8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. MST

Steve Wilkie, Superintendent

Mailing Address:
Bureau of Indian Affairs
P.O. Box 325
Eagle Butte, South Dakota 57625

Cheyenne River Agency office
Cheyenne River Agency

Physical Address:
Bureau of Indian Affairs
2009 D Street.
Eagle Butte, South Dakota 57625

Telephone: (605) 964-4444
Telefax: (605) 964-4060

Moreau River on Cheyenne River Reservation
Moreau River on Cheyenne River Reservation

Tribe Served:
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
Ryman LeBeau, Chairman
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
P.O. Box 590
Bldg. 2002 Wing C & D Street
Eagle Butte, South Dakota 57625

Telephone: (605) 964-4155
Telefax: (605) 964-4151

Trust Land Base: 1,450,644 acres

Flooding on Cheyenne River Reservation May 2008
Flooding on Cheyenne River Reservation May 2008

Estimated Tribal Enrollment: 15,993 Enrolled Members

Cheyenne River Agency serves the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe; an unincorporated Tribe consisting predominantly of the Minneconjou, SiHaSapa, Oohenumpa, and Itazipco bands of the Lakota or Great Sioux Nation. The reservation consists of 1,450,644 trust acres in Ziebach and Dewey County in central South Dakota; in addition to Meade, Stanley, Haakon, Perkins, and Lawrence Counties. The Tribe also owns 480 acres of fee land in Crook County, Wyoming. The current tribal enrollment is 15,993 with approximately 70% living on the reservation. Governing body is a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and fifteen council members.

The Tribe manages the Consolidated Tribal Government contract, consisting of the following; Tribal Courts, Law Enforcement, Housing Improvement, Self-Determination, Credit and Financing, Wildlife and Parks, Water Resources, Higher Education & Employment Assistance, Facilities Management (Red Scaffold) and Garbage Collection Services. Tribal headquarters is in the same building as the Bureau of Indian Affairs, hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Cheyenne River Agency, with headquarters in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, functions under the direction of the Superintendent, Mr. Gregg Bourland. Mr. Bourland, under the administrative direction of the Great Plains Regional Office, provides direction and supervision for all Bureau activities within the jurisdiction. The Superintendent is the liaison with the Indian Health Service, various state, county and other federal and public agencies, and with the tribal organizations, committees, and tribal officials. The Agency consists of the following branches; Facilities Management, Natural Resources, Real Estate Services, Tribal Operations and Transportation with staff numbered at 55.

Critical Activities/Services Provided to Tribe:

Branch of Real Estate Services: Over the last four and one half years I have instituted internal management systems to provide for a better trust environment. We have six employees with the Realty Officer position and one Realty Spec. position currently being vacant.

Probate: We also have two Legal Administrative Specialists for Probate. Our Probate staff is currently involved in cleaning up all old estates. The staff continues to work with OTFM on closing all old probate accounts. All staff is currently under the immediate supervision of the Realty Officer,

Rookie Fire Camp 2007

Rookie Fire Camp 2007

Branch of Land Operations: We have twelve employees in Land Operations with one vacancy and Fire has seven full time employees. Land Operations is currently involved in a large scale range land inventory in addition to the upgrading of all land data on our farm pasture leases. This involves a great deal of field work by most of the staff including the Land Operations Officer. The Civil Engineering Technician provides a lot of assistance to the Realty Office for land exchange and fencing maps in addition to other surveying duties for the agency. We are also in the process of spraying for noxious weeds; which is an uphill battle considering the large amount of rain we have received this spring.

Our Fire Suppression Program is currently preparing for the upcoming fire season.

Flooding July 2008

Flooding July 2008

Branch of Roads: Maintenance and repair of our BIA roads is our main priority at the present time due to the large amount of rain that we have been received this spring and the flood damage that resulted from the intensive rain. We have five Engineering Equipment Operators. The majority of the roads on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation are gravel and under continuous use. We maintain a reservation larger than the State of Connecticut on a budget that would be inadequate for most small counties.

Branch of Social Services: The Branch of Social Services has traditionally been under funded and understaffed. We do the best that we can with a very limited amount of general assistance funding. We continue to provide the best services we can considering our limited resources.

Branch of Facility Management: The Branch of Facility Management has been scaled back significantly over the years. At one time this branch had over twenty employees. There are only nine people in the branch today with several positions vacant. This branch is also under funded.

Most recently we had a lot of roof leakage from the rain, causing a considerable amount of damage. Additionally, we are in the process of our normal repair of the school; replacing doors, electrical, and other parts. We are always in the constant process of repairing quarters, doing work orders; and the general upkeep of the grounds and main office building.