Indian Health Service's deceit has no boundaries"

“IHS’s deceit has no boundaries”

 

By Charmaine White Face (Zumila Wobaga)

10.12.20

Last January, 2020, before the pandemic interrupted our world, I wrote an editorial called “NEPA and the Sioux San.” It laid out the process for public comments to the current physical destruction that is occurring at the Sioux San. 

 

The Indian Health Service (IHS) is a federal government agency that is supposed to follow the law, particularly federal laws.  NEPA, or the National Environmental Policy Act, was specifically created to STOP federal agencies from running rough shod over the will of the people.  So IHS gave an imitation of following the law.  On Dec. 26 and 27, 2019, there were advertisements from IHS in the Rapid City Journal asking for public comments to be due by Jan. 31, 2020.     (Remember the dates as they are significant.) We did our due diligence, let the public know such as in my editorial, and also received ‘pro bono’ engineering assistance which we included in our response.  All the historic buildings could be re-purposed AND a new clinic built as well with the amount of funds available.

 

What we didn’t know at the time was that IHS had already made up their minds and had already signed a contract with a construction company in SEPT. 2019, three months PRIOR to asking for public comments.  (The contract is available on the IHS website.)  All of our work was for nothing.  IHS had no intention of listening to the people, or following the law, NEPA.  They threw us a bone to keep us busy, while they continued with what they wanted to do.

 

One of the oldest places in Rapid City, the National Register of Historic Places-eligible Sioux San Hospital and Campus historic district will no longer be in existence with the destruction of all the buildings except the stables on the west side. (Used to be used as a fire station.)  Yes, the hospital AND Lakota Lodge are scheduled to be destroyed.

 

It has been the American Indian Community of Rapid City that had the designation of a general hospital hospital established by the federal government in the mid 1960s.  IHS is keenly aware of this.  But in a “divide and destroy” tactic, only the three tribes, Cheyenne River, Oglala, and Rosebud Sioux Tribes were offered the opportunity to sign on to the Programmatic Agreement.  When not one of these tribes signed on to give their approval to the destruction of the buildings, nor submitting their disapproval, then  ACHP gave their approval to the destruction. 

When did either of these federal agencies ask the American Indian Community of Rapid City for our opinion?  The three Tribes did NOT establish the hospital.  The Community did.  And there are more than three tribes whose members use the Sioux San Hospital.  It’s closer to three hundred according to medical records.

 

If one of the Tribal Chairmen would call the ACHP now, today, could that STOP the destruction that is occurring on the Sioux San Campus? It wouldn’t hurt to give it a try.  Which Tribal Chairman has the courage to do that?  Rodney Bordeaux from Rosebud?  Harold Frazier from Cheyenne River?  Or Julian Bear Runner from the Oglala Sioux Tribe?

 

Or, perhaps one of the Chairmen from the other 14 tribes in the region will have the courage to try to save the Sioux San Hospital and Campus from total destruction.

 

           

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Charmaine White Face or Zumila Wobaga, (73) is an Oglala Tituwan Oceti Sakowin great-grandmother, scientist, writer, and organizer. She can be reached at cwhiteface@gmail.com