2. LaCreek 5. Pine Ridge 8. White Clay
3. Medicine Root 6. Porcupine 9. Wounded Knee

Tribal/Agency Headquarters: Pine Ridge, SD
Counties: Bennett, Jackson, Shannon, South Dakota
Enrolled membership: 17,775
Reservation Native Population: 20,806*
Labor Force: 10,280
Unemployment rates: 83%
Language: Lakota, English
Lakota Bands: Oglala
*However, a study conducted by Colorado State University and accepted by the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development estimate the resident population to be approximately 28,000.



LAND:

Land Status: Acres
Total Area: 2,000,000
Tribal Owned: 706,340
Allotted Owned: 1,064,840
Total Tribal/Allotted Owned: 1,771,180
Government Owned: 1,536
Non-Indian Owned: Not available
Reservoir Taken area: Not available

Terrain: Rolling hills, woodlands, river valleys and creeks dominate the reservation.

Tribal Lands Acres
Agriculture 84,983
Grazing 1,308,064
Forestry 230,729

The Pine Ridge Reservation is situated in southwestern South Dakota on the Nebraska state line, about 50 miles east of the Wyoming border. The area includes over 11,000 square miles contained in seven counties; Bennett, Custer, Fall River, Jackson, and Shannon counties in South Dakota. Pine Ridge, Kyle, and Wanblee are the largest communities on the reservation. Other smaller communities include Manderson, Oglala, Porcupine, Red Shirt, and Wounded Knee.

The three diverse geographic regions within the service unit borders make Pine Ridge one of the most scenic service units within the Aberdeen Area. The southern and eastern sections of the service unit consists of wide open grassy plains. In the west central section the prairie merges into the small eastern spurs of the Black Hills which are further to the west. The result is an area of rolling pine covered hills and ridges, providing the inspiration for the name Pine Ridge. To the north of the wooded area are approximately 160,000 acres of badlands, characterized by roughly eroded ridges, peaks, and mesas. The badlands are known for their panoramic beauty created by the shapes and colors of the land formations.

The Pine Ridge reservation is home to the Oglala Sioux Tribe. The Reservation is located in southwestern South Dakota with Fall River and Custer County lines as the western border with the Badlands and Jackson County as the northern border joining the Rosebud Reservation on the northeast corner. The Bennett County line is the eastern boundary and the Nebraska border is the southern boundary of the reservation. The total land area of the Pine Ridge reservation is 2.8 million acres with 1.7 million acres tribally or individually owned. The land is an integral part of the Lakota culture and the economic base of the reservation.


HOUSING

Public housing on the reservation is managed by the Oglala Sioux Tribal Housing Authority. The Authority has constructed housing for approximately 43% of the approximately 2,300 families on the reservation. The Housing Authority manages housing units in the communities an on scattered rural sites through HUD Low Rent and Mutual Help home ownership housing programs. Other housing is available through the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service for their employees. Private housing stock is limited.

The housing has been apportioned to the nine (9) districts by population and need. The Housing Authority is working on reducing the backlog of substandard housing and also to construct houses for approximately 4% of the families that do not have any housing of their own.