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Associated Press
24-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
South Dakota eager for Trump's statue garden near Mount Rushmore despite local opposition
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Officials in South Dakota are pushing hard to build President Donald Trump 's proposed National Garden of American Heroes in the Black Hills near Mount Rushmore, but the effort has sparked a backlash from Indigenous groups who see the area as sacred. A mining company has offered to donate 40 acres (16 hectares) less than a mile from Mount Rushmore, where massive sculptures of four of the nation's most prominent presidents are carved out of granite. 'The Black Hills mark the perfect location to achieve your vision for the National Garden of American Heroes,' Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden wrote in a letter to Trump. 'Together, we will make this project happen in a way that honors America's heroes, takes advantage of South Dakota's natural beauty, and incorporates the most iconic monument to our greatest leaders: Mount Rushmore National Memorial.' But the Black Hills have long been the subject of disputes between South Dakota and its tribes. The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie recognized that the Black Hills belong to the Sioux people, but the U.S. government seized the land less than a decade later to mine for gold. A 1980 Supreme Court decision found that the U.S. violated the treaty, but the tribes refused the $1.3 billion in compensation they were offered and maintained their rights to the land. Indigenous groups also oppose drilling project The mining company, Pete Lien & Sons, also has had conflicts with Indigenous groups in the area, most recently because of an exploratory drilling project for graphite near the sacred Lakota site of Pe' Sla. The company also is working with theme park designer Storyland Studios to build an attraction in the Black Hills opposed by some Indigenous groups. 'It's absurd for Storyland Studios and Gov. Rhoden to claim they care about preserving history while they watch Lien & Sons attempt to destroy Pe' Sla, and do nothing,' said Taylor Gunhammer, an organizer with the Indigenous advocacy group NDN Collective. 'They are the ones erasing and paving over history, not preserving it,' Gunhammer said. Rhoden's press secretary, Josie Harms, wrote in a statement that the garden 'will have no disruption to either state or tribal land' because the tract of land is owned by Chuck Lien, owner of Lien & Sons, and his family. Pete Lien & Sons did not respond to multiple requests from The Associated Press for comment. Trump's garden to feature 250 statues of historical figures Trump signed an executive order earlier this year to build the garden, to feature 250 life-size statues of historical figures in honor of the country's 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. Applications for sculptors are due in early July, though the administration no longer seeks to have it completed by next summer. The U.S. House has approved $40 million for the project, which is being overseen by the Department of Interior and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Senate hasn't yet approved the funding. Trump first announced the project in his first term in a July 3, 2020, speech at Mount Rushmore at a time during the Black Lives Matter movement when some protesters were tearing down statues depicting Confederate generals and others. 'Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our Founders, deface our most sacred memorials, and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities,' Trump said in that speech. 'But no, the American people are strong and proud, and they will not allow our country, and all of its values, history, and culture, to be taken from them.' In a 2021 executive order, Trump called for statues depicting a range of prominent figures, from the likes of Amelia Earhart, Muhammad Ali and Steve Jobs to more controversial ones like Christopher Columbus and President Andrew Jackson. No site was selected, however, and the garden was never funded by Congress. The Department of Interior said the revived garden project is still in the 'planning and discussion phase' and declined to say which sites it is considering. It's unclear if any other states are seeking to host the statue garden. As governor, Noem offered land for the garden When Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was the state's governor, she offered the mining company's 40 acres of land in the Black Hills. Her successor, Rhoden, doubled down on that offer in his letter, emphasizing the site would be 'in sight of Mount Rushmore.' South Dakota Republican U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson also wrote a letter to Trump, and said he will 'keep advocating for this iconic landmark to make its home in the Black Hills' in a social media post. Darren Thompson, director of media relations for the Indigenous nonprofit Sacred Defense Fund, called for more discussions with Indigenous groups in the Black Hills. 'It's a very touchy and sensitive subject that I think requires input by the local Indigenous people who have claim to the land and cultural ties to the land,' Thompson said.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Minnesota State Capitol will honor tribal nations with a Tribal Flag Plaza
Chandra Colvin MPR News The state's Capitol Mall will see some changes over the next decade. The Capitol Mall Design Framework aims to develop the mall into a welcoming space for more Minnesotans and to represent the state's diversity better. 'It's looking at what has the Capitol Mall been and how could it best represent Minnesotans going forward,' said Erik Cedarleaf Dahl, the executive secretary of the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board. Beginning in late 2023 and continuing through last year, the planning board worked with thousands of Minnesotans across the state to gather feedback and input on what would make the Capitol Mall more welcoming. 'We want people to utilize it as a space that is comfortable and theirs, really, because it really is Minnesota's front yard,' Cedarleaf Dahl said. The design plan includes a Tribal Flag Plaza, located in the Lower Capitol Mall. The plaza will feature flags from each of the 11 federally recognized tribes in the state. He says the board worked with tribal liaisons from the Office of Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, White Earth Nation, to coordinate meetings with tribes. The Tribal Flag Plaza is pictured under construction on April 23, on the Capitol Mall in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Ben Hovland, MPR News) Patina Park is the executive director for tribal state relations in the office. She is a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. Park says tribes raised the idea of having the plaza several years ago after Montana unveiled a Tribal Flag Plaza on its Capitol grounds in 2020. 'It was supported by the [planning board] that were looking at design ideas and ways to kind of make the Capitol grounds more accessible, both in access as well as inclusion of the variety and diversity of people we have here in the state,' she said. Construction is currently underway on the flag plaza as part of the first phase of development. The initial phase also includes the planting of 171 trees, a pedestrian plaza and a street mural on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The Tribal Flag Plaza is part of a larger design that connects to other already existing commemorative works, like the Minnesota Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The plaza will have plantings at the base of each flagpole, which will be determined and chosen by tribes. Cedarleaf Dahl says a bench will be located nearby for visitors to sit and spend time or reflect. Park emphasizes the importance of having the plaza and recognizing sovereign nations located in Minnesota. The Tribal Flag Plaza is pictured under construction on April 23, on the Capitol Mall in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Ben Hovland, MPR News) 'It's not like you'll have to travel or go to the History Center or [make] an extra effort to even acknowledge that there are tribal communities here. It'll just be part of the permanent framework of the Capitol grounds,' Park said. She says the erasure and invisibility of Native people have led to many misunderstandings about who they are. 'If we just become part of the fabric of the state, it just becomes the norm,' she said. She says learning about tribes that have been in the state will have long-lasting benefits and impact for younger generations, both Native and non-Native. 'It's this moment in time, which is exciting,' Park said. 'Future generations and Minnesotans who will come to the Capitol, it'll just be a part of their experience.' The Tribal Flag Plaza's unveiling is expected to happen towards the beginning of summer with tribal leaders from across the state coming together at the Capitol for the occasion. Correction (April 29, 2025): This story has been updated to correctly spell Erik Cedarleaf Dahl's name.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Standing Rock leaders raise concerns about federal funding
Mary SteurerSouth Dakota Searchlight FORT YATES, N.D. – Leaders of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe asked governors of North Dakota and South Dakota for help Monday as they face uncertainties with federal funding under President Donald Trump. The comments came during a rare meeting that brought North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong and South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden to consult with Standing Rock Tribal Chairwoman Janet Alkire and other tribal council members. Alkire, Armstrong and Rhoden, who convened in the council chambers of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Administrative Center, said they couldn't recall the last time both governors were in Fort Yates at the same time. The Standing Rock Reservation straddles North Dakota and South Dakota. This puts the tribe in the unique situation of having to manage overlapping jurisdiction with both states and the federal government. Federal spending cuts threaten several services in Indian Country the federal government is legally required to provide, including programs that support public education, health care and law enforcement, Stateline reported last month. Multiple Standing Rock councilors asked Armstrong and Rhoden what the tribe can do to navigate these changes. 'We all know there's gonna be more,' Alkire said. Both governors said they share concerns about the cuts. 'We're in the mode of monitoring, just like you are,' Rhoden said. He defended the Trump administration's actions as necessary to bring federal spending under control. 'It's been many decades since I felt like we had a president that's actually looking beyond the horizon on fixing what's wrong with America,' he said. Alkire said she supports streamlining federal programs if it means Native nations get greater autonomy over their own resources, but she worries tribal communities will suffer if their services are cut. 'We in Indian Country have always faced underfunding, so when you cut something for us, it's drastic,' Alkire said. She said Standing Rock is counting on the North Dakota and South Dakota governments and their congressional delegations to make sure the federal government honors its responsibility to Native nations. Armstrong said he hopes tribal leaders alert their state counterparts as soon as they face issues. 'When disruption happens, we need to know,' he said. Setting the funding cuts aside, Alkire said the federal government has long neglected to address a laundry list of tribal sovereignty issues. The tribe needs more funding and staff from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, as well as fewer restrictions on access to federal land and the Missouri River, to name a few, she said. 'I told Secretary Burgum that he had his work cut out for him,' Alkire said, referring to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Armstrong's predecessor as governor. Development was another recurring theme of the meeting. John Pretty Bear, a district representative, asked Rhoden if he would ask D.C. to fund water infrastructure development in western South Dakota. 'It's 2025, and we still have people that haul water,' Pretty Bear said. Rhoden said he's aware of the issue. 'I live in the middle of Meade County, and if you look at a water map of South Dakota as far as rural water projects, it is a black hole in that area,' he said. Councilors also asked the governors to help support economic development on the reservation so the tribe's younger generation can find jobs 'We need more businesses,' District Representative Joe White Mountain Jr. said. 'Our kids are growing up and they don't really have a future.' During a January address to North Dakota state lawmakers, Alkire called infrastructure a top priority for the tribe. Standing Rock hopes to one day build a bridge over the Missouri River connecting the reservation to Emmons County. Currently, to cross the Missouri River, Fort Yates residents must drive roughly an hour north to Bismarck or an hour south to Mobridge. The U.S. The Department of Transportation recently awarded the tribe a $14.5 million planning grant for the project, but more support will be needed to make the dream a reality, Akire said in the address. A bill signed by Armstrong in March authorizes the North Dakota Department of Transportation to accept ownership of the bridge if it gets built. Tribal officials said both states could do a better job of consulting with Standing Rock on a variety of issues, including education, transportation, gaming and land use. Rhoden, formerly South Dakota's lieutenant governor, assumed office at a low point for tribal relations in the state. Leaders of all nine Native American reservations in South Dakota voted to ban Rhoden's predecessor, Kristi Noem — now the U.S. secretary of Homeland Security — from their lands. The votes were in response to Noem's rhetoricabout Indigenous communities in the state, including an unsubstantiated accusation that tribal leaders were 'personally benefiting' from Mexican drug cartels, and an assertion that Native American children 'don't have any hope.' 'I think this is an important day in our history and in the road to recovery, as far as rebuilding our relationships,' Rhoden said Monday. Armstrong's predecessor, Burgum, was widely regarded as an ally to the five federally recognized tribes that share land with North Dakota. Armstrong said Burgum's appointment to the Interior presents 'unique opportunities' to the tribe, North Dakota and South Dakota, and he hopes the three governments can continue working toward their common interests. 'There's not a lot of people that can get me out of Bismarck on less than a week's notice when the Legislature's meeting, but when the Chairwoman calls, we say yes,'' said Armstrong.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
Red Ribbon Skirt Society founder speaking in SF
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Lily Mendoza of Rapid City, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, is set to speak Tuesday night at the public library in downtown Sioux Falls about an issue which does not always receive attention: the high rate of violence suffered by Native American women. Mendoza started the Red Ribbon Skirt Society, which seeks to accompany and advocate for people with missing or murdered loved ones. 'We do really work on their case, meaning that we'll be at court when it goes to trial,' Mendoza said Tuesday afternoon ahead of her talk. 'We're involved with the missing and murdered unit, which is a federal program. We have two of the women that are on the unit, work in the unit and they're part of our society,' Will South Dakota lose federal education funding? One case which will have her attention is that of Sahela Sangrait, a 21-year-old Native woman whose body was discovered in February in the Hill City area. 24-year-old Quinterius Chappelle is in the Pennington County Jail, charged with killing her on Ellsworth Air Force base in western South Dakota; he has pleaded not guilty. 'I'll be talking about what happened to her, and the thing is, when I'm talking about these cases, some of them are very gruesome, some of them are really hard to speak about,' Mendoza said. 'But what we're about is telling the truth.' Mendoza says work with the Rapid City Police Department is helping the Red Ribbon Skirt Society achieve its mission in fighting for missing and murdered Indigenous women and their loved ones. 'I hope that there are individuals that work in the criminal system that will be here tonight,' Mendoza said. 'I hope there are police officers here tonight, because we've got a pretty good system in Rapid City in how we do business as far as MMIW. We've got a team of people.' There's no ticket needed to attend Mendoza's talk Tuesday night; it starts at 6:30. 'We are nearing capacity, but don't let that stop you,' library associate Kara Vehar said. Attendees are asked to register online. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
