The Spirit Lake Tribe (in Santee Dakota: Mni Wakan Oyate, formerly known as Devils Lake Sioux) is a federally recognized tribe based on a reservation located in east-central North Dakota on the southern shores of Devils Lake. It is made up of people of the Pabakse (IháŋkthuÅ‹waÅ‹na), Sisseton (SisÃthuÅ‹waÅ‹) and Wahpeton (WaÈŸpéthuÅ‹waÅ‹) bands.
Established in 1867 in a treaty between Sisseton-Wahpeton Bands and the United States government, the reservation, at 47°54′38″N 98°53′01″W, consists of 1,283.777 km² (495.669 sq mi) of land area, primarily in Benson and Eddy counties. Smaller areas extend into Ramsey, Wells and Nelson counties.
According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 2011, the tribe had 6,748 enrolled members. At the time of the U.S. 2000 census, 4,435 members were living on the reservation but slightly more than 6,000 are estimated to live there currently. The unemployment rate was 47.3% in 2000. The largest community on the reservation is Fort Totten.
Government
The tribe has a written constitution and an elected government, with a chairman and tribal council. In 2014 the chairperson was Myra Pearson.
Environment
Located on the south shore of Devil's Lake, a closed-basin watershed, the reservation has suffered increasingly frequent episodes of flooding since the 1990s. It has lost homes, land and economic opportunities due to the severity of this problem. Tribal chairperson, Myra Pearson, appealed in the 21st century to President Barack Obama and his White House for assistance.
Since then tribal representatives have engaged with a multi-agency task force led by Federal Emergency Management Agency officials to develop a recovery plan. It was published in 2010 and includes economic and cultural development goals in addition to strategies to combat the flooding.
Economy
Since the late 20th century, the tribe has operated gaming facilities on its reservation to generate revenues for the welfare of its people. It operates the Spirit Lake Casino. The tribe had owned two smaller casinos, which it closed in 1996 and replaced by the larger facility. As part of its economic development, it has founded Spirit Lake Consulting.
Additional visitor attractions at the reservation are the Sullys Hill National Game Preserve and the Fort Totten State Historic Site, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Spirit Lake Tribe operates Cankdeska Cikana Community College, a tribal college established in the 1970s. The two-year college provides classes in subject areas needed by the reservation and to prepare students for other jobs, as well as strengthening their Dakota culture and language.
Communities
- Crow Hill District, Crow Hill, North Dakota
- Fort Totten District, Fort Totten, North Dakota
- Mission District, St. Michael, North Dakota
- Woodlake District, Tokio, North Dakota
Fort Totten is the reservation's economic and government center. The tribal administration, tribal college and Spirit Lake Consulting offices are located in the community. The tribe's Vocational Rehabilitation program works to assist tribal members in finding employment.
Child welfare
During 2012 and 2013 tribal and federal authorities focused on reducing child sexual abuse, which was identified as endemic on the reservation. For years both tribal and federal law enforcement officials had failed to prosecute such crimes. The reservation residents include a high number of registered sex offenders, some of whom have responsibility for children. Officials suggest that poverty and alcohol abuse have contributed to the problems.
On October 1, 2012 the Bureau of Indian Affairs took over the tribe's social services program to strengthen protection of children. It investigated 100 reported cases of such abuse in the first month. In February the two North Dakota senators and a representative met with tribal officials and members at a town hall meeting at Spirit Lake to discuss reforms underway, including fingerprinting of all adults living with foster children (a requirement that had not been satisfied before). In March 2013, the tribal court convicted a man charged with abuse in a case highlighted in 2012 by a federal employee.
Representation in other media
- Kind Hearted Woman (2013) is a PBS Frontline documentary about Robin Poor Bear, a woman on the Spirit Lake Reservation, and the severe problems of sexual abuse and violence there.
See also
- Dakota War of 1862
Notes
References
- Spirit Lake Nation
- Treaty of 1867, Sisseton And Wahpeton Bands
- Fact Finder
- Spirit Lake Reservation, North Dakota, United States Census Bureau
External links
- Spirit Lake Nation, official website