Council honors American Horse School, Approves Buche Year Lease

Dr. Gloria Coats Kitsopoulos speaks to the tribal council after American Horse School was honored by the tribal council on Tuesday.

PINE RIDGE – Earlier this month, American Horse School was awarded the Values Driven Award of Excellence, presented by AdvancEd Accreditation to one school in each state that is part of the Midwest region.

“After retiring from the military, I decided to come home and teach, I’ve now been at American Horse School for the past 19 years, with the support of the board, the community and parents, we’ve been able to create a culture of excellence,” said Gloria Coats Kitsopoulos, school superintendent, “89% of our graduates finish high school, wherever they go, Red Cloud, Bennett County or Little Wound.”

Kitsopoulos, Jody Richards, principal and Shilo Krolikowski, assistant principal and testing coordinator, the school administrators, were honored with satin star quilts and the school was presented with a tribal flag as well. Board members, community members and parents were in attendance for the honoring.

Earlier this month, the council chose GF Buche and Company to take over the operation of Sioux Nation, a grocery, hardware and auto parts shopping center in Pine Ridge, operated by the Hi-Way 20 Corporation for the past 51 years. On Tuesday, the council voted 14-2-1 to approve a lease with GF Buche and Co. The lease would be for five years with an option to renew the lease for another five years and at the end of a second five year lease agrees to sell all of the fixtures and equipment on the premises for $1.00. Buche has agreed to pay $50,000 per month and once per week provide unprepared food to a tribal program or non-profit entity for the purpose of providing a free meal to the hungry.

Hi-Way 20’s contract ends Dec. 31, 2018, they have up to 90 days to vacate the premises. We would like to have as seamless transition as possible, added RF Buche, if possible we’d like to purchase all of the equipment and furnishings from Hi-Way 20, we’re committed to keeping on every current employee.

After a tabling motion failed 6-11, the council voted 12-5 to provide Barbara Dull Knife’s Children’s Home an Emergency Grant of $5,000 to cover employee pay and needed supplies. The council then voted 9-8 to take the money out of councilman’s travel line item and voted 10-7 to file criminal charges against the True Sioux Hope Foundation for raising money in the name of the children’s home and not meeting their financial commitments.

IHS continues to be unable to meet the quality care standard expected by the OST, during the IHS report, individual council representatives told one story after another of mistreatment, mis-diagnosis, prejudice and a lack of human decency in the care provided by the IHS, especially in the emergency room. For the first time in months their report was approved by a vote of 9-8.

A report from the OST Supreme Court presented by Chief Justice Steve Emery was approved 15-0-1 and included a need to move the alternate Eric Lochen into the unfilled Associate Justice position and 15-0-1 to bring a resolution the following day to make Lochen official.

During the BIA report presented by interim superintendent John Long, the council voted 17-0 to require the BIA to pay any late fees accrued by a delay in the range unit leasing, invoicing and paying process brought on by the Bureau’s grazing unit rate increase. The Bureau is waiting for the analysis of the core samples taken from the Oglala Dam spillway, until then the dam is being kept below the level of the top of the spillway. GA payments have been made for November, while December’s will be out by Dec. 3. Long’s Report was approved 11-4-2.

During the Bureau’s report, the issue of livestock on the roads was brought up, in April, at the request of Tribal Chair Scott Weston, Long submitted a draft of a bill that dealt with livestock on the road, since then, responsibility has been passed back and forth from the Bureau to the tribe and back again.

Council voted 16-0-1 to use money in the range fees account to make the FSA payment by Jan. 1 to insure no late fees; voted 17-0 to refer the issue of the expulsion of Don Doyle’s grandson from Crazy Horse School to the Education Committee and onto the Tribal Education Agency to investigate.

After dismissing the first complaint, the council voted 9-6-1-1 to accept the complaint made by Rhonda Two Eagle against Oglala Sioux Lakota Housing and set up a hearing in 20 days.